Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-01-15

tuOuRu LiioJ ulu, iOT u WOnutf, give me
an extra half hour at noon when went
on him when he was getting better, and
making all sorts of nice dishes to tempt
his appetite, and lending him all the
incest books and keeping the room
bright with beautiful flowers. But it
wasn't this kindness which made Nat
fall in love with her. Oh, mol for he
had fallen In love with her long before,
and was on the point of telling her so
when that cruel machinery grasped his
arm.
But must give her up now, Susie"
he said TO me-we had no secrets from
each other" though I love her more
than ever. Twould have been no match
in worldly sense, for her before-a
printer with only what he earned from
week to week and a pretty.young widow,
owning houses and lands sufficient to
give her an income of a thousand year.
But now It is simply impossible. Dis,
| abled for life. must make up my mind
to be a burden on you. and see her
marry"
You'll do no such thing, Nathaniel" !"
cried l. What has come over youp 1t
seems to me that the people who are the
jolliest when they are jolly are the blues
| when they are blue. One would think
you'd lost both arms and legs to hear
| you talk. Do you forget your favorite
motto, Nil desperandum,' to say moth
ingsof' Up, guards, and at emp"
But Nat continued very low in his
spirits, all could do or say. And this
is how affairs stood in our house the
Christmas eve before that Christmas
day:
The kettle had just began to boil next
morning, and had just called out,
Merry Christmas" TO Nat, hearing him
stir in his own room, when Widow
Winterpippin's blue-eyed little maid
knocked at the door, with merry
Christmas" a giggle. and a note from
Winifred Winterpippin sends her
love to Susie and Nathaniel Bracket and
begs that they will, rs great favor, give
her their company in her rooms this
evening at seven O'clock" f . =
" And I've got a note for everybody
in the house, and there's to be a supper,
miss. So don't cook no dinner, M miss, u
said the little maid, laughing outright.
| CThis little maid was almost always
laughing, in which respect she much
resembled her black-eyed mistress.
"Say We'll come with pleasure, Mamie. "
said l. Yes, miss" and away she
flew. Q
And at seven precisely the invited
guests were assembled in the widow 3
pretty parlor. Dear me! How pretty
it was. Christmas greens were festoone1
all around the walls, and anchors, and
wreaths, and hearts, and crosses were
hung wherever they could be hung, and
above the mantel, Merry Christmas" :"
| in large dark green letters, frightened
| hu nritn bortiac nrnataI 10 nv
tered the door. And there were stands
filled with lovely geraniums and be-
| gonias, and lilies in each window, and
asplendid fire in the CRATE and the most
| charming of all there was the widow
! herself in pearl-gray silk with scarlet
ribbons at her throat and scarlet flowers
| in her hair.
When Nathaniel-poor fellow, how
| his empty sleeve annoyed him-and
arrived, Mrs. McChilly and her grand
| children were already there--the old
lady in the easiest chair in the room
nearest the fire, with glass OF lemonade
of which she was very fond chow did
Widow Winterpippin manage to find
out everybody's little weaknesses in the
way of eating & And drinkingO on n small
round table by her side, and the grand
son and his wife looking over the photo
graph album in n cosy corner.
Mr.. and Mrs. Rose and the three rose
buds, rs we called the children. wee,
| darling, auburn-haired girls, came in at
the same time we did, and Mr.. and Mrs.
Summer, he looking worn and haogard,
and she with traces of tears around her
beautiful eyes and the baby-made
their appearance few moments later.
And now that we are almost nil
harp eaid Wi1nvu N;pNarn;nn;r
wondered who else was to come" well
have dance TO begin with. You will
play, Mrs. Summer? Mamie can hold
the baby
| But Mrs. Summer blushed and said
she never played, now"
But you can" insisted the widow in
| her genial way. "You surely have not
forgotten. / used to hear you playing
so much and so well when you first
moved here, and Mr.. Summer sang
then, too. Many happy hour have ]
passed listening to you both" And
MIR. Summer, with n conscious contrite
look in his face, put his arm around his
| wife and led her 10 the piano.
Then Nathaniel took the widow, and
Mr.. Summer Mrs. McChilly's grand
daughter by marriage, and Mrs.
McChilly's grandson Mrs. Rose. and
Mr.. Rose me. and we had an old-fash-
ioned quadrille dance in the old fash
ioned way-and n jig 10 end with. And
Mrs. McChilly declared 1t made her feel
like dancing herself, and she would have
danced, too, believe, If it hadn't been
for her rheumatic foot. AS 1t was, she
beat time TO the jig tune with her cane
until her arm was so tired she couldn't
beat any longer, and Mamie and the
baby took 1t and beat away. utterly re-
gnrdIess of time, until all the ladies had
made their final courtesies to their
partners. 80.
After the dance we bad n lovely bal
lad from Mr.. Summer, who had fine
tenor voice, and comic song from Mr..
Rose, who had a voice suited TO Il. The
comic song had silly, rollicking chorus
in which the company all joined with as
much earnestness 10 though their lives
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