Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-01-09
THE NEW YEARS PARTY.
BY P. H. D.

hundred and sixty-two. A cold, buster
.ng night that fell with a sudden chill
over the big city. The stores were open.
but few customers troubled the COM
Portable repose of the attendants. The
tinkling of the car bells occasionally
sounded clearly in the frosty air, but this
was the only sign of busy life the streets
seemed to contain.
But if the external world was appa-
rently empty, there was fullness of ac-
ton in the household. The parlor Win
dows of the dwellings all along the vast
thoroughfare, threw forth brighter
glow from beneath the close-drawn cur
tains, as if in hooking defiance of the
ice-bound king that held his frigid court
outside
The shadow of civil war hung around
the land, and there were not many fam
lilies in the Quaker City that had not at
least one hero in the fields of the sunny
South. But because some dear faces
were absent from the circles that now
clustered round the hearth, the usual
festivities of the season were rot for
gotten. With wishes that the loved
ones were there to share them, bright
eyes smiled in anticipation of, and def
fingers everywhere industriously made
ready for the pleasures of the glad New
Year.
A. young man had just entered the
house of Mr.. Caverly, a tradesman, liv-
ing on the main street on the west side
of the Schuylkill This gentleman was
sitting before the glowing stove, and on
each side, forming halfcircle to the
wall, were the various representatives of
his own family branch. The new-cOme r
was evidently on intimate terms with
the establishment, as furthermore than
general response to his salutation, and
an uncommon interest on the part of q
pretty girl of about nineteen to move up
and admit himself and chair beside her,
his advent did not produce any marked
connection. sas lae sac. .lsH <rt
The current Of talk which had merely
rippled. during these formalities, then
again flowed on uninterruptedly. The
topics considering the time and place,
were of the old order The fact that
New Years always follows Christmas,
along with other matters naturally
makes it of secondary Importance, and
it was therefore not strange that the in
terest of the Younger members of the
family at least, was less conferred upon
themselves in conjunction with the APP
preaching holiday, than upon theirsold-
est sister Kate, who was to experience
the coming evening one of the highest
eonsummations Of maiden's earlier
blisses-her first party. s.
Amid the ceaseless chatter of the
youngsters, Mr.. Caverly and his wife
could not but notice that Kate was less
ready to discuss the probabilities of the
grand affair after the youths arrival.
than she had been before. This may
have been owing to the fact that he was
to be her escort on the occasion, and
woman-like, she did not wish to show
too great curiosity and anxiety about
the very matter that had kept her wake
full for weeks.
Gradually the murmur of voices be-
came less as the tired little heads
dropped off to slumber, and as the
necessity of tucking them away for the
night afforded the parents an adequate
excuse for an early retirement, ere long
Kate and her sweetheart were alone.
When other topics of conversation
failed, it was natural they should refer
to the party that Kate was sewing on
and arranging an INDISPENSABLE some
thing composed of blue ribbon and
white null, may have also afforded
both an excusable pretext for keeping it
uppermost.
"When is it to meet, Frank" queried
\ Il o1tI,o,,~b che L., bo o,
well as he did.
ave should get to Jivins'," replied
the youth, by eight o'clock; but as
parties are something like funerals, and
never start on time, there's no use in
our leaving home till halfpast eight at
the least
"Well, bat won't the other couples
be on time," continued Kate, somewhat
seriously.
Every likely" replied Frank. But
certain individual III be there that
[ don't want to see any more than [
can help and therefore I don't want
to get there till they are just about
tarting.'", ers.....T -
ooh, you needn't mind anybody, and
I'd much rather we arrived early" re-
SltIllco MATT, ttieSI d. pdQSc
And that's just what don't intend
doing
His nonchalent manner of saying
this, almost implying that her wishes
counted for nothing in the case, had an
apparent effect on the girl, and the color
rose to her cheek as she answered:
You must take me there at the time
the others reach it, Frank Roche, or [
won't go at all.
She said this deliberately, half def
antly, and evidently meant it. He
merely looked at her.. to make sure she
was not testing, and then the spirit Of
contrariety that is always waiting on
discordant lovers, took possession of his
tongue at least, and he replied
Just as you like | am perfectly sat
isfed"
His face gave the lie to his words, and
it would have taken little to bring the
trembling tears to the girls eyes as she
saw him prepare to depart. She made
an effort to rise and call him back, but
maiden pride held her down, and the I'M
-. : L L. i L