New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-30

Xii or nearly all of the young people Assem- plea
could skate those who e9nid n0 "rierstios and
one and all started for the pohds direc''y 'io"'
was over. .,x ..,,, +bero
come in at luncheon time. Presently with equal
interest and content they again watched depar',hs
groups hurry across the park, ana t asin were
nothing to them they were not requre9 " sfore
as each had been little hoarsc the gay .b 6G,Grs
and over this they rcjoiccd instead OF repihiinS,
snce 1t gave them whole happy dry Tor watohihhs
the preparTtions Ann began quite early to SET Inc ne
tables Two or three extra ones were nce al
least twelve guests and possibly one or two nore,
might be expected, according to Ethel ana va VA
must lay cfs Would lCr DO to be short would
r. Master lem ?a After that there arrived IN
solemn state with much trampilhg OF eTruenIJ,n
"a great friend Of AIMS by, the way-then lol-
lowed the establishment of the Same In hrin -,
cury in the very centre o. tue hsad 20 foot With
all the shining gttering, twipkllng articles when
had been gathered together during the Past Iorg
night, The little gifts which Ann had worh 's
were laid below. BY dinnertime the Sree was Mas
complete, and the afternoon was devoted 70 Ihe
arrangement of the feast ,,oo,-
At length and toward ha'fpast oclock-
was the hour, but Ann was always wei D Src
her time-all in readiness, the snlsil sIse,5s
OF the entertainment soaped brushed anu na {or
anonymously, each in something brand new ios
fhe occasion-Ann herself In nice new gown a.i r
cap-and nothing remained but to put the keuue s
on to boil and break up the chocoln'e oor pr r1
AIMS frothing brown chocolate TO the more
ordinary tea. 1t grew dusk outside:
l wish they would come In now' murnureo
There's another sun beginning added Molly,
presently. 1t was the moon, the 1ull, prliii"ae
moon of a December night. and which was rising IN
the cloudless heavens and shedding its radiance
over the whole frosty landscape
Hurrah for the moonl' shouted the skaters an
What luck to have a moon Skating by moon;
light is still better than by daylight How glorious
How splendid We can skate on I'LL dlhher-Uinio'
Who cares for tea
are watching and straining from an upper windoW,
and two little pairs Of burning cheeks are lald
against the cold panes, and two ntte nedrls are
beating in rapture Of excltemeRI ana Dnss vi.
utterable all unknown before. Who cares IL
is such a little thing: Can any one DE eNlsectto
to care? And yet-oh cruel Fred, hihei' ooPhy,
everybody-cruel to forget. more cruel sVllI WIFI
Botheration The .chldren's tea was to have
been today" cried one at last and she spun rounu
in an elegant semi circle as she spoke ,, -
q" The children's tea What a nmsanceP re, re,
Joined brother, with a curve which was SILL
more faultless. -. -, .,-o.on m
nroached and inclosed the two circles IN fresh
one of his making. lhls was the C I u. "
the family, the big brother VINO was uspanS M St
his regiment hut was now on leave lOr lorV
night. The case was explained TO him; r.,
Beastly bad luck. isn't itI added freu req;
An this beasy dull time we s ,bis beas sIS hour
Of the day: and if that stupid nurse had only had
the sense 10 hurry up ana nave ~ yes'eIuaS' we
would have zone Yesterday like fun. am sure
I aid not know what TO do with myself, was
Tawning nv head off-and now we shall be done
out of It'll"
II was to have been to-day. you know
aTo edl at s o'clock It is nearly 8 now
Ten minutes to- But If you look sharp you
can Look Lo X sharp and do whatP" demanded Fred,
~ Aonff n
think we are such fats Is 90 in TO children
stupid Christmas tree, when there Is skaIlns
like this TO be had Why the moons sne c lpVII
hardly speak for Indignation g never heaiu
of such a thing! =, - tho, .oo
Humph" said his brother 1t was ra'i'er 'o0
much TO expect he owned TO himself. 80
. Hev. Won girls continued Fred, subsidng, as
he perceived the effect Of his words, hey, you,
Ethel sy M2aS I 1S0F s hr w taken of of for
YOU? Here's Roger saws you VIII DE ia I'M t
Il you look sharp. In time Tor the NURSERY toa
YOU know 1t is the day OF the nursery yea gs,
you rtmember Come along, good little girls
with knocking grlmace-" Come along you al, are
bound to CO. yH % k Nov had been
! dr;avance-" how do YOU like the day now? CON
finned the teasing boy, observing the blank races
around him Here's Roger expects you l" ny
hKe R 3ne Exclaimed Ethel finding voice at last
" Roger.1 turning to her soldier brother, Roger,
what you mean GU do nf e oI babies
supPosS, Se Wby What can il matter? They can
have il tomorrow, or-or any other day lheS
will never expect us Ann M f tTe WE viii 20
70 morrow or at least as soon the frost goes
| " ii may last for weeks now - p.,aos
q Nat Il will not Frost never does. Besides
this is our first day. and such day why we heIpl
had ANYTHING like il before 10 go IN Just III tilG
very middle of it, for such little thing as thal ina.
! II would he absurd il really would Besldes'
added She. after a moments shutting to ana fro un-
easily. besides even if ask them, DO not De
leve any of the rest would agree TO 1t" linen
Perhaps" lowering her, voice, perhaps the the
Lawford girls might, though. They are no good
| at skating and am sure they cannot possibly en-
JOY it. 1 can ask them and she WIS 'uiAins
Stop" said Roger. " You can't do that
"Why not?' ,.o.u. ~
Yourselves? Send them all alone up to the house.
and M 10 the nursery, when they have never even
been invited | thought it was all OF you, you anu
Madge and Sophy and Mabel and the rest 'ii"' were
swell Well. perhaps Mabel might" cried Ethel
catching at straw. do not believe tnat Maoel
can really care to stay for she said her feet were as
cold as stones a little while ago, l dare say she
would be glad Of an excuse TO tn Ike OIL her sNa'eS
! If she would 90 and take the LAwloraSSL $4,000. .o
| Nonsense" said Roger shortly You must 30
That I shant'
"You must, You promised
| her temper was up rrtated by conscience even as
| Fred's had been Promised, indeed Promised
two children of six and four! dare say they have
| forgotten all about it, and pretty foolish we shoulu
looi after Giving M cur own pleasure and GOING in,
to find we have never been expected As II any
one would leave this ice and all the beet OF the iun
either TO go and sit round nursery tGa-taole ana
take the crackers off Jcm and Mollys little absurd
| Christmas treel"
Was there TO have been Christmas tree TOO !?
Eyes" owned Ethel reluctantly: Here's Mapel.
Oh. Mabel isn't it unlucly? This was TO nave
been the day of the chdren's tea-party. sup
pose you would not care to 20 imp"
Oh, will 90 if every one does, repned Mi.oeI
| politely-Mabcl always polite" but-but IL
! would be rather pity, would it not|
It simply is not to be thought or and am
telling Roger So
Mabel glanced at Roger. He was pulling ms