The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1883-12-27

on Farmer Joy, his good wife, and
pretty daughter.
Here they are! here they are"
icyfully cried the pretty daughter -
the sleigh stopped at the gate, and run
ming to the door, she called out cheeri-
ly, Happy New Year!" while her
mother smiled the wish over her shout
der.
Happy New Year, Aunt Hannah
and Cousin DORA" shouted the boys
in answering chorus.
''And we've brought you caller we
picked up on the road" added Sherry,
laughing outright in his joy as he
peeped into the buffalo robe and saw
that Sable had Enclosed her eyes and
wasn't anything like frozen to death
after all.
And then he lifted her out, and with
Ned Morningstar bearing part of the
buffale-robe, as pages in olden times
used to carry the trains of the great
ladies, he staggered up the path and
up the stoop and placed his astonished
burden before his equally astonished
aunt and cousin.
81 couldn't git 'em-I couldn't git
EN-" were the first words Sable said.
Couldn't get what, dear?" asked
kind Aunt Hannah, as she placed her
on the dining-room sofa and pulled off
the old shoes to rub the icy feet.
Sable was unable to tell just then;
she was so full of tingling aches and
pains, and her head buzzed so strangely.
R,rtf hA,,,., 1o% f-cy,1
head to foot, and dressed in some COM
Portable garments that the pretty
daughter had outgrown, and after a
dinner, the like of which she had never
even dreamed of, she told her simple
story.
And when it came to an end, Sherry
went out into the hall, making a sign
TO his comrades to follow, which they
did Immediately, for they were all true
to the General" as they called him.
81 say, boys" said he, ''let's make
up a good New Years present for her
she hadn' any Christmas, poor little
thing-and take her home We can
make a New Years call on Tony oad
Granny at the same time, and be back
plenty early enough for Cousin Dora .
party, too"
'.All right, General" chimed in Ned
Morningstar: land we'll ret Aunt Han
nah to give us n jar of her preserved
Strawberries, and they'll bring the
young chap around; that is, if straw
berries can do that same. They aren't
wild, but I'm wild after them"
I'm with you," said Austin Howell.
"She's real good sort, she is. Why,
one of our sisters couldE' have done
more for u.s."
mine wouldn't do la as much fol
me" declared Sherry. "Why. it was
only this morning she refused point
blank to bake more thaa fifteen buck.
wheats for me because | was late at
breakfast.
"A most unsisterlv, not to say shame
full, proceeding" sail Ned Morning
star, with mock Indignation. but
come. we must stra ght to our aunt and
cousin our plans unfold. TcmDus
tugi."
You may be sure Aunt Hannah and
Cousin Dora heartily approved of the
plans when they We're unfolded. And
they showed their appreciation by pack
in@ into a bushcl Oasket-an honest
ana true buShel haSket-aS their share
of the New Year riffs, Il loaf of home.
made bread, half a boiled ham, roast
chicken, Il bowl of butter, tin pail OF
fresh eggs, \ paper bar filled with
doughnutS, and some potatoes. onions.
turnips, tea and sugar, not forgetting
t,CO jars of preserved strawberries.
And M:tt. the hired man. brought
out the two-ho Sc sleigh, and puttingt
the heavy basket in first, got in him.
self, took the reins and waited for the
others. Sable, wrapped in a blanket.
which she was to keep, was placed in
the bottom of the sleigh beside the
basket.
She'll be warmer there than any.
where else," said Aunt Hannah.
Then the boys tumbled in, and the
horses pranced, and the bells iingled,
and away they went, to stop, in Just
one hour and three-quarters, in front
of the tall tenement house, the cellar
basement of which Sable called
home"
And didn't the turnout cause 4 great
excitement among the people in that
neighborhOod? Such thing had never
been seen there before, and the windows
on each side of the block were filled
With curious faces-faces that showed
every stage of establishment as Sable
was lifted from the sleigh and the SIX
fine, manly looking boys followed heI
to call on Granny.
TIE old woman stopped singing,
.'How tedious and tasteless the hours!''
and looked at them with a glimmer OF
surprise As they trooped in.
Happy New Year, grandmother !'
said they all; and Sherry laid a purse
filled with silver half-dollarS in he1
lap.
"Happy New Year, my brave lads, ;"
said she.
And Matt brought in the bushel
basket, Sherry goiny out to mind the
horses as he did so, and opened jar
of strawberries in the twinkling of an
eye.
"They's not the VERY same, Tony"
said Sable, eagerly, "but 1 got 'em near
that place, l did. And oh, Tony, 1 got
lots an lots of other good things, toe"
Ibid you 90 way out there fur me,
jist fur me?" asked Tony. "You's the
bestest an smartest sister ever wuz,
an [ feel ever so much better this
VERY minnit. Happy New Year, Sa-
bier'
And the General and his company
got back to Joy Farm just as the party
began, and when the guests had all ar
rived.
Aunt Hannah told the story of Sa-
bie's search for the strawberries, and
the boys told about their visit to Tony
and his grandmother, and the result