The Opelousas courier., 1894-06-30

| MMm@SXM VI Tie oiu year made
| ~ N.Y. under that hospita-
Y ~ BILE roof, and the
large rooms rang with merry laughter
when one Of the party was unwittingly
caught ..:beneath the mistletoe bough.' y
Having wearied Of dancing and
games. we gathered in the large. old
fashioned hall-another Of u time.
honored customs-and then, in front
of the great open fireplace, piled high
with blazing hickory logs, we passed the
last hours of the old yea. in story-tell-
ing. One Of the most remarkable of
these stories was told by my aunt, and
I shall endeavor to repeat it as nearly
as possible in her own words:
There is always one story which
comes to me on New Year Eve and
seems peculiarly appropriate to that
time, although it is not a joyful one.
When I was sixteen, my mother
died, and soon after her death my
father sold our old home, and removed
to q large farm. I had been born in
the city, and until that time had al
ways lived there. / keenly felt the
change from the gay metropolis to the
solitude OF the country, but fortunate.
~ ] vas fond of reading and was also
q great lover of nature. so that in a
measure I was compensated for the
life which / had left. 1 saw little Of
the outside world; therefore the most
trivial things became of interest to
me.
One afternoon in June, when we
had been living on the farm two years,
II was sitting on the porch
reading a novel and crying
over the sad fate Of the heroine,
when suddenly my attention was at
tracted by the sound of wheels. /
looked up quickly from my book and
saw 9 buggy rapidly approaching our
house. Ny curiosity was at once
aroused, and my disappointment and
surprise were great when / found that,
instead Of a stranger driving behind
the thoroughbred little mare, Lake,
one of our rough farmhands, held the
reins. Presently he drew up beside
the porch, and his errand was made
known in a few words. There had
been a runaway about q mile from us.
and the gentleman who was driving
had been thrown from his carriage
and seriously injured. Lake saw the
man fell and went Immediately TO his
rescue. BE managed to get him TO 4
barn near by and, after capturing the
horse and buggy, both of which were
unframed, had driven over to see
what could lie donc. IT would be sew
eral hours before 4 doctor could be
brought to him, and he was suffering
30 much pain that Lake did not like
to leave him 50 long alone.
Just then my father came up. and.
having heard Lakes story, said that
the man should be brought ~ ohce to
orr honse, and ordered one of the
men to harness two of the horses to
the farm wagon. "A mattress was then
laid on it and off they started, leaving
me at home to put things in readiness
for the injured man.
dur pretty spare room, with its
fresh matting and Swiss curtains, was
the one which / selected for him. Il
was on the ground-1oor, and would
therefore be more convenient than any
other. Our guest. who gave his name
as John Graham. soon arrived and
was carried carefully to his chamber,
and before very long the doctor came.
Having set tho broken 1imbs,--fo one
of his legs and one of his arms were
broken,-and applied some cooling
wash to the bruises, he left the patient
to sur care.
u was many weeks before he was
able to nov from his bed, but be-
tween the doctors skill and our care
fui nursing he slowly regained his
strength. Remember, my dears, iii
those days your white-headed old amt
was young and romantic, and 3 man
lar less fascinating and handsome than
John Graham under such circum-
stances might have turned my silly
head. / confess I'd you that my head
was wholly turned, my heart entirely
given away to this stranger. For
weeks / was hands and feet to him.
Never q wish was uttered BY him that,
were il III my power, ! did not crafty.
Hs was very fond Of roses, and early
every morning I would gather the
choicest from our garden for John,s
room. was perfectly delighted wien
he one day told ME that my fschesks
put the roses to shame" II was the
first compliment he had ever paid me,
and ~ aors 4hn 4hnr~L{ rN-