The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1894-03-06
Opr 5anilp 9torp.
ONCE UPON A TIME
by MARY h. MILLER.

GatepoStS were capped like sentiuelS
standing guard owe pathways lost
under the snow.
There was not a bit of wind, and as
the sun came up and "chores were
done," sleigh-bells jingled along the
country roads, and it seemed as If
everybody who owned @ team" or
even a mag" was out enjoying the
snow.
A great deal of visiting was done,
and the postmistress at Springlake
said that every letter was taken out of
the postoflce.
David Burnet, a farmer, had taken
his wife and two little sons, to visit
Grandma Burnet, near the Forge.
strong arm Of the driver reaching for
the heavily laken boughs and shaking
snow down upon the boys as they rode
through the woods. After dinner he
had q snowballing frolic with them,
making Grandma laugh till she cried,
1tching them. and declared that
~vid was only the biggest boy of the
hree.
At last they started for home, and,
OF course, they came around by the
p~ostoffice.
Papa tossed the papers to the BOYS
put some letters in his inner pocket
gave a dainty letter to his wife took
his seat, and tucked in the big buffalo
robe around the boy beside him, and
his W clumsy arctics picked up the
reins, and away the pet horses sped
down the hill, away and away home.
After supper, Nefore the cheerful
fire, Mrs. Burnett read her letter, which
ended:.
"As soon as we heard Mrs. Ruger
was coming, we wished you to come
TO York to stay during her visit.
1t Is fifteen years since we were togeth-
err last do say you will come"
IeS, certainly" at once said Mr..
ournet. &oyS we can spare Mamma
o visit two old schoolmates, can we
eyes, oh, yes !" the boys agreed.
Mrs. Burnett did not see how she
could leave her little family. But
Bertha, the smart German girl, said
they would bake some extra "things,"
and prepare the "buttery" for the
raids of hungry boys upon cruller and
cSooky crock, and she would risk all the
homework.
That Saturday accomplished a great
deal, besides carrying the letter which
accepted the invitation.
Sunday it rained, and half
hoped h need not go on Monday.
But oh, the brightness and beauty of
that morning The whole outdoor
world was sheathed in the ice, that
crystal day. The rising sun dazzled
across fields, that were like frosted
wedding cakes, Bertha said.
The trees were tra~nsparencies, and
gave forth all the prism colors drops
of violet, orange or green pendent at
the tips of the boughs.
1t was decided the boys should ride
to the station to see mamma started
upon her journey.
Never did the homely earth look
more like f%airyland.
To be SURE the sleigh "slewed" in
an exciting way at every turn in the
road, but the horses were sharp.shod,
and nothing mischievous happened.
Every insignificant roadside trine
was trlcked out in spangles; stone
walls Overgrown with clematis, weedy
patches in damp hollows, were in all
the soft shades of olive and brown, and
like the tall evergreens, glace.
The telegraph poles were iced up to
their tops; and their wires were
strung with irridescent beads, that q
princess might covet.
AS the vista changed with the ever
winding road, through that hill coun-
try, down towards the railroad, the
happy Bnrnets~ exhausted their descrip-
tive adjectives and CALCULATIONS in
spasms or delight.
away when everything is 80 beautiful"
said Robert, the elder boy.
~ think so, too," said
kissing him for good-by and thinking
that papa and his BOYS had never
looked SO handsome before.
And in New York, snow is only a
nuisance" said papa. "But we win
write m all about our sleigh
rides say ,good-by, Richard, the train
The train came and went, and parted
this happy family.
Those who rode back through the
.rayines, winding around the hills, up
and up, home again, were not half SO
chatty as when the bright eyes of
mamma had helped them to spy out
the beauties of the frost.
In the first week of her rare visit,
letters flew back and forth. In the
second week Mr.. Burnet wrote
Do not hurry home the bows a
so and Bertha says she can keep house
well enough for another week."
The city was charming the Wiscon-
sin lady and the Catskill guest and
their host and hostess found, each
day, new sights that really ought to be
seen.
At the end of the second week, Mr..
Burnet wrote:
of you will stay content till the df-
teenth of March, u wedding day, |
Will spend 1t with you, and have q
wedding journey home"
Mrs. Burnet was half provoked and
dropped a tear, feeling for the
moment as If home were not missing
as much as she missed home. But
she was quickly ashamed, and her
friends said her family we're unselfsh
and ~self.denying ; and this extension
her furlough vas delightful all
around.
A few mornings later, there befell
the breakfast table, one Of those
wretched plumbers that no man can
and "all the cake was dough-
for our dear friend.
1t was the arrival Of u letter from a
country neighbor, asking Mrs. Burnet
TO make a small purchase for her,
; [. supposing you are coming soon, al
1t is not half so bad as we ex-
You must have been scared
when you saw the papers"
Half-crazed, Mrs. Burnett began to
pack her trunk, but grew so faint, she
to lie down, and await an
to u telegram already sent.
She could not, however, conceal her
impotence.
could you say? I"
I" asked" said her host:
Something alarms Mrs, Burnet.
Anv one IN . Shall Ohio ,atn,, -,