Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1882-01-19
At HONE, JANUARY FIRST.

and see the dear girls. What pictur
! they make"
Mr.. Bell down town was a men mucI
respected as rich, successful 3rchan
much feared as an overshrewd tinancier
up town. in his own house, he was jus
father. Mrs. Bell, comely, stout
blonde matron, had let her whole sou
overflow on the little bald head Of hel
first baby. Successive babies brought
more outpouring of inexhaustible afec
ton and indulgence. She was content
Us brooding dove to be only mother, :
and that Mr.. Bell could ask greater
glory or honor than to be father" WHY
the idea was absurd So absurd thai
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, il
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, unreshained atti-
tudcs, as they sat about the library
table eagerly talking and busily writing.
They were respectively nineteen,
eighteen and sixteen years old: and
called respectively 10 or Josie for Jose
phine Sissy for Cecilia, and Tiny for
Christiana. These were their home pet
names, to be sure, but following n Gus
tom that obtains nowadays, they chose
TO be known by these diminutives out
side in the fashionable world. The
great society paper described them as
three Graces shading in STYLES of
beauty from Miss Josies brunette bril-
liancy, through Miss Sissy's brown
haired, blue-eyed bewiderment, to Miss
Tinys moonlight blondeness. The
description was considered accurate as
well as extremely poctical, and Mrs.
Bell had asked the reporter to lunch.
Josie read off names from a list, the
other two sisters wrote, and fourth
a mite called Poppot neatly piled up
envelopes
Lets see, said Josie 1.-THE As, Is 5,
Cs, all done down to the MS Morse,
Morris, Mcintyre. Munford-"
Sissy, who was biting her pen-handle
in deep reflection, and Lad turned up
her blue eyes TO the ceiling until she
looked like the saint whose name She
bore interrunted iust here With
..,Jo. didn't we meet = Montgomn,v
somewhere"
..lontuomory9 No Yes. there wa
somebody of that name, it seems TO me,
az Saratoga"
Il remember exclaimed Tiny. get
tine upon her knees in the chair ike d
child, and stretching Wen across the
table. somebody. Eve FORGOTTEN who.
brought him mn to rs me dav on lie
piazza. and said he aas an agreeable
man who lounred about the Office and
seemed 10 have no friends
.Oh We 5. said Josie. with nncer-
iaintv: and | think he spoke of BEING
at the Windsor IN New York. Direct
him I'M envelope. Sissy
But. Josie" asked Tiny do We
know him
"Nor sense. child; peonlp aren't so
exact If New Years. And we must
have q let III calls, Three Girls Of us,
WHY, less than two or three hundred
cali. would bc a disgrace.
.'Of course, said Sissy with a sense
Of the graycst responsibility land t.
secure that number we must send out mt
Toast as many invitations. There. Mr..
MONTGOMERY. Windsor Hotel Il NAV
not find him, but there's 4 chance and
every one counts" She threw the d.
rte,ed 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 pref
Nv group in fond pride. "Where are all
these cards to be sent?.'
"0h. papa exclaimed 10. NOW
just run away-we're so busy"
"Now, pap" and Sissy jumped up
and kissed him do be docile parent,
there's 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 q
mildly speculative way, as he saw about
one-Iuarter Of the number to be sent,
..It seem, 10 me there are great
MANY"
Its ali right. papa b. We know the
customs Of society, came the rcassu,-
INC chorus.
I'VE know the cutIttomth OF thothiety
perfecly, echoed in a Shrill solo from
Poppet, who at present lisps. being
minus Que miik-tooth in front, but who
win shortly tie known to the newspapers
MS tthc piquant Miss Ponpet Bell
Thcna The GIRLS iump M and make a
dash al 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
Mr. Ben can hardly stop laughing to
say 20 llls Nlte. Il suppose You know
all about tho cards sent out?"
''Oh no she answers plaeidiy; Il
leave social matters to the girls They re
great favorites, father. and very attrac-
tive. The number of friends they have
Is astonishing Its all right.
By force IF example, Mir Bell echoes.
cheerfully, 'Oh YES. its ali right
On New Year : day there was very
rainbow Of girls III the Bell drawing
room. Such ti(rnN. daintv-hued dresses.
s,lea bright cheeks and ewes. such =
}asslhle#ng tarele of y3oSsv hair. never
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