Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-12-29
TWO NEW YEARS EYES.

TWO NEW YEARS EYES.
Richard BOLTON. my great-grandfathe
on my mothers side, was the youngest
son OF an English lord. He was educated
at Oxford, and being unusually gifted,
stood near the head of his class when
IL graduated; but he sowed so many
wild oats during the term, that the place
was uncomfortable for him, and he
deemed il wise TO leave the country.
He came to- America, and fell i'm love
with pretty little Puritan. The sun Of
her gentle eyes fell upon the good seed
buried in his hayward heart. causing it
to spring into lie and develop hardy
plant They married., and. going east
ward. settled in the green hills of Yer
mont where, as years passed. they
trained their small family of three boys
In the way they should 90. The mother,
who was endowed with rare voice.
and n soul full of music. taught their
young hearts to expand in reverence to
God. by means OF cradle song and
evening hymn, and developed within
them the simplicity of conscious recti-
tude, sustained bv holy faith, as a guide
for all the acts of life. Their father left
their training in her hands, yet brought
To bear upon them the effects of his
thorough education. feeding their
bright intellects with crumbs from
the great feast spread by his alma
Mater. Their eldest son, Martin, married
Hermina Vanderslice, whom he met
while she was visiting her aunt, in the
vicinity of his home. Hermina's home
was in the Catskills. where her father
owned broad acres of field and forest
land. She being an only child, would
only marry Martin on condition he
would live with her father, and gradual
ly relieve him OF the cares which he
was growing too old To bear So they
settled in the Vanderslice homestead.
Their family never exceeded two dauoh-
ters-one of these died within a wear of
her wedding. leaving n little dauyhter
To take her place in the family. The
other. my mother, married my father.
who died when l was two years OF ace:
when | was twelve, she married again
gentleman who lived in San Francisco
and went To- Grandma DoIton's 10
live. with which arrangement / YVES
much pleased, for there | should have n
young companion-my cousin Nina
named ter grandma. She was not
quite year older than L; yet.under my
grandfather's instruction she was read
ing Horace and shakespeare, and study
ing the history of England and the
United States. This would. have been
great modification to me had she been
less lovely; but rs il was, she gave me
so much help and encouragement. that
by the time / was fourteen we were
nearly even in our studies. Grandpa
soon discovered l had his mothers
voice. and "a deal" OF his father
in me. About this time one of
grandpa's nephews came from
vermont to see us, bringing with
him one of his motherless dauOh-
ters. l don't know what the girls
charm WAS; but we all became very
fond OF her. She seemed 10 have no
particular talent, but was universally
capable. The trait of character most
marked was ambition not wicked
ambition, however. We became so
much attached TO each other. that her
iather finally went home. leaving her
with us. The following winter we
were titeep, sixteen and seventeen
wears OF age-I being the Youngest and
Hildegard the oldest. We had lots of
country SWANS. and very merry
time. Hildegard had como in the
spring. and riding and driving had
been succeeded by huskinO parties. and
these by quilting and apple bees. so
that there had been no cessation of finn
till an early fall of snow brought win
ter = pleasures to US. There were no
girls Tor mi es around that received ne
much attention that winter as we did
"A circumstance that contributed To this
IN no small degree was the LOCATING
near us OF n handsome and wealth.
widower, Mr. Farquhar. from New
York. lie had come on account of the
delicate health of his oldest child-a
Young girl about Mina's ace. But the
daughter had quite recovered, and vet
the' fingered away into the winter.
Nina and this charming little CITY Girl
Adele, hal become quite rood friends
ant through this friendship we re ,eived
many little pleasures. On Christmas
Eve we were going Carolinp: but
heavy snow-storm prevented The
boys, unwilling TO lose the finn
proposed n b,tiSciniegleu party for New
ear eve, when we would serenade a
few of our ne ghbors. have some coast
ing and then gather at orr house TO
watch the Old Year out and the New
Year in. 7 he programme was success
fully carried out. and alter the last
guest had departed, we three Girls
Kissed our grandparents good night, re-
peated our hearty wishes that they
might enjoy another happy year. and
haS'encd 10 our room, where. rolled in
Our wrappers, and tumbled upon n great
roei In front OF an open wood-fire. we