The Republican journal., 1882-01-26
At Home, January First.

"Peep into The library-do, father-an(
see the dear girls. What picture they
make y
Mr.. Bell down town was man mucl
respected as a rich, successful merchant
much feared as an OverShrtwd financier
up to~n, in his own house. he was jus
''tathe:." Mrs. Bell, a comely, stout
blonde matron, bad let her whole sou
overflow on the little bald head of he
first baby. Successive babies brough
more outpouring Of IneXhaustible affection
and indulgence. She was content as
hrooding dove to be only ''mother," anC
that Mr.. Bell could ask greater glory 81
honor than to be father" why the ides
was absurd. SO absurd that it never
came into his mind. On tiptoe he obey &c
his wifes injunction, and looked in at tht
library door.
''What are they doing ?" he asked, in {
whisper.
directing envelopes for the New
Years calds-the invitations to call. yor
know"
They were certainly pretty, those three
girls, with their slender forms throw
into graceful, unrtstraned attitude, a.
they sat about the library table eagerly
talking and busiy writing. They were
respectively nineteen, eighteen, sixteen
years old and called respectively Jo o.
Josie for Josephine, Sissy for Cecilia, anc
liny for Christina. These were theil
home pet names, to be sure, but follow
| my custom that obtains nowadays
| they chose 10 be known by these dimil.
utives outside in the fashionable world
| The great society papers described then
as "three Gracts shading in sly les D
beauty from Miss Josies brunette bril-
liancS, through Miss Sissy s brown haired
| blue eyed beNildelment, 10 Miss Tny's
moonlight blondness." The description
was considered accurate as we'll as eX
tremely poetical, and Mis-. Bell had askeC
the reporter 10 lunch.
Josie read off names from list, the
other two sisters wrote, and fourth-a
mite called Poppet-neatly piled up en-
velopes.
Lets see" said Josie-'the AS, BIS,
Cs,-all done down to the Ms. Morse
Morris, Mcintyre, Mumford-'
Sissy, who was biting her pen handle
~ deep reflection, and had turned up hel
blue eyes To the ceiling until she looked
| like The saint whose name she bore, in
terrupted just here with,
go, didn't We meet a Montgomery
| someN here?"
Montgomery No. Yes; there was
somebody Of that name, it seems to me,
at Saratoga"
Il remember exclaimed Tiny, getting
! upon her knees IN the chair like child
and stretching Well across the table,
somebody, I've forgotten who, brought
| hlm up 10 us one day on the piazza, and
said he was an agreeable man who oung-
d about the office and seemed to have
no friends"
"Oh ye-s' said Josie, with uncertain
| ty; land think he spoke of being at the
Windsor. in New York Direct him an
envelope Sissy"
"But, JOSIE" asked Tiny, "do we know
him 7"
Nonsense, child; people aren't so ex
act al New ears. And we must have a
lot OF calls. Three girls of us. why, less
than two or three hundred calls would
he a disgrace.
"Of COURSE" said Sissy, with sense Of
the gravest esponsibility; and to secure
| that number we must send out at least
twice as manv invitations. There, Mr.
Montgomery, Windsor HOTEL 1t may not
find him, but there's chance, and every
one counts" She threw the directed en-
vel"pe among the others that were read,
TO be stamped aud 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 sent p
"Oh, papa,' exclaimed 10, "now Just
run away-We're So busy"
"Now, papa"-and Sissy Jumped uI
| and kissed hlm-"uO be docile parent
there's dear"
Eyes, and don't disturb u.s." added Miss
Tiny, clapping her hands over pile o1
envelopes to protect them from scrutiny
Mr.. Bell looked amused, patted Their
heads all around, and observed, in mild
speculative way, as he saw about one
quarter of the number to be sent, "Il
seems to me there are d gre many"
TITS all night, papa; we know the Gus
| toms OF society," came the re- assuring
| chorus.
1--WE know the cuthtomtn of thothpt,
| perfectly" echoed d shril solo from Pop
pet, who at present lisps. being minus one
milk tooth in front, but who will shortly
he known to the newspapers as "the pi-
quaint Miss Poppet Bell"
Then all the girls jump up and make a
| dash at papa, and in few moments a
handsome old gentleman, very merry
and very proud of his handsome and
merry girls, makes feint of having been
| elected With great violence from the
Ii orary, and the door is closed and locked
on tht inside.
Mr. Bell can hardly stop laughing tc
say to bis wife, 81 suppose you know all
about the cards sent out ?"
"Oh no" she answers placidly; II leave
social matters to the girls. They're great
favorltes, father, and very attractive
The number Of friends they have is aston
ishing. It's all right"
On New Years Day there was very
rainbow of girls in The Bell drawing room
Such tilmy, dainty -hued dresses, such
bright cheeks and eyes, such a bewilder-
ing tangle OF glossy hair, never before
shlmmered around a prosperous, beamine
old father. Mr.. Bell was so apt to be
late down town, or deeply absorbed in
business schemes, or "seelng man" in
the library during the evening, that be
seldom met his daughters in grand tot
lette, and had never realized what radi-
ant creatures they we're, and that uI
town he was chiefly known as "the Bel
girls father" He himself, in full dress
and light overcoat, was complmented by
his eldest daughter as 'just too sweet fol
anything" Then he jumped into the
carriage, consulted formidable list, and
began the days work.
The first caller at the house was old