The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1882-12-30
TWO NEW YEARS EYES.

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Richard Dolton, my great grandfather
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
it graduated; but he sowed so many
wild oats duringth term, thatthe place
was uncomfortable for him., and he
deemed it wise to leave the country.
He came to America, and fell in 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 life 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 60 The mother,
who was endowed with a rare voice,
and 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 BY holyfaith, as q 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 dina
Mater. Their eldest son, Martin, married
Hermina Vanderslice, whom he met
while she was visiting her aunt in the
vicinity of his home. Terminals 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 daugh-
ters-one of these died within year OF
her wedding, leaving a little daughter
to take her place in the family. The
other, my mother, married my father,
who died when was two years of age;
when l was twelve, she married again
gentleman who lived in San Francisco
and went to Grandma Dolton's to
live, with which arrangement L Yves
much pleased, for there should have q
young companion-my cousin Nina
named a ter grandma She was MOI
quite q year older than L; yet under my
grandfather instruction she was read.
ing Horace and hakespeare, 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 as it was, she gave mt
so much help and encouragement, thai
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 o.
grandpa's nephews came from
Vermont to see us, bringing will
him one of his motherless daugh
tiers. | don't know what the girli
charm WAS; but we all became very
fond of her. She seemed to have NJ
particular talent, but was universally
capable. The trait of character mos
marked was ambition; not a wicked
ambition, however. We became Sc
much attached to each other, that hel
father finally went home, leaving hel
with us. The following winter W,
were fifteen, sixteen and seventeen
years of age-I being the youngest anC
Hildegard the oldest. We had lots o
country SWANS, and very merry
time. Hildegard had come in thu
spring, and riding and driving haC
been succeeded by husking parties. ant
these by quilting and apple bees. 81
that there had been no cessation of fun
till an early fall of snow brought win
ter's pleasures to us. There were N,
girls for miles around that received a
much attention that winter as we did
A circumstance that contributed to thi
in no small degree was the locatin.
near us of a handsome and wealth,
widoweP a Mr.. Farquhar, from New
York. He had come on account of thu
delicate health of his oldest child
young girl about Mina's age. But tn
daughter had quite recovered, and We
they fingered away into the winter
Nina and this charming little city girl
Adele, had become quite good friends
and through this friendship we receive,
many little pleasures. Ga Christina