Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1893-12-21
4 CHRISTMAS ADVENTURE.


| without snow no Christmas" re-
marked Peter Horn pointing through
: the window at the bare pavement, the
drops falling lcisurely from the roofs
and the pool forming slowly in the mid
, die Of the street.
Il made this remark" he continued,
"a year ago, before Christmas, and l
came nearly paying dearly for it. OF
course l love SNOW. l love the North,
and l would pay !, very good price now
for !, chance to hear the Christmas
carols of the village boys under the
windows OF my native home, but we
shall try to get along without them
! Horn was engaged in Nluipping his
! Christmas tree. "A glittcring star, Il re-
mintlcr of the star of Bethlehem, shone
from the top of the tree. Apples were
suspended from its branches, and silver
coins were hidden in Il nest under the
wings of Il dove. The children We're ut
school. They were to know nothing Of
the preparations ut home until the
proper moment One could easily guess
, Horns nationality The pictures on the
walls showed it. although the house he
lived in was located in II so-called
American part of the city lie was a
native of the plains of Eastern Europe.
and his language and manners betrayed
noble descent. Having come to Amer
lea about three years since with Il con-
siderable fortune. he lost half of it in
an attempt at farming in Minnesota,
and after failing in several other enter
| priScS he continued for some time to
| live on what was left of his capital
II got thoroughly sick Of doing moth
ing he resumed. after arranging Il
sugar sled Oh one of the branches.
with tifty-siN years and Il white beard,
and without the knowledge of the
country, it is pretty hard to find suita-
bic work or Il suitable business. | was
in despair. Every day brought me
nearer the bottom of my cXchcQuer.
and | was thinking already of packing
the trunks and rccrOSsing the ocean.
| when something occurred quite uneX-
pectelly which made me change my
plans.
| The weather was rs mild then rs it
is now. AS | was sitting one day read
ing for the tenth time IN old newspaper
Il man presented himself at the door I
had heard Of Capt Theodore Drosd, the
cX-Russian army officer who owned u
considerable farm somewhere in North
tlh " lSNolISlll anu Wiz l)ltttScU W
meet him. We recalled old times COM
pared things here with things abroad.
chattcu about different matters and we
soon became we'll acquainted. thought.
He was comfortably dressed. and
seemed wcll-to-do. He looked young.
muscular and strong and took
liking to him. lie explained the bust
ness which had brought him to Allwau-
kec. His intentions, he said, WAS to go
into the cattle trade. and having prop
crty in Chicago he had concluded to
sell it in order to raise the necessary
cash. We parted as good friends, after
| remaining that whole afternoon to-
Sether
1.-Two days aftcrward he called
again. My wife and were delighted to
see him. He had arranged all his af-
fairs, he said and was ready to depart
home the same evening. We invited
him to dine with us. which invitation
he accepted gracefully. At dinner.
looking as I do now, at the dismal out
side. l remarked: Without snow no
Christmas
DO you really want to spend
Christmas with plenty of snow and
sleigh riding. in Il neighborhOod that
would remind You Of your homer he
asked enthusiastically. OF course you
do. Why, then come with me and
spend Christmas at my home up North
The invitation was unexpected. I
replied that I could not leave my fam
lily: that I had never spent Christmas
was persistent A plan in Il moment
ripened in his brain Changing his tone
and putting on il bllsiness-.ike air he
offered me 4 partnership in his cattle
enterprise. My trip North, he said
would serve two purposes. 1 would
spend 4 genuine Christmas ut his house.
and Immediately after the holidays we
would sta:t out Jointly to visit the
neighboring farms and buy stock. He
had it all arranged. There would not
be the slightest difficulty about dispos-
ing Of the stock in Milwaukee at a good
profit. There was, in short, fortune
in the enterprise.
II was dazzled by the prospects so
brightly painted. I had lonscd for
some occupation, and here the best
opportunity was offered. My wife
urged me to go, too. and with her good
wishes and $500 i'll my pocket, which
was to be my first share in the enter
prise, left to enjoy 4 Northern Christ
mas with my friend. The trip was slow
anu llIeSOlllc. W iFftlScu tue MINOR
details on the train. The first purchase
was not to exceed $1,000. which amount
was to be raised equally between us.
1 told my friend, Of course. that I had
the money with me, and he was de-
lighted. AS we were getting nearer our
destination, my companion became talk
alive He described the country. the
life of the Polish and Bohemian farm
ers near his settlement, and the many
opportunities which man with small
capital might utilize for making for
tune.
"a carriage was to await us at the
railroad station at which We left the
train, but we found none. The distance
from the station to my friends house
was, he said, but two miles, and he
proposed to make 1t on foot. I did
not like the idea, but finally submit
ted. 1t was cold, frosty Christmas
eve. Snow, snow everywhere, glitter
ing and sparkling in the light Of the
moan Frho frooo In tho Hiofonno h,,r