The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1895-12-28
Selert gtOrp.
4 NEW YEARS RESOLUTION
THAT WAS BROKEN.
BY ELLIS PARKER BrTLER.

had known Gregory in the states
He was an \ No. young fellow and we
had worked side by side for three years
at the same desk in little wholesale house
IN Iowa. How Gregory ever happened to
leave Canada and find his way to Iowa is
too long and too dull Il story to tell but
he did find his way there. and soon after
he arrived We became great chumS.
He sang in the choir made out the bills
of the concern for which we worked rode
horseback and had boils OF the four
occupations, the boils seemed to interest
him most and no wonder, for they were
with him night and day.
He used to back up to me and say
..Look at my neck, will you. old fellow.
and see if that spot looks like boil =?
Usually ii did.
We all used to advise him what to do
for them and he did it. Our desk
drawers were always full Of his tonics and
lotions and salves; and when anyone pulled
one Of his special drawers open an odor like
an apothecary shop escaped.
But all this has nothing to d" with my
story.
When Gregory was called back 10
Canada lie made me promise to visit him
at Sutton West some time. lie said 1t
was the most beautiful spot in the world.
and that it had climate as much superior
to ours here in Iowa as gold To lead.
so when | found was to have two
weeks vacation during the Christmas hol-
days in 93. wrote him that | was com-
my. His reply to my letter was enthusias
tic. The weather was superb, the sleighin"
excellent, pretty cousin was visiting
them Come right along and he had
bio carbuncle on his arm.
So | went.
TO Get to Sutton YOU 90 through Toronto
and up little branch railway. and from
Sutton You drive several miles to Sutton
West along the shore of Lake Simcoe
Gregory met me at the station and
wrapped me well in robes y servant
drove tire@ory explained that he would
have handled the ribbons himself had he
been able. but owing to his carbuncle he
was obliged to carry his arm in 4 sling.
lie Was downright clad to see me, and
asked questions all the way to Sutton
West about the old friends i'll iowa.
| enjoyed the first half Of the ride but
the last half was decidedly cool. 1t seems
that they had had change Of weather
and were now having genuine Canadian
winter.
The place which they called Old South
erwood, fronted On the lake, and was Il
rambling cid building in the real English
style
There were If rooms and they kept l3
stoves in continual action. The room
without stove was an extra room III the
attic and was used for store room
Gregory said that all the men turned out
in the fall and hauled wood, and then when
snow fell all began chopping, and chopped
until time to plant in the spring.
1t kept Gregory busy feeding the stoves.
He would fill up number one, and then
fill number two. and 50 ON, and by the
time he had number Is stocked he would
be ready to load number one again, and
sometimes he would not be able to get
around in time and the fire in number one
would be out before he had number )
full of wood
The front door was completely ly showed
up. buried behind 20-foot drift, and
Gregory told me it was lucky thing for
/ if it had not been and anyone should have
| opened the front end rear doors at the
/ same time the lake breeze would have
blown the whole unlucky 13 stoves out Of
| the house and clear down to Toronto.
That lake breeze was what they called
.bracing weather up there. Down ii
Iowa we would have locked ourselves IN
doors and said: What fearful blizzard! !
And they seemed to enjoy it. The CIR
cousin. Maud Gregory, did not mind it IL
the least, and would take her skates and
sail out for little spin On the ice on days
when | was wondering whether we hac
not better tie the house to the pine tree
to keep it from blowing away.
But then she was accustomed to 1t
She had never been farther south thai
Toronto, and frequently spent her winter
there on Lake Simcoe.
She was a beautiful girl, too. saw
that the first time | met her saw
more plainly every day.
BY the time | had grown little ac
customed to the beautiful climate we wer
quite good friends, and as Gregory car
buncle practically confined him to th'
smoking room, the pleasure of escortin'
her on her numerous skating trips natu
rally fell to me. And did not shirk m
duty.
She was an only child, and her fathe
, was clerk in one of the Toronto banks
the Commerce, and Maud was very de
sirous Of helping him by securing posl
ton as stenographer somewhere. Sh
had taken course in school, and fel
herself well equipped for the position, bu
SO far she had not secured it.
OF course her aunt laughed at her. ;
did Gregory, too, for that matter, for sh
, had been quite a society girl and bot
predicted she would be picked up an