The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1886-05-26
SAME OLD THING.


..f III.
1seonsstions 81 travelling Man which
Prove That Surprise Parties We're Just
~ Amusing Yssrs Ago % They Are Ts-
day.
One Of tho brightest spots in this
weary and checkered life--a period
hose,recollection helps to tighten the
cares and cheer the dropping spirits Of
depressed humanity-is that made by
those delightful social occas.. ms when
friends and neighbors meet to celebrate
some pleasant event and greet one
another with bright smiles and good
cheer.
In the happy years of my young man.
hood I had the delightful privilege Of
attending many Of these rare social oc-
casions. and now being a homeless
travelling man, and polite society is al
most unknown to me, the memory of
society as knew it in the young and
hopeful period of my life comes to me
with peculiar pleasure. The particu-
lar events that haunt my memory are
the wedding anniversaries or those oc-
casions when the neighbors, young and
old, got together to give one of the old
and most respected neighbors grand
surprise. Surprise parties hourished in
those days, for no one in our neighbor-
hood was able to give a party and they
had to put up job and inflict the thing
on somebody else.
remember we'll the fuss it took at
our house to get ready, and it is fair to
presume that 1t was the same in other
houses, for our family was but the
average Of humanity. My dear old
patcrnal parent would always begin by
saying he didn't care to go; he'd ten
times rather stay at home than 60
poking off over there to Jones', but he
would be pitched into by my fond
mother with: "Why don't you want
to GO? Don't you want to be sociable ?
Do you want to live by yourself all the
timer It's pity if you can't be half
way neighbor1y,' and the poor old man
would stir himself around and get on
his Sunday clothes that fitted him just
as though they belonged to somebody
else. Then he would puff and grunt
and twist his face into all kinds oi
shapes, trying to button his collar on.
While he was stopping to breathe he
would say: "I've a notion not to wear
that thing" and he would be met with
"Of course you'll wear it; now, how
you would look there without collar
on" Meekly he would submit, and
after he had got it on he would look
awful uncomfortable and say: "Oh!
feel like a fool with collar on"
The party would finally all get TO-
gether and make a descent upon the
doomed neighbor, and, after great
clatter and affectation of pleasure or
the part of the enforced hostess, peo
pie looked about to see how they could
dispose of themselves, and then sal
down in the chairs along the wall anG
waited, seemingly ''for something tc
turn up" A few of the intimate
friends of the family, together with tn,
hostess. would take themselves to tn,
kitchen and laugh and gossip together
and slice up the inevitable cake ant
cold chicken that parties Away
brought, and have pretty good time
but in the sitting room and parlo
affairs would be getting on rathe
stiffiy. Nothing in particular seemet
to have "turned up" yet, the folk
would be still waiting. Before lon,
the women would get together and sti
up quite an animated conversation
among themselves, and the men woul,
be left, woe-begone and helpless
looking lot of mortals, sitting alonl
the wall in an unbroken line. Som
of them would try to look unconscfou
of their awkwardness and would gaz
, about carelessly, twirling their thumbs
,, and when they got tired of twirlin,
; them one way they reversed the mo
ton and twirled them another. On
man would be sitting with his leg
crossed, looking wearied and sick a
heart until his foot began to e
to sleep, and he for momen
was relieved by having somethin,
) to do in shifting his position
on to the other leg. After awhile, evel
) changing one leg over on to the othe
grew monotonous and he began to wisl
It was time to go home. Two or thre
old farmers sitting near each othe
} would get to talking crops or the mar
' kets, and for the time lose their con
. straint until the ladies came along
] passing around the aforesaid chicken
, and cake ON little plates which tn
D guests took on their laps. Ladies coul'
manage them we'll enough, but the mel
, exhibited all their native awkwardnesa
:. trying to balance the plates on thei
|. knees, and at the same time endeavor
: ing to appear at ease. A few of tn
,, bolder spirits among the young me-
7, would bestir themselves and get int
the circle of the ladies, but this wa
considered quite daring, and cases Q
it were rare.
My soul used to be moved with pit
, for the stranger or newcomer in tn
neighborhood, who was very cordial
invited to the place, but when he GO
there everybody seemed to be afraid L
approach him, or say word to hin
4 and he sat the picture of abject miseI
!. throughout the whole evening.
, Time would finally come to 60 hom'
the women making great stir gettir
3 on their things, and the men, now thu
they had chance to get up and strett
, their legs, felt quite bright again az,
) thought: "Well. it wasn't so bad aftl
s all;" and after they had got home thu
0 tongues ran on as freely about who wet
5 there and what they had on. as dl
Q those of the women.-G. W. Chapman
iv Peck's Sun.
3 THE INDIAN PROBLEM.