The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1884-01-26


the delightful young creature s'That's al
played out. My beau just sends me {
card, or, what's better, sends me present
at New Years. Ma ties basket on the
bell knob, so if any old fogy should come
round he can drop his pasteboard into
that"
"His what ?" asked Miss Lisbeth.
ellis pasteboard," answered Hetty
coolly. "Why, you dear old thing, didn't
you ever hear that name for visiting
card? ?" Then, happening to spy the table
in the dining room, she cried out: "Hello
| declare It's regular free lunch, ain't
it? But why don't somebody come to eat
it
"Dey's comm heaps of 'em-real ole
families, too-none of your upstarts y re-
sponded Sylvia, pointing the last word
with such a snarling display of her tooth
less mouth that Hetty fairly screamed with
amusement. Then saying "You' re awful
ly funny, but ta-ta, can't stop-got an
errand to do" she banged the front door
and was off,
San errand l-an errand on New Years
Dayr' gasped Miss Lisbeth, struck with
horror.
Another hour passed, broken only by
sundry false alarms and much weary trans
portation of the coffee-urn. Once Sylvia,
on carrying letter to Parker's room, ven
tured to ask, "Ain't yer goin' out callin'?''
calling ?-not much, answered Par
ker, considering the quiet game of cards in
which he was engaged. $50 you one
better, Smith. Play.
Surely" said Miss Lisbeth, growing
weary and nervous-"surely Charles Van
Shoik's sons ought to come, and surely the
major can't have forgotten us"
II did count consider BILE on de major, u
sighed Sylvia. Then came a long space of
holiday silence, the distant rumble of Broad
way hushed, and now and then the hoot-
ings of some drunken fellow heard in the
street; and so the shadows began to fall,
and outlines in the prim parlor to grow dim
and uncertain. "You must take suthin'-
do, Miss LIS" said Sylvia, bringing her
mistress a cup of tea.
"Oh, can't" said Miss Lisbeth-"I
can't. 1 am thinking, Sylvia, of sixty
years ago-of all the friends, all the cheer,
all the kind neighborly customs; of how
this parlor was filled with guests, and I
Ia young girl-a young girl" she re-
peated, musingly.
''And a pretty young girl, too. | re-
members yer we'll Don't cry, Miss Lis, ?"
Sylvia added, huskily, as she saw tears on
the wrinkled cheeks.
Il can't help it." answered Miss Lis
beth, giving way at last-'I can't help it.
I'm crying for poor mamma Perhaps it
was the fatigue; perhaps it was disappoint-
ment, or the sad failure of her festivity,
and perhaps it was something of strange
foreboding, but withered Miss Lisheth, at
seventy-fve, thought of her mother, dead
thirty years, and wept with all the passion
of girl.
"Pears like 'twould do me good to cry
for de ole madam, too" Sylvia quayered
out; and she fell at her mistress feet, Sob
bing, in the lonely twilight. 1t was long
after the parlor had grown quite dark when
Sylvia found courage to speak. "Come,
Miss Lis, cheer up, chile; there'll be crowds
to see us this evenin sure. Why, Mr..
Evart, your own grandnephew, ain t forgot
yer, nor yet the major. There'll be crowds
yetAcrowds.
At that moment the merry tune of sleigh
bells sounded at the door. Sylvia sprang
up and hastened to light the rooms; Miss
Lisbeth dried her eyes, and in came Evart
Vanderweyster-as handsome fellow of
twenty-five as ever stepped.
"Ah, aunty, thought I'd drop in a
minute" was his salutation, as he dutifully
embraced her. "But, hello! look out
don't touch my game bag; it's not very nice.
See, 1 shot these rabbits to-day" and he
held up two of the ''small deer" "Beau-
ties, amt they?" and with little scream
Miss Lisbeth recognized that Evart was in
rough driving rig, and had game bag
over his shoulder.
"What! not scared of me, aunty?" he
exclaimed, good -humoredly, as Miss Lis
beth drew away with shudder.
"But but she stammered, "do you
know what day this is p
"Why, it's not Sunday; there's nothing
to be shocked about. It's only legal
holiday, and l ordered my sleigh, and
stopped for certain pretty acquaintance,
and we had a glorious drive out toward
Winchester. On the way CHANGED to pop
a little game.
''But your friends-your calls +? This is
New Years Day." Miss Lisbeth gasped
s'Oh, come, now, my dear aunt" said
Evart, with mock ruefulness, "a fellow
can't possibly take up the burden of that
rubhishy old custom. Why, the city is too
big, society is too extended aud too civil
lied; we're too metropolitan, you know,
for such antique provincial nonsense. By
Jove wouldn't look nice bobbing in and
out of peoples houses, drinking like fish
everywhere and crying, Wish you happy
New Year, neighbor, like an old Dutch
colonist did send out few cards in the
French fashion; but no, thank you, 1 re-
fuse the New Years torture
'Torture? Why, I thought calling was
a pleasure, " said Miss Lisbeth, pathetically.
"No; it's an awful bore. Now don't
take offense, aunty, for this visit isn't a
New Years call"
"Not New Years call y repeated Miss
Lisbeth, hopelessly perplexed.
'SOh no it's just sort of dropping in
to show you something Congratulate me,
aunty;'' and he ran to the sleigh, then
presently returned, bringing charming
girl of seventeen, whom he introduced as
"Maud Huyderveldt, my future wife.
"Why, 1 knew a Darlington Huyder-
veldt," exclaimed Miss Lisbeth.
"That was grandpa" Maud explained.
"We have his portrait, and it's so queer !
His nose was big, and he had such little
eyes!"
He was great friend of my father"
said Lisbeth, gravely.
"IndeedP' responded Maud, in her fresh,
fearless, irreverent way "and wasn't his
nose horrid? But how nice this room is
so jollyl The mahogany furniture is quite
aesthetic"
Trying to be calm, Miss Lisbeth asked,
"And don't you receive on New Years