Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-08-29
The PHANTOM, FEAST.

neiKhbOriug Reutry; ~ had been for many
generations, and was liBeiy TO remain go,
for Young Jack Hels'eBd had all his
fathers love Of good cheer and mad
merry -mb kings. Squire Heis'ead had
plenty Of money and spent 1t freely.
His whole lite seemed bound up in the
eui lyment of the good things OF THE
world, aud to obtain this end he was ever
surrounded by friends and neil hbors ~
his hos piiable board. A. 80 he mar
ri,d the q tighter OF one of hi- r-ighoorf
bat was disuued 20 have bat short sptll
of cunbubiai bliss, for bis wife died With
IN two years Of their wedding day, leav-
ing him q baby boy. The baby tlpurlshed;
was &C. ct 20 rchoOl. TO college, finally eG-
tered the army, and az the age Of "a WIS
ordered abroad for two years, and prob
abb for ever. His father WIS now a
merry old fellow Of 76, or thereabouts;
and although he had passed tho allotted
age OF mRu he strOve to carry on tbs
pleasures and xcesses IN which ne had
deiighted 30 years before.
H. was row pesr C1rsimas time, and as
Captain Jack Holstead had been warned
for foreign service on the 10 h of Jan
ary next, the tquire WAS determined to
He issued hundred invitations 10
frieud-, old and yougE, good percent.
age OF which were accepted, and huge
preparations for the crls bra ION OF the
grand fts ivsl were b,g1n. For two
whole days prior 20 the great day prep
ara'ions were going on, and the good
th:rgs were being stored IN the old hail
by logds, the squire lending hand here
aud there, and shaking his fat sides with
delight.
Captain Jack Holstead, with half q doz
en- brother off 'ers, who were all like him
self, ordered fot foreign service arrives
on Christmas eve; but as the bulk of the
guests we're not expected until Christmas
morning and the day following, the
"mistletoe business" with hosts OF blush
ing dam els, Was not SD much the order
of the hour 49, uovelIsts u uaIly delight in
making "; Va simple young ladies were
not usually permitted to mix freely with
the boist rous guests OF Hel5tvGd Han,
only under strict surveillance OF their
ma.,lnsi relatives. H. was known far
and wide that the old squire was not par
ticularIy delicate IN his choice OF a s pcl-
aztec, and that ~ had long been his u'e 20
pass tho eve of Christmas in mad merrt-
meut; Therefore careful parents pre-
ferr.d to present themselves before tie
hcsg,tshIo hoard when they had to bring
their q lighters and sons fresh from
school with ihtm on Christmas day after
the rtvels Of the night were past.
Bat this Christmas va 20 be red let
ter dny IN the annals OF HslsteAd Han, IN
honor of, CT TO commemorate, the depgr
ture OF Captain Jack and his companions
IN arms.
Sjthe hours passed apaca, the night
brour nj "a seasopRble fail of suow and the
light IN the hall showed oheerily from
every " ndow
TIE waits docked 70 the sea ~ liberal
ity, aud were RECALLED in the kitchen with
pies and foaming ale, aud their pockets
lined with silver pieces; while the Cd
Squire made the wal ring with his roars
OF laughter. The quests, including Cap
tain Jack, So far numbered but l2-all
gentlemen; for AS We have said before,
the bulk had iuumated that they would
arrive next day IN tune to attend the ser
vice ia the chapel
"Geutirm4n," the squire cried, cit ia
well for our own sakes chat no fair ladies'
will iuforrupt our revelry tonight Hat
smile not, good gentlemen, with though
OF az set ki-ses under he mi~tletoe, am
too ola for such 'hiugs, nor can | dance
as I could so or 30 years ago; but there
is an equal plea. ure in store tonight, wen
for ve az Bmor0us dreams, for We have
the Joys of feast and wine, and can fresly
indulge iR our lou1est and merriest pbes
with no d-ead of offending delicate ea,s.
The bauQu ing hall shall ring with our
bfIurif,- and t1u0rrnW the blpEgpl aay