The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1883-01-05
New Years In Mankato.

The ushenng in of the year A. ID
1883, will ever he remembered in Man
kato as the .jolliest, gayest and mos
enjoyable day in all its history. TIL,
morning of January first dawned crisI
and bright, and all nature, clothed in
her robe of white, seemed lovelier than
the loveliest, charming To perfection
with the atmosphere just sufficiently
cool 10 induce bodily activity, and gen
uine pleasure in contemplating the calls
that were to be made during the after.
noon.
Itwould seem from the general order
Of things that the good ladies of Man
kato had anticipated all this in an
nouncing that so many of them would
keep open houses, and the general oh.
servancc of the day by the gentlemen
certainly attcsted to their appreciation
of the opportunity afforded for paying
the compliments of the season and be-
ginning the New Year IN genuinely
entertaining manner.
At three o'clock, the appointed hour
for "receiving," numerous gay, and
some rather "original," rigs, were upon
our streets bearing II jolly set of hungry
occupants to the various residences
charming ladies, viands sweet and tables
rich with all the good things Of which
ONLY woman can conceive and man lie.
YOUR. Each home visited by the seventy
odd callers appeared not only grand, but
II was in reality lovely, and the ladies'
receptions were cordial and exception
ally pleasant. Stiff formality was no.
where to be observed which at once
made one feel lat home" and quite at
ease, besides initiating greatly to the
enjoyment of the gentlemen, and in
their eyes added grace and gracious
ness to the ladies.
Somewhere above something is men,
toned about the "viands sweet and
tables rich" Upon this delicate topic
we should ever so much like to ex'
patiate at length, but there is. a some.
thing yelling up within us even at this
late date, which bids us quite. 1t may
be that our poor ovcr-worked stomach
has not yet regained its accustomed
equilibrium, and the thought of seven
teen kinds of cake, rich enough to rem.
der a stocking full of gold insignificant,
pyramids of fruit from various climes and
Of the choicest, oysters in every style, cof-
FEE of delicious flavor and chocolate that
couldn't be equaled, to say nothing OF
bread. biscuit, pies, tarts, and the thous.
aud and one things that the vocabulary
of man faile:h to recall to mind or even
to know by name if he did recall the
familiar appearance thereof, is perhaps
sufficient to cause the laying aside OF
our pen ere We enter into details. Suf-
flee it to say that all had Indian rubber
stomach for the occasion, and they
were expanded to the extreme limit in
an endeavor to get little from each
plate, and man even then failed in the
laudable effort. But il was not the
fault of the individual, much less the
ladies who provided the sumptuous
feast. The capacity was not equal to
the occasion, and no one regrets this
lamentable fact worse the writer.
The festivities of the day concluded
with a social party ut the Man kato
House in the evening. Mine host and host
ess, Mr.. and Mrs. Hamilton deserve and
have. we feel safe in saying, the CRATE
t'ul thanks of all for the royal manner
in which they entertained the hundred
and fifty people present by throwing
open their house and bidding all to en-
Joy themselves as best they could. The
dining room was cleared of tables and
chairs, music supplied and those who
wished joined in the dance. About l
o'clock A. NJ. the party dispersed with
the unanimous expression. "this has in.
deed been royal day in Mankato.
Thus began the year 1888, and may
blessings be uns,intingly showered
upon all our people throughout the
twelvemonth is the earnest wish of
7 THE FREE PRESS.