Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1895-12-23
ROMANCE Of CHRISTMAS.

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No matter where men may be, no mat
ter how far away from home they may
go or how long they may stay away,
when Christmas comes their minds revert
TO the loved ones of their childhood
tender memories of a mother. a sister.
perhaps a sweetheart, are revived, and a
longing sezes them to be back again
amid the old familiar scenes.
With each recurrence of the glad sea-
son which heraldS peace on earth to men
of good will. this longing crept into Rich
ard Jennings heart, sitting all interest
in the fluctuations of wool on Change,
and making positively distasteful to him
all talk about the prospects OF next
years cotton crop or the rumored Wall
street combine to effect corner IN
wheat.
Whenever Christmas approached he
began to realize his loneliness, and he
regarded with envy the people hurrylng
along the street carrying bundles or tops
and candles and costlier presents to
their homes.
Home! That sacred place is not to be
violated at such a season by the presents
of a stranger, and Richard Jennings
Christmases were spent alone. He was
always glad when they were over, and he
could again become absorbed IN business
cares.
For the past ten years he had been
snember of the st. Louis Merchants
exchange. and was rated at SlOO,OOU
He had no taste for society, and al
though he belonged to several OF the best
clubs in that charming old town, ne
could not be called a clubman.. HIS
tastes, his cravings, were domestic, but
they remained unsatished Little was
known Of his previous history. lie was
not communicative and MS business ac-
quaintances were not inqulsltlve.
One evening, just four days before
Christmas, Mr. Jennings returned to his
handsomely furnished residence and as
tonished his housekeeper by telling her
he was ''gong home for. Christmas.
She had been in his service Tor more
than FIVE years and believed that all his
relatives were dead, as sne hdu never
beard him speak of them.
Here's something for you for ChTl 81!
mas" he said, handing her a $aO 9ill,
<'and I hope you'll enjoy yourself. I'm
going East"
Sarah, in her rich, honest brogue,
thanked him.
There was a new light in his face.
Sarah, who was shreWd, noticed it. For
seventeen years this man had been away
Grogn home, and during his absence MS
parents had died, while he was riding
wild PONIES in Texas or digging gold III
Colorado, or gambling it away IN Kan
Sas City faster than he had gathered 1T.
AS the train sped eastward over the
level lands of Illinois and Indiana,
through the rich farm lands of Ohio,
and then amid the wooded hills OF MS
ewn native Pennsylvania falrer than
Saem all-his mind Travelled backward
from the present Richard Jennings, sue
cessful broker and respectable member
Of the st. Louis Merchants exchange,
40 the dissipated days of his fresh young
qsaanhood. when his wild life had sep,
arated him forever from one he could
meyer forget.
AS the train approached Philadelphia
and he looked out of the window at
the numerous domes and spires and
cs,nolas. he reflected how time, which
has wrought such a difference III, the
agspearance of the city. must nave
changed the sweet girl of Ii, from whom
his own misdeeds had sundered him.
3sThey had been sweethearts from enid
hood. But old Ezra Kent, her fatner,
was a stern man and when stories 90
sassroad about the dissipated set OF when
EsicS1ard soon became the leader, and
when one day he came home from his
and found Richard
.'Dick'' everybody called him then.in-
dedicated, he said it was the last time
Eleanor should receive him: she was
. dutifui girl. It wounded her life, but
she Obeyed. The Kents came of stern
stuff. and beneath Eleanor's gentle Wom-
"a nIiness lay heroic strength.
A fter that Richard Jennings intoxicat-
ed habits became q public scandal, ana
when his sister married VIII McCray,
promising young lawyer (Eleanof was
maid of honor), he disappeared Irom
home.
Now he was returning very dlHerenL
man and regretful that he had stald
away SO long. 1t was such a short jour
ney from the Mississippi to the Schuylk1ll
he wondered that he had not before sum-
mohed enough courage to return. Sew
enteen years!
Eor the twentieth time he drew forth
a letter and read it with the same alb
tsorbed interest as if for the first time:
Dear Dick: viii met Mr.. Coles last
week He had just come from st. LOUIS,
boy! Why have you never written or come
hoine to see us? We want you to spend
Christmas with US: All the children ARE are
R1apy beautiful girl, is 10 months old
spa has two teeth The children often talk
9beut Uncle Dick. Eleanor has told them
stories about you when you were at the
university. Mr. Kent failed four years ago
and died last March Eleanor and her
S-eg,r moor. Eleanor teaches music and sings
at st. Brides Mrs. Kent looks very ola,
f,nt she seWS beautifully and makes the
UrottieSt Things IOr Tue UdpS. DO Nm eeAA0
srend Christmas with u.s. The children are
dyInc. to see you and so am | and VIII.
Ever your loving sister,
r. S.-The children's names are Mary
AFex-he's named after father. OF course
som. Dick-after you-and Eleanor, the
baby Shes a little angel!
The street whore Richard Jennings
nome was, where he was born. and where
his married sister lived. had once been
fashionable. You could tel! that from
the houses--big, broad, roomy, old-fash-
toned brick residences of a bygone day,
with quaint colonial doorways, elaborate
sy carved, the lintels in many cases sup
rorted by the classic Ionic or Doric col
umns affected by the builders of cent
Nry ago.
spirit of decay had fallen upon them,
and the children of those who built them
mad moved to finer and more modern
flomes.
But the Jennings and the Kents were
ar, exception. They had withstood the
general exodus and continued to live in
The house which had been their family
rooftree for nigh 100 years. They were