Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1886-12-23
A RACE FOR A WIFE;
A CANADIAN CHRISTMAS PARTY.
BY PIERRE DUYAL.

How did l come to bring home
wife from the colonies? You would
like to know, would you? Well, as it's
Christmas, when all ought to be every
thing that's nice and obliging, why, I'll
tell you; but warn you there is very
little romance about my story.
Two years ago, when | finished my
college career, my anxious parents
settled it for me that had been work
ing too hard and needed a thorough
change of scene and complete rest aud
relaxation; naturally arguing, that, as
/ had brought on indisposition by
study, cure would be wrought most
speedily by my endeavoring to forget as
soon as possible all had been at so
much trouble to learn. My dear old
mother thought was thin and looked
pale. did not feel pale, but had no OBJ
lection to take advantage of my fan
cied ailment, in so far as to agree readily
to their proposal to pay visit to an
uncle who had settled in the Dominion
the purpose of this story how jour
neyed over "the pond" and saw much
that was interesting. Suffice it to say
that / arrived at my destination a few
days before Christmas, and received
most hearty welcome from my jolly
old relative. / do not wonder that he
was glad to see me, as the long Cana
dian winter, when outdoor work was
at stand-still because of the depth of
the snow and the severity OF the
weather, is tedious affair; and any
thing which breaks the monotony Of
life is welcome.
This very monotony was to me
complete change; and most of all did
enjoy the sleighing, which was both
necessary and delightful. No one,
who has experienced the exhilarating
sensation of skimming along the deep
snow-and it was deep that year-be-
hind pair of spirited horses, as fully
alive to enjoyment as ever their driver
could be, is very likely to forget it.
Was it cold? So the thermometer
said, even suggesting ever so many
degrees below zero as the measure Of
it; but it never felt so cold as an ordin-
airy sloppy winter day in the old
country. But this is nothing of the
story you wanted me to tell.
A day or two before the 25th. my
uncle got letter from an old friend
and neighbor asking him to spend the
festive day at his house. lie would
probably be considered very distant
neighbor in England, being some
twenty-five miles away; but in Amer
lea distances are SO vast that such a
space seems trife, and did not count
at all as likely to affect our acceptance.
AS female society was somewhat
scarce in our part of the country,
and heard that at Mr.. Prestons we
should probably meet large party, /
readily acquiesced in my uncle's pro.
posal to go; so we went. My two rela-
tives, for my aunt was of the party,
drove in their sober sleigh, while 1 was
fitted out with the new vehicle Just
arrived from the city, and the two
young horses.
OF the party nothing needs to be told,
except that it was complete success.
We ali enjoyed ourselves most thor
oughly, and were only too sorry when
the dawn of the next day warned us to
break up and 60 home. Now, among
the guests was young lady to whom !
had been introduced, who had taken
my fancy greatly. She was young,
and, of course, pretty, but seemed dread
fully shy; and do what l might L
could draw her out but little about her
self and her belongings. I had noticed
during the evening how she seemed
bored by the attentions Of man evil
IDENTIFY much her inferior In birth and
education, but seemingly well-to-do,
and had done what could to relieve
her OF his perpetual attendance, but
still she did no more than respond in a
formal and correct manner. / had
heard that she was a relative of far
mer some distance of. and had no other
protectors, being an orphan and some
what OF stranger. 1t was not till