The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1882-12-27
AT HnME. JANUARY FIRsT.

AT HOME, JANUAhh tlhSIs
oPeop into the library-do, father
and see the dear girls What a picture
thew maker' Mr.. Bell down town was
a man much respected as a rich, success
full merchant, much feared as an over
shrewd fnancier; up town, in his own
house, he was Just father" Mrs. Bell,
a comely, stout, blonde matron, had let
her whole soul overflow on the little bald
head Of her first. baby. Successive
babies brought more outpouring Of in
cyhaustible affection and indulgence.
She was content as a brooding dove to
he only mother and that Mr.. Bell
could ask greater glory or honor than
TO be father" why, the idea was alb
surd. Soabsurd that it never came into
his mind. On tiptoe he obeyed his wife,
Injunction and looked in at the library
door.
what are they doing2'' he asked, in
a whisper.
Directing envelopes for the New
Years cards-the invitations to call,
you know"
They were certainly pretty, those three
Girls. with their slender forms thrown
into graceful, unrestrained attitudes, as
they sat about the library table eagerly
talking and busily writing. They were,
respectively, nineteen, eighteen and six
teen years old; and called, respectively,
10 or Josie for Josephine, Sissy for
Cecilia, and Tiny for Christina. These
were their home pet names, to be sure,
but following custom that obtains now
adays, they chose to be known by these
diminutives outside in the fashionable
world. The great society paper described
them as three Graces shading in styles
of beauty from Miss Josie's brunette
brilliancy, through Miss Sissy's brown
haired, blue-eyed bewilderment, to Miss
Tiny's moonlight blondeness," The
description was considered accurate as
well as extremely poetical, and Mrs. Bell
had asked the reporter to lunch.
Josie read off names from a list the
other two sisters wrote, and a fourth-a
mite called Poppet--neatly piled up en-
velOpes.
Lett see, said Josie the AS, BIS.
Cs-all done down to the Ms. Morse,
Morris, Mcintyre, Mumford-"
Sissy, who was biting her pen-handle
in deep reflection, and had turned up
her blue eyes to the ceiling until she
looked like the saint whose name she
bore, interrupted just here with:
''Jo, didn't we meet a Montgomery
somewhereP'
Montgomery No. Yes; there was
somebody of that name, it seems to me,
at Saratoga.
Il remember exclaimed Tiny, get
ting upon her knees in the chair like a
child, and stretching across the table,
somebody, I've forgotten who, brought
him to us one day on the piazza, and
said he was an agreeable man who
lounged about the Office and seemed to
have no friends"
80 YES" said Josie, with uncer-
tainty; ''and think he spoke of being at
the Windsor, in New York. Direct him
an envelope, Sissy"
"But, Josie" asked Tiny, "do we
know him?'
Nonsense, child; people aren't so ex-
act at New Years. Aud we must have
a lot of calls. Three girls of usl why,
less than two or three hundred c alls
would be a disgrace -
"Of course," " said Sissy, with a sense
of the graYest responsibility; "and to Sc
cure that number we must send out at
least twice as many invitations. There,
Mr.. Montgomery, Windsor Hotel 1t
may not find him, but there's chance,
and every one counts. " She threw the
directed envelope among the others that
were ready to be stamped and mailed.
"Well, my pets Mr.. Bell asked, as
he came in and looked down at the
pretty group in fond pride, "where are
all these cards To be sentp'
80, papa, exclaimed 10, "now just
run away we're so busy"
'Now, papa and Sissy jumped up
and kissed him-''dO be a dOcile parent,
there's a dear"
Yes, and don't disturb us, added
Miss Tiny, clapping her hand over a
pile Of envelopes to protect them from
scrutiny.
Mr., Bell looked amused, patted their
heads all around, and observed, in a
mildly speculative way, as he saw about
one quarter of the number TO be sent,
1T seems to me there are a great
many"
'Its all right, papa; we know the
customs of society" came the re-assur-
ing chorus.
1--WE know the cuthtomth Of thotiety
perfec'ly echoed in a shril solo from
Poppet, who at present lsps, being
minus one milk-tooth in front but who
will shortly be known to the news
papers as ''the piquant Miss Poppet
Bell" /"
Thon all the girls jump up and made
a dash at papa, and in a few moments a
handsome old gentleman, very merry
and very proud of his handsome and
merry girls, makes a feint Of having
been elected with great violence from
the library, and the door is closed and
locked on the inside.