The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1896-01-04
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ONE THAT WAS BROKEN.
Story of a New Years Resolution.

was a No. ! young fellow and we had
worked side by side for three years at the
same desk in a little wholesale house in
Iowa. How Gregory ever happened to
leave Canada and find his way to Iowa is
too dull 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, and
had boils. OF the four occupations, the
boils seemed to interest him most, and nc
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 it did.
We all used to advise him what to dc
Tor 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 do with my
story.
When Gregory was called back to Can
ada he made me promise to visit him at
Sutton-West some time. He said it was
the most beautiful spot in the world, and
that it had climate rs 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 coming.
His reply to my letter was very enthus,
iastc. The weather was superb the sleigh
ing excellent, pretty cousin was visiting
them. Come right along, and he had Il
big 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 we'll in robes. A servant
drove. Gregory 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 sling.
He was downright glad to see me, and
asked questions all the way down to
Sutton-West, about the old friends in
Iowa.
enjoyed the first half of the ride, but
the last half was decidedly cold, 1t seems
that they had change of weather and
were now having a genuine Canadian
winter.
The place, which they called Old Sother-
wood. fronted on the lake, and was a ram
Bling old building i'll the real English
style.
There were fourteen rooms and they
kept thirteen stoves in continual action.
The room without Il stove was an extra
room in the attic and was used as a store
room. Gregory said that all the men
turned out in the fall and hauled wood,
and then when snow fell all began chop
ping, and chopped until time to plant in
the spring.
1t kept Gregory busy feeding the stoves.
lie would fill up number one, and then fill
number two, and so on, and by the time
he had number thirteen stocked he would
be ready to load number one again, and
and sometimes he would not be able to
get around in time and the fire in mum,
Der one would be out before he had mum.
Der thirteen full of wood.
The front door was completely showed
up, buried behind a twenty-foot drift, and
Gregory told me it was lucky thing
for if it had not been and anyone should
have opened the front and rear doors a
the same time the lake breeze would hav,
blown the whole unlucky thirteen stove
out Of the house and clear down to Toronto
That lake breeze was what they called
"bracing weather" up there. Down il
Iowa we would have locked ourselve
indoors and said: 'What fearful biz
zardv'
And they seemed to enjoy it. The cir
cousin, Maud Gregory, did not mind it il
the least, and would take her skates ant
sail out for little spin on the ice on day
when was wondering whether we hat
not better tie the house to the pine tree
to keep it from blowing away.
But then she was accustomed to it
She had never been farther south THAI
Toronto, and frequently spent her winters
there on Lake Simcoe.
She was beautiful girl, too | sav
that the first time l met her, and saw i
more plainly every day.
BY the time | had grown accustomed
to the beautiful climate we were quit,
good friends, and as Gregorys carbunclt
practically confined him to the smoking
room, the pleasure of escorting her on hel
numerous skating trips naturally fell tt
me. And did not shirk my 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 posi-
ton as stenographev somewhere. She hat
taken a course in a school, and felt hersel