The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-01-01

when everybody else is in good humor.
to go out in tho snow and dio OF n
hemorrhage, listening to tho chimes.
etc. The poor, old man has been thus
utilized ever since. can remember,
and have assumed the responsibility
Of committing his sentence, SO to speak.
There Is another individual who will
not be allowed to figure in my novel
cite. l refer to tho missing prodigal
son who turns up on New Years eve
while his mother is wondering where he
is. lie has reformed and has como
home to sce how the family is fixed for
veal. This year, il ! can prevent IL.
his mother and father will not clasp him
to their bosom.
1t is usual for many great literary
writer's to assure the public that the
story is il true one. Hero, too. pro-
pose to doviatc. My story is 4 lie out Of
tho whole cloth. Nothing Ike il ever
has, or ever can occur. intend to 10
strictly original, oven 1T tho risk OF hav-
ing my article returned. (SigncdD
THE AUTHOR.
] had loved JcHnio Finklcpaugh
from my earliest infancy. Wo went to
the same school in 4 New England viii
lagc, and passion Increased so rapidly
that when ! had reached the ago OF
eleven ! made up my mind to propose
on the first opportunity. She was ono
of = numerous family OF children, but
she WAS the only ono cared for. Tho
opportunity To propose occurred on New
Years eve.
NOTH-l really occurred much later In
the season, but as this u Now Years
1 ~: Il
that it occurred on that day.
There was childrens party ut tho
Finklcpaugh mansion. l watched my
chance when nobody WAS looking. and
having cornllcd Jcnnio in tho hall,
took her little hand il mine. and said
firmly in u tremulous voice:
"Ahcm! Miss Finklcpaugh, / dosire
TO ask you question upon your answer
to which my future depends. ] love you
with an cver-incrcasing intensity, and
fain would call you my wife. Let US
we'd, and will como and 1.-Two with your
folks, for my cruel father might oppose
our union. What dost thou say?"
AS is obligatory in such cases. she cast
down her eyes, and replied:
II think pa has got enough children in
his family already"
This reply was not as encouraging as
it might have been, but when sho
tainted me with my poverty, saying in
cold, bitter accents that she would mover
wed tho man who was not able TO provide
her with i sealslSin sacquc, began to
smell "a mice" l did not leave tho
house Indignantly until after had done
Justice to the eatablcS. must have eaten
about seven pounds OF ice cream and
delicacicS, after which | went to New
York and plunged headlong into tho
wild excitement Of Wall street spccula-
ton. became immensely wealthy and
had pic for breakfast, but the lovely face
of my first lovo was not even thon out OF
my sight
After many years / returned to my
native village wore such good clothes
that nobody recognized mo. In the
meantime Jennie had married Bill
BoOzlc, n schOol-mato of mine, and they
had large family Of children. Bill had
turned out bad, and spent all his leisure
hours (twenty-four each day. in playing
cards for whisky straights. went to tho
village grocery. by strange co:nci-
dcnce, as is usually tho case in Now
Years novels, it was New Years eve once
moro. 1t was not the same Now Years
CTti ~ cNVO ~H