Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1884-01-02


down stairs to the big hall door. It was
shut and stood on one side to throw 1t
open at the last stroke of H..
"Now, good folks, cried uncle,
"make your wishes and may the en-
trance of the New Year give each OF us
our hearts DESIRE .
d "Amen said aunt, SO solemnly that
everybody laughed but me. knew
what she meant.
The great clock on the staircase COM
menced striking, and at the last stroke
of - threw open the door, and there
was such a. hubbub, and kissing, and
congratulating all around, you couldn't
hear your own ears. At least all the
aunts and girl cousins kissed us boys,
and we didn't dare to run away for fear
of uncle.
Well. when, the fuss stopped a little,
we saw something step through the open
door into the hsll, which was just as
light as day. A very little something,
in blue cloak and q hood. which fell off
as it came in. --.
If you believe it,. 10 was the very pref
TEST little girl ever saw, and she Was
about three years old, reckon. She
! had long yellow curas, and cheeks like
red apples, aud: heF eyes shone like
Marv's die monds. Shewasn't frightened
bit, and We all staring 1T her, but she
looked round and said:
| "Where's my grandpa and grandma
Ceclle wants to tiss 'em Happy New
Year." ..,,...
We were completely stunned. Not a
word was said, and you could hays beard
a pin drop. Then we saw that goon old
DR.. Arnold was standing back Of the
child, and in moment he took her by
| the hand and led her to aunt and uncle.
"1tmCecile's child, he said, gravely;
6 her father is dead, and her mother, l
fear me, is dying at my house. She
sent her child with D message to You. ="
Aunt gave one long, shivering cry,
and slid down on the Hoor, crying out:
"My child! my childI Oh, Andrew,
nv hearts desirer' and then she lay
senseless. Her cap had fallen of, and
her long gray hair streamed all over
+ uncle's feet.
"My Godp' uncle cried, "she's dead ,
she's dead Oh, Helen, my dear, my
dear; don't leave your old husband thas
way! I'll do anything you wish, any,
thing, anything. In mercy, doctor, tell
me is she dead %
DR.. Arnold was lifting her up as he
| answered.: =.
I i"No, she's not dead nor dying, I
hope, but you know what will save her, -
and then he gave uncle one sharp
look.
They laid aunt on the sofa, and she
opened her eyes and looked around,
and then raised her hand and put her
arm about her husbands neck, without
a; sound.
He was sobbing like child, but he
knew what she meant, and he lifted up
the little girl and kissed her, and laid
her in aunt's arms.
| Ibe]ieve I was crying myself, but I
couldn'f stand it any longer, SO just
ran out of the room, hearing aunt say
"Oh, thank God, I have my hearts de-
SIRE"
| Uncle and aunt went that night to DR..
Arnold's to see Cousin Cecile, but she
was too i'll to be moved. When she
found she couldn't i've, she had travel
ed back to her old rome, and knowing
the old customs of the New Year at Nor.
man Hall, she thought that then, OF
never, would be the tune TO get her pa.
rents forgiveness.
She had never been very POOR, nol
suffered much in that way, but she said
she couldn't die without her mothers
kiss. = ..., a-
7 tell you, uncle is good old felEew,
after all. When he once knuckles down
!. he does it. like man. He was Just a,
loving to Cecile, while she lived, as il
, she had never disobeyed him, and Of
! kind and gentle to aunt as if he haG
never bul'ied or worried her poor life
; out. And when poor Cecile died, the
, week after New Year, she died happy
!, knowing her child would never miss hel
+ love. "., e ~> a
Well, uncls Gays that he had intended
, making me his heir, before little Cecil,
+ Ecame, and now the only way to make i
: fright will be for me to marry Cecil,
! {when grow up. It makes me laugh t
Think of that little, tot ever being m,
wife She's pretty, though, and a goo,
= little thing, but nobody's ever going u
force wife upon me against my will
! No, when the time comes, I'll see how
like her. ''.
q { Aunt has stopped crying, and thinl
y Eshe's getting we'll, which is the best Q
Fail. Uncle gets angry sometimes, bu
he never says cross word to- her, an
hes as tender as mother to Cecile al
J, the time. You see, he was clea
! whipped out, as we boys say. and he
> man enough 10 let everybody see he was
] So that's the way We spent New Year a
Norman Hall. - ~: .-7r @T-