Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1890-12-27

house OF saunders q Co., On
Street.
On being summoned, out came Mr..
Andrew Saunders, portly, good-nat-
ured, blue-eyed, sandy bearded man of
about 40. '"Why, mother" he ex-
claimed as he saw the occupant of the
carriage, "who ever expected to see you
this cold morning? Let me help you
out. The office is nice and warm"
"No, no, Andrew, | am doing my Christ
mas shopping, and I'm not cold; just
left home, you know. Pm going to
lunch at Us, Andrew, at l O'Clock,
and | want you to join me there, will
your"
Certainly 1 will was the quick re-
ply. ~ don't know anything that
would give me more pleasure. Why,
declare, mother, you look quite young
this morning. ana you want me to lunch
this time Mr.. Saunders was grasping his
mother -in-law's hand, and looking with
his clear, sparkling eyes in her face.
Andrew Saunders thoroughly liked
and respected the little woman who now
sat before him, and who. as she with
Grew her hand and babe Patrick drive
,.a, said: ~ shall depend on you, An
dew; do not disappoint me-
Did [ ever do that, mother?" said
Andrew. Mrs. Garth smiled. 'Not
~tten, l confess; good morning" she
~id. "Now for business. Patrick,
urive first to the restaurant-T-'s, on
Street" Arrived at rs, the pro-
prietor was called out to the carriage,
Then for two or three hours the book
stores, dry goods and toy-shops we're
visited and, when the carriage had been
so nearly filled with parcels that there
was not much room left to accommodate
its human freight, Patrick was ordered
to drive to Mr.. John Garth's wholesale
dry goods house. Mr.. John Garth was
ready. and, crowding himself in by his
mothers side, after a few minutes ride
they found themselves at rs, where
the polite proprietor himself ushered
them into private parlor, saying to
Mrs. Garth F'Dinner will be served,
madam, as you ordered, when your bell
is heard"
"All right" said the old lady "Now,
John, help me off with these wraps, and
then remove your overcoat." Just as
John, having assisted his mother to lay
aside her cloak and furs, was about to
take his own wrap from his tall, broad
shouldered form, sharp rap sounded
on the room door. Mrs. Garth fastened
to open it, and, to her sons astonish
ment, who did she usher in but his
brother-in-law, Andrew Saunders. to
whom he had not spoken since that un
lucky day-how long ago was it?-
when, in heated political discussion,
words had been said that had better
have been left unsaid by both. and the
friends of thirty years had parted in
bitter wrath. Vainly had their wives
and their mutual friends striven to
make peace. Lucy Saunders had
sought her brother herself, and begged
and Mrs. John Garth had excused
Johns temper and asked Andrew TO
forget and forgive.
''There was nothing to forgive" An
drew had said heartily; eff John will
forget will"
But John had repulsed his sister, and
refused to hear his wife, "Better keep
apart" he said. 81 want no more to do
with man who only thinks as the par
ty does. Andrew has got IN with a
clique that suits him; let him stay"
And so the two families that had been
almost as one gradually drew apart, al
though both men insisted that the inter-
course between their wives and chill
dren must 90 on as before. But that
could not be. The wives OF each, like
the good women they we're, strove to
keep the younger members of their re-
spective families ignorant of the trouble.
But children are keen observers, and
soon John Garth's eldest daughter at
hOme-there was one married daughter,
living, however, in distant city-tancy
ing that somehow Uncle Saunders had
mistreated her father, ceased visiting at
her uncle's. OF course, the young Saun
derses noticed this, and their visits to
Uncle Johns became few and far be-
tween. So now the families had very
little intercourse, and that little was SO
constrained and awkward that it was a
source of sorrow instead of pleasure.
Grandmother Garth had been silent
observer of all this. Mrs. John Garth
had confided all to her from the first.
Her mother-in-law had been a well-be-
loved inmate of Mr.. John Garth's home
for more than twenty years, ever since
her widowhood in fact, and Mrs. John
prided herself much on this. "It was
highly proper" she said, "that Johns
mother should make her home with
John; he was her oldest son, and for
her part she loved Johns mother al
most as we'll as she did her own"
Which was all true, and very pleasant
to all parties; nevertheless old Mrs.
Garth's two daughters, Mrs. Lucy Saun-
their younger brother Philip Garth,
who lived out West, were all little
jealous, although the old lady made
them frequent visits, and this feeling of
jealousy on Mrs. Saunders part may
have helped to foster her opinion that
"John's temper had more to do with
the trouble than Andrews tongue"
Be this as it may, Grandmother Garth
concluded the quarrel had lasted long
enough, and now that Christmas was
coming, and with it Philip and Philips