Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1877-02-17
A SLEIGH BELLE.

Harold Browns sleigh dashed merrily
up to Harold Browns door, and at that
moment (she was the soul of punctuality)
out came Harold Browns only sister-a
little woman wrapped in shawls and
wells and worsted things from head to
foot.
Come along, SIS" he shouts; and
then. without waiting for her "to come
along, he jumps from the sleigh, reaches
the top of the stoop in three strides-he's
tall, bread shollldered, dark skinned,
blue eyed young fellow-catches her up
in his arms as though she were only a
bundle, and III the twinkling of an eye
she is snugly slowed away among the
buffalo robes.
Crack goes the whip. "Glang, Ned p
cries Harold. Ned tosses his head
and paws the ground an instant to get the
sleigh bells ringing properly, and off they
60.
Are you warm ?" asks Harold of the
bundle at his side
Almost smothered," answers the
bundle, in an indistinct voice with slight
lisp.
"Thats right, my darling" says the
brother, who adores his pretty young
slster-the only one left him OF four.
" l should tear my hair in wild despair
II you caught cold. Mind you don't, for
if you but sneeze once, be it the tiniest
sneeze that ever was, home you co."
Never fear, Har," reioins the obedi-
emu small woman. " [ promise, upon
my word and honor, not to sneeze. I'll
choke first. All here we are, she con-
t.nues, as they turn into Fifth avenue
and take their place at the end of line
OF sleighs, big and little, the largest OF
which stands unoccupied before the hand
some and brilliantly lighted house OF
Albert Lee, merchant and millionaire.
" Yes, and here are all the rest, :" says
Harold, adding, with slight infection
OF scorn, excepting the Lee people
Of course it's the Princess Alberta who is
keeping us all waiting forgetting, il
the most manLke manner, that he haG
only that moment arrived himself. ''She
never was ready when she was a little
glr, and suppose she hasn't reformed
IN that particular, now she's big one. ;
Big ! repeats the voice from the
mutfiers, why, she isn't bit larger
than am"
"Well, she's year older, anyhow
and ought to know better re plies Har
old; "but | haven't the slightest doub
she's stopping to firt with some one, o.
two, or half dozen of her numerous ad
mlrers utterly regardless of the fact tina
THAT is, you-t9 say nothing of forty
or fifty others, more or less intimate
friends, are freezing outside. Dan Va1
Rensselaer, is buttoning on her gloves
OF Will West is fastening the straps O
her oYershoes, or some confounded non
sense or other. Cora, it's my opinion
that girl flirted in her cradle, made face
at her old loves, and smiled on the new
Alberta !-and she won't let any on
soften it to 'Berta,'" he went on. ap
parently warming with his subject
"what o ridiculous name for such mite
for mite she is, and mite she will con
tinue to be, for all her scornful looks ant
naughty ways"
"Oh Harold p exclaims the veile,
voice, with as much Indignation as i
possible under the circumstances "Hoy
unjust you are She's not naughty
she's not scornful--she's lovely Sh
came to me herself yesterday afternoo
and | happen to know all the other
had written invitations-and begged w
would join her sleighing party. ITS t
be q real old fashioned affair, she said
and want my real old fashioned friend
to come. ,"
Extremely condescending," interpc
lates Harold.
And as orher name, she had nothin
to say about that, as you, if you have on
grain of common sense, must be awar
no more than you did about yours
And she'd rather be called 'Ber'ia,
great deal only her papa insists upo
Alberta, and consequently, like a goo
daughter, she insists upon Alberta too
He wanted a boy when she was born, t
be called Albert that's his own nam,
you know and when girl came instead
h said no girl should interfere with h
plans, and he named her Alberta, whic
is almost the same thing. And it's iul
as we'll he did, for he ne yer had anofht
child, girl or boy"
Pity the boy hadn't ONE, grumblt
Harold,
" For shame, brother l'' exclai ms til
little woman, partly unfolding the W
that hidas her dimp.od oain an ro
m onta, that she may apsa with greats
easet "Aew eaa yaa wish thsE thsg