Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-05

/ Il L.
obliged to be polite to 'em; she couldn't re-
| fuse to meet all her friends for the mid
night handshakin', an it might be the saw
| in O her. Three years has passed. There's
no reason why one trouble should bring
| another. We've all had our share O. trials
| this year, an / reckon every one O. us here
| has paid for a tombstone in three years,
an believe eff we'd all meet together an
go in body out there
EFF you say so, I'll ride out an talk it
| over with Meredith. What's your opinion,
| parson?
MY folks will join you heartily, I'm
sure" replied the parson, warmly. They
did expect to have the crowd over at Brad
| fields tonight, but know they'll be ready
to give in to the Merediths."
And this is how it came about that the
| Merediths' house, closed for three years,
| opened its doors again.
If innocent curiosity and love of fun had
carried many to the New Year handshak-
| ing three years before a more serious in
| terest, not unmiXed with curiosity still,
| sWelled the party tonight.
| 1t was mile out of town. The night
was stormy, the roads were heavy and
| most of the wagons without cover, but the
| festive spirit is imperviouS tosweather the
| world over, and there were umbrellas in
| Simpkinsville, and overcoats and tar
| Everybody went. Even certain persons
| VINO had not previously been able to mas
| ter their personal animosities sufficiently
| to resolve to present themselves for the
midnight Handwriting, and had decided to
| nurse their grievances for another year,
promptly decided to bury their little hatch
| cts, and join the party.
| To storm the citadel Of sorrow whether
| the issue should prove a victory for be-
| siegers or besieged. was no slight lure to a
| people whose eXcitements We're few, and
| whose interests were limited to the personal
| happenings of their small community.
1t is a crime in the provincial code social
| to excuse oneself from guest To deny a
| full and cordial reception to all the town
| wOnll he q oneself
| only from its society, but from all its SYM
| pathies.
The weak-hearted hostess rallied all her
| falling energies for the emergency. And
! there was no lack of friendliness in her
| pale old face she greeted her most unwel-
| come guests with extended hands.
If her thin cheeks flushed family as her
| neighbors happy daughters passed before
her in game or dance, her Solicitous OBJ
servers. not suspecting the pain at her
heart, whispered: Mis- Meredith is chirpin'
when we come in" So little did they I'M
| derstand.
| If mfrth and numbers be test, the old
year party at the Merediths' was assuredly
| a success.
| Human emotions swing as pendulums
| from tears to laughter. Those of the guests
tonight who had declared that they knew
| they would burst out crying as soon as
| they entered that house were the ones
who laughed the loudest.
Spinning the plate" dumb-crambo,
| were the innocent games that composed the
simple diversions of the evening, varied by
music by the village string band and oc-
casional songs from the girls, all to end
with Virginia breakdown just before
II o'clock, when the handshaking fun
should commence.
1t seemed very merry party, and yet,
in speaking of it afterward, there were
many who declared that it was the saddest
evening they had ever spent in their lives.
Some even affirming that they had been
M piO liValnnp
time to keep from cryin every time they
looked at Mis- Meredith.
Whether this were true, or only seemed
to be true in the light of subsequent events,
If would be hard to say. Certain it was,
however that the note that rose above the
storm and foated out the lighted windows
was q note of joyous merrymaklng. Such
was the note that greeted certain SLOWLY
moving wagon, whose heavily clogged
wheels turned into the Merediths' gate near
midnight. The belated guest was evidently
one entirely familiar with the premises, for,
Notwithstanding the darkness of the night,
the ponderous wheels turned accura tely in
to the curve beyond the magnolia tree,
moved slowly, but surely along the drive
up to the door, and stopped with hesitation
exactly opposite the landing, WeIl-niSh
invisible tonight.
After the ending of the final dance, dur
ing the very last moments of the closing
year, there was always at the old year
party an interval of silence.
The old men held their watches in their
hands, and the young people spoke in
whispers.
1t was this last waiting interval that in
years past the old man Prophet had fill
ed with portent, even though, until his last
prophecy, his words had been lightly
spoken.
AS the crowds sat waiting tonight, watch
ing the hands of the old clock that seemed
almost to have stopped, so slow was their
movement, listening to the never hIrrying
tick-tack of the long pendulum against tie
wall, it is probable that memory, quicken
ed by circumstances and environment. sup
piled to every mind present a picture of
the old man, as he had often stood before
them.
so slight a click as to be scarcely discern
ible, came at this moment, the clank of
a sledge-hammer turning all heads with a
common impulse toward the slowly Open
ing door, into which limped a tall muified
figure, that seemed to the startled eyes of
the company to reach quite to the ceiling.
Those sitting near the door started back
in terror at the apparition, and all were
on their feet in a moment.
But having entered, the figure stood still
just within the door. And before there
was time for action question, even, a
bundle of old wraps had fallen and the old
man Prophet. bearing in his arms a golden
haired cherub of about two years, stood in
the presence of the company.
The revulsion of feeling, ndescribable by
words, was quickly told by faSt-fiowing
tears. Looking upon the old man and the
child, every one present read a new chap
ter in the home tragedy, and wept in Its
presence.
Coming from the dark night into the
light the old man could not for moment
discern the faces he knew, and when the
little one, shrinking from the glare, hid
her face in his hair, it was as if time had
turned back, SO perfect a restoration was
the picture of familiar one of the old
days. No word had yet been spoken, and
the ticking Of the great clock and the
cracking fire mingled with sobs We're the
only sounds that broke the stiffness. when
the old man, having gotten his bearings,
walked directly up to old Mrs. Meredith
and laid the child in her arms. Then, los
ing no time, but, pointing to the clock that
was slowly nearing the hour, he said, in a
voice tremulous with emotion: DE time is
most here. Is you all ready to shek hands?
Eff you is-every round and come
with me-"
AS he spoke. he turned back to the still
open door, and before those who had fol-
lowed had taken in his full meaning, he
had drawn into the room a slim, shrinking
figure, and little May Day Meredith, pale
frightened and weather-beaten, stood be-
fore them.
IF it was her own father who was first |