Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1894-11-15

NNN'AAAS bNINSS INV NNiA'hS. ~ SNfAN "NNAN
and Il wide hearth with wood fire
burning between dogs upon II. The
ceiling and walls wore their every day
decoration Of hams. guns. 4 spit Vari.
Gus cooking utensils, tiny, book. shelf,
and 4 large dresser, we'll garnishea
with cN,rkery and rewterS, together
With their teStal Christmas adorutng
Of holly, fir, and mistlctoc, and Il
round dozen Of Tin ScouccS hENring
tallow candles. There was an oaken
Srttrr on one side the chimney corner,
into the contest nook Of which Eranfev
deposited his bent form with sigh
of content, and ga2cd round upon his
assembled guests with heucvolrucc
Ou Il long table on trrStleS At one
end OF the r>om was SpNWd 4 solid
meal. consisting OF huge ham, own
brother To those depending IN rich
brown abundance from the ceiling: y
south country skim milk cheese, finely
marhlrd with grecuiSh blue veins, and
resembling Stilton in reduced cirrum-
stances; great yellow and brown
mass of roast beef; Il huge pie; srv
cral hig brown blocks Of plum cake;
and some vast loavrS OF white home.
baked bread and pats Of fresh hstter,
The forks were ot steel, and black.
handled like the knives; and the
spoons, ot which there was drarth,
were pewter \ deficiency OF tra.Curs
suggested to Corporal Tom Hale the
agreeable cxprdieut of sharing one he.
tween n lady and Il gentleman, which
was hailed with applause Ivy his naval
brother, and immediately acted upon,
For those guests who looked upon
tea rs an cnrrvattug beverage. there
various brown and yellow jugs filled
with ale from the cask Tom and Jim
had procured for the occasion; and II
was generally understood that liquor
of Il Still more comforting nature was
held in reserve to stimulate ronviviali.
~ at n late hour, The blacksmith,
Straun, the clerk, Stevens. with their
wives and families were there; also
Baines, the DISCONTINUED tailor, and
the husbands OF the best parlor ladies,
The whcelwright's wife, Il comedy
woman of thirty, and his sister, N
blooming damSel of some ten years
younger ran to and fro with flushed
faces among the guests, while the
widow made herself ubiquitous.
The uniforms of Tom and Jim, with
those of three or four artillcrymen
from the neighbornE forts, and the
red coats of n couple of lincSmrn, to-
gether with the bright ribbons OF the
women, lent color and variety to the
monotony of black coats and Smock.
trocks, and upon the whole the wheel.
/ wright's kitchen presented rs CHEEKY
and animated n sight as one would
wis.,. TO see on Il New Years eve. Nor
was Il town element wanting in the
rustic gatherings; for Just NJ tea was
in fun swing, and liitle pickir stevens
whose tea lay In the future. after
the serving of his elders was supply.
Ing the place of a band by playing
hymn tunes on his conccrtina Il taxed.
cart drove up, and deposited two
chilled mortalS from Oldport, Mr.. and
Mrs Wells. cn-groceIS. and related,
by some incNtricablc family compiled
lions known only In that remote south.
country district, more or less TO nearly
all the company
Tea being finished, pipes We're pro.
,lrrrd also ale, and there was wild
work In n dimly lighted quarter of the
kitchen, where TIE Hale brothers had
cunningly arranged unexpected mistlc.
toe and whence Smothcred shricks of
laughter and sounds as of ears be.
Ing vigorously boxed issued every now
and then,
The odd part about the mistlctoe
business was the extreme gullibility
of the ladies', who were by far too
guileleSs to profit by the experience of
others In that dangerous region, and
suffered themselves to be dccoyed
thither on the illmsicSt prctcXts, and
betrayed the utmost surprise and In.
dgnaton at the kissing which invari-
ably ensured AS for Tom and Jim,
they went to work with a business
like determination to kiss every girl
IN the room, ana several respectable
mntronS into the bargain, II was
about this time that the artillery ser
gcant and the whcclwright's pretty
sister Patty vanished, and We're sub.
scquently discovered ut the front door
enjoying the soft December breeze and
studying astronomy study which
produced the happicst subsequent re.
suits. and set the MalbOurne bells
Ginning In the spring Of the coming
year
so large and successful n party had
not been held In MalbOurnc for many
year, the predominance Of the mill.
tary element greatly contributing to Its
success; for the sons Of Mars excclled
not only In the art Of pleasing the
fairer sex, which has In all ages been
considered their special function, but
possessed many other accomplishments
of social value. A very pretty bit OF
fencing was exhibited between n red
and blue coat and Corporal Tom
snuffe,, candles with "A pistol, amid
shrlcks OF terrified delight from the
women. One soldier sung comic,