The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-12-29
NEW AGO
A DAY or HEARTY GREETING TO
FRIENDS AND NEiGHBORS-


New Years is nothing at all nova
DAYS, and YOU may sail over it as easily
as over the equator and not see it in the
least. But it was a day then that meant
something, and it came IN at the head
Of the year in way that you should
understand it was there. Nor was it our
way to do as they did in the times of
its decadence. Nobody knew anything
about cards-those little infnitesimal
nothings that make up for respect and
honor and good fellowship. Oh, fie, but
what shams there are nowadays But
we took off our greatcoats and hung up
our hats, and we did not count up the
doorbells we had rung as SO much Of q
contribution to society
To DO sure, there were not then so
many Of US in this land, and those that
were did not all live in the cities, but
we had breathing room and elbow room
and were ashamed neither Of work nor
Of being known to eat our bread by the
sweat of our brows. Now, your little
whiffet passes for humOrist because
he can mimic country ways, ana says
ooh. fie, but the fellow parts his hair
in the middle, and MS shirt front is
the fire, - said my little mother. Pull
up your chair. n And the circle widened
out bigger till 1T took In half the room
There We're the minister. and neighbor
Hotchkiss. and old lady Denison, and tho
twin old maids, and my uncles George
and Platt who sat in the corners of tho
fireplace nearer the heat, and there
We're more besides, and every one was
happy. "Will you pass the ciders' said
my little mother, and then began the
fun That cider was made of Spleen
bergs, every drop of II. And you should
have tasted that cider 1T was pressed
out in no patent mill, with 2 million
bushels Of rubbish and dirt 1T was
pure juice Of the apple. Tt did no ono
any harm, and it went around with %
huge salver Of doughnuts O Lord
but what has become Of the knack for
doughnuts and caraway cakes, and
gingersnaps? One would think it could
not have so evaporated.
1t was coming time to cut the huge
loaves of cake, and our little mother al
ready had a knife IN her Washington
cake, and my tall aunt had knife III
her Lafayette cake Then ! could see
that our father was uneasy, and he got
up and took the poker and furtively
watched the two women as he gently
rolled over the front stick in the fire
irons and had everything ready for 2
tremendous poking Of the whole heap
But happily just then the parsOn warmed
into q discussion Of st. Paul's epistle to
Timothy. 'sPishr7 said my little moth
er. ''but st. Paul viii do well enough
for Sundays, but he did not understand
women. " ''Tou are fight - said my
aunt, and for my part hate old bach
elors when they set up to teach married
III aT-..
all danger was over, and my father
quietly laid down the poker, and the
two women drew together and began 70
whisper, and instead Of rival cakes we
had the two sorts put lovingly together
on one plate and 4 plate for every one
of a.. i never saw such hig pieces of
cake before or since. 1T was an to our
advantage. The rivalry had become
rivalry Of generosity.
Girls in those days were big, rosy
creatures. who could laugh and did not
wear cOrsets- They MIXED the COWS
ard harnessed the horses and went to
mill ON horseback without a saddle
They could knit and sew and could cat
like other folks. They did not nibble
confectionery and giggIe, but were open
to q clean kiss and knew how to give
one. Our girls and our neighbors' girls
We're seven that day, and they soon had
things all their own way While the
older women sat in easy chairs the girls
flew about and cared for everybody Ain,
but what a creature a really beautiful
girl isl She needs no art at ALL Bless
'em, but is not nature enOugh9 Yes,
truly, there are fools who trick them
selves ont till YOU cannot tell they arc
girls. only by their wriggliRg walk. and
their giggling talk, and their heartless
disregard of everything but themselves.
Rights. Dear me, but our girls had their
rights and gave Us our rights. They
ruled the house with their honest be-
havior. Our plates We're not allowed to
be empty for one moment. Each girl
had her own cake or TART or coolSy as
truly as the aunt and little mother
SO it was our New Years day came
and went and we slid softly into the
arms Of the great new DAYS and great
new things. and here we are. Bless me,
but why can they not all rise up just
for once TO see the changes that have
taken placer Perhaps it is better as it
is, for 1 am sure that they would miss
about everything that made up the
world for them. The huge factories
have stolen away all that made our
homes interesting and for my part
think we have long road to reach the
future millennium But in those days
our homes Were the universe to us, and
we did not care for huge buildings and
great cities. We had George Washing
ton and Thomas Jefferson when New
York was no bigger than a village, and
I do not believe they would have been
the better or wiser had they lived IN
Al