Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-08-29
THE PHANTOM'S FEAST.

THE PHAN1 OM y HEASI.
Heistead Hall was an open house to the
neighboring gentry; it had been for many
generations, and was likely to remain SO,
for Young Jack Helste6d had all his
fathers love of good cheer and mad
merry-mskings. Squire Hels'ead had
plenty of money and spent it freely.
His whole life seemed bound up in the
enjoyment of the good things of this
world. and to obtain this end he was ever
surrounded by friends and neighbors at
his hospitable board. At so he mar
RE d the daughter of one of his neighbors;
but was distined to have but Il short spell
of conuubial bliss, for his wife died " it'll
in two years of their wedding day, leav-
ing him baby boy. The baby fiour1shed;
was sent to school. to college, finally en-
tered the army, and at the age of "a was
ordered abroad for two years, and prob
ably for ever. His father WAS now a
merry old fellow of rs, or whereabouts;
and although he had passed the allotted
age of man he strove to carry on ths
%, Isures and excuses in which he had
delighted 80 years before.
It was now near Christmas time, and as
Captain Jack Helstead had been warned
for foreign service on the 18th OF Jan
ary next, the squire was determined to
have the iolliest Christmas imaginable.
He issued a hundred invitations to
friends, old and young, good percent
age of which were accepted, and huge
prepara tions for the celebration of the
grand festival were begun. For two
whole days prior TO the great day prep :
arations were going on, and the good
th:rgs were being stored in the old hail
by loads, the squire lending hand here
and there, and shaking his fat sides with
delight.
Captain Jack Helstead, with half doz-
en- brother officers, who were all like him =
self, ordered for foreign service, arrived
on Christmas eve; but as the bulk of the
guests were not ex pected until Christmas
morning and the day following, the
"rpistIetoe business" with hosts of blush
ing damsels, was not so much the order
of the hour as novelists usually delight in
making it; in simple, young ladies were
not usually permitted to mix freely with
the boistarous guests of Helstead Hall,
only under strict surveillance of their
maternal relatives. IL was known far
and wide that the old SQUIRE was not par
ticularly delicate In his choice of assocl-
ates, and that it had long been his rule to
pass the eve of Christmas in mad merri-
ment; therefore careful parents pre-
ferred to present themselves before the
hespitable board when they had to bring
their daughters and SONS fresh from
school with them on Christmas day after
the revels of the night were past.
Bat this Christmas was to be a red let
ter day in the annals of Helstead Hall, in
honor of, or TO commemorate, the depsr-
ture of Captain Jack and his companions
in arms.
So the hours passed apace, the night
brought a seasonable fall of snow and the
lights in the hall showed cheerily from
every window.
The waits hocked TO the seat of liberal
ity, and were RECALLED in the kitchen with
pies and foamipg ale, and their pockets
lined with silver pieces; while the old
SQUIRE made the wal S ring with his roars
of laughter. The guests, including Cap
tain Jack, so far numbered but l2-all
gentlemen; for, as we have said before,
the bulk had int1mated that they would
arrive next day, in time to attend the SER
vice in the chapel
"Gentlemen," the squire cried, cit is
well for our own sakes that no fair ladies
will interrupt our revelry tonight. Ha!
smile not, good gentlemen, with thoughts
of sweet kisses under the mistletoe. | am
too old for such things, nor can / dance
as / could 40 or so years ago; but there
is an equal pleasure In store tonight, even
for We of amorous dreams, for We nave
the lows of felst and wine, and can freely
indulge in our loudest and merriest jokes
with no dread of offending delicate ears.
The banqueting hall shall ring with our
hilarity, and tomorrow, the blessed day
of our Lords nativity, shall be dedicated
to gentler pleasures, when the rooms and
passages rustic with the skirts of woman
and echo to the music of her feet"
This having been cordially responded
to by the guests, the squire prepared
them for the great banquet he had, in a
measure, so far as the magnihcence went,
retained until the last moment as sur
prise. The splendid dining hall was
abaze with light, which fell upon the
glittering glass of the 6ecanters and
others vessels in a shower of peRrly
CLEANS. The time-honored boar's head
was at tue feast, and number of dishes
which 'twere needless to mention. There
were the richest, the heaviest and most
sparkling of wines, whose receptacles
were encrusted with hard dust, proclaim
ing that they had been "kept" FIR long,
long years.
And so tie banquet began, and the wine
flowed, and the ceiling trembled before
the continuous battery of shouts and
laughter, and jokes, which became still
gayer and more hilarious as the hours
deepened and the wine grew less.
"Gentlemen," shouted the squire, strug-
Cling 60 his feet, 81 am an old mau, but
in my veins flows the fire of youth. My
seventy sixth Christmas eve | have en-
joyed more than any preceding, with the
brave form and face of my son, Captain
Jack Helstead before me. Here's TO his
health, long life and happiness. May
he be as good and jolly a man as his
father, and live to as ripe and honorable
old age
This questionable toast was drunk
with bolsterous mirth, and Jacks bosom
friend, Lieutenant Wymark, rose to re-
ply.
Eat 76 our genial host looks 20 years
younger, and his wit is as sparkling as
the best wine his cellars contain, both
OF which we have this night partaken
OF freely. Here's to another Christmas
gathering-sy, and twenty more of
them, at which Squire Helstead' may pre-
sider'
"My friends" Jack exclaimed suddenly,
"are you aware that our com pany is com