The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1883-01-10
TWO NEW YEARS EYES.

INO NEW 1EAhS EfEos
Richard Dolton, mygreat. grandfather
on my mothers 3 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
1t graduated; but he sowed SO many
wildcats during the term, that the place
was uncomfortable for him, and he
dsemed it wise 10 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 wayward heart, causing it
to spring into life and develop hardy
plant. They married. and, going east
ward, settled in the green hills of Vcr-
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 a rare voice,
and a 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 rccti-
tude. sustained by holy faith, as n 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 intellccts 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. Herminas 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 little daughter
to take her place in the family. The
other, my mother, married my father.
who died when l was two years Of age;
when was twelve, she married again
q gentleman who lived in San Francisco
and | went to Grandma Dolton's 10
live, with which arrangement / was
much pleased, for there should have q
young companion-my cousin Nina,
named after grandma. She was no
quite year older than |; yet under my
grandfather instruction she was read
ing Horace and Shakespeare, and study
ing the history of England and the
United States. This would have been
a great modification to me had she been
less lovely; but as it was, she gave me
80 much help and encouragement, that
by the time I was fourteen we were
nearly even in our studies. Grandpa
soon discovered l had his mother g
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 ono of his motherless daugh'
ters. l don't know what the girls
charm WAS; but we all became very
fond of her. She seemed to have nc
particular talent, but was universally
capable. The trait OF character most
marked was ambition not q wicked
ambition, however. We became SC
much attached to each other, that hel
father finally went homo, leaving hel
with us. The following winter w
were fifteen, sixteen and seventeen
years Of agc-I being the youngest an,
Hildegard the oldest. We had lots G
country swans, and q very merr
time. Hildegard had come In tn
spring, and riding and driving ha
been succeeded by husking parties, an
these by quilting and apple bees. S
that there had been no cessation OF fu
till an early fall of snow brought viii
ters pleasures to us. There were n
girls for miles around that received. {
much attention that winter as we die
A circumstance that contributed to tn
in no small degree was the locatin
near us Of handsome and wealth
widower, a Mr.. Farquhar, from Ne
York. He had come on account of tf
delicate health of his Oldest child
young girl about Minds age. But Il
daughter had quite recovered, and y
they fingered away into the winte
Nina and this charming little city gin
Adele, had become quite good friend
and through this friendship We receive
many little pleasures. On Christm
Eve we were going caroling; D.
a heavy snow-storm prevented. III
boys, unwilling to lose the fu
proposed betlschnieglen party for Ne
Years eve, when we would serenade
few of our neighbors, have some coas
ing, and then gather at our house
watch the Old Year out and the Ne
Year in. The programme wal succc'
fully carried out. and after the Ia
guest had departed, we three gil
kissed our grandparents good night, l
, peated our hearty wishes that tn
might enjoy another happy year, al
fastened to our room, whore. rolled
: our wrappers, and tumbled upon a gre
!, robe in front of an open wood-fre. '
! proceeded to chat over the evening
merry-making.
: "Wcll, girls" said Nina, "rm :
! ing to leave you.' II was hard to t
, whether the tones were those Of sorrt
= Or gladassk