The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-12-30
AT HOME, JANUARY FIRST.

''IeCp lnIO lne IDfdIy -uO, lduller-
ana see the dear girls. What picture
they maker' Mr.. Bell down town was
aman much respected as rich, success
full merchant, much feared as an over
shrewd financier; 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
exhaustible affection and indulgence.
She was content as a brooding dove to
be only "mother," and that Mr.. Bell
could ask greater glory or honor than
to be father" why, the idea was alb
surd. So absurd that it never came into
his mind. On tiptoe he Obeyed his wife s
Injunction and looked in at the library
door
"What are they doing?" he asked, in
whisper.
directing envelopes for the New
Years carIs-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 acustom that obtains now
adays, they chose to be known by these
diminutives outside in the fashionable
world. The great society paper described
them rs ''three Graccs 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 list. the
other two sisters wrote, and fourth-a
mite called Poppet-neatly piled up en-
yelopes.
Lets see," said Josie ''the AS, BIS.
C's--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 Montgomery
somewhere?'
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
child and stretching across the table,
somebody, Eve 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"
so YES" said Josie, with uncer-
tainty; land think he spoke of being at
the Windsor, in New York. Direct him
an envelope, Sissy"
"But, Josie" asked Tiny, edo we
know him?'
Nonsense, child; people aren't so ex-
act at New Years. And we must have
a lot of calls. Three girls of us! why,
less than two or three hundred calls
would be disgrace "
"Of course" said Sissy, with sense
OF the gravest responsibility; land to Sc
cure that number we must send out at
least twice as many invitations. There,
MIR. Montgomery, Windsor Hotel 1t
may not find him, but theresa 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 q docile parent,
there's dear"
Eyes, and don't disturb u.s." 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
ut seems TO me there are a great
many
Its all right papa; we know the