The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-01-01
A NEW YEAR ROMANCE.

"You may talk as much as you
please" said Muriel Vane, nodding her
curly head, 'but Pm going to receive
company in the parlor on New Years
day. Why shouldn't /: Every other
girl does."
''it's a sinful, wicked waste of time, F"
said Mrs. Vane, "when the quilting is
SO bchindhand and there's such deal
of sewing to be done"
''But life isn't all for work." pleaded
Muriel. "And Mr.. Clifton is coming
all the way from the city in his sleigh
TO see me. Oh, mother, please let me
have n loaf of homemade cake and some
red apples and real cream for the coffee
Just for this once. It's only one day
in the year. Do, motherr'
"Stuff and nonsense ~ said Mrs.
Nane, vino was one of those aggravat-
ing women who make up their minds
on the least possible grounds and then
pride themselves on adhering to their
word. "i've said no, and mean no.
When | was ayoung girl | wasn't set
ting my cap at every fellow that came
along"
Mother" cried Muriel in an agony
of wounded pride, ''do you mean to say
that do such thing?'
"You think deal too much of the
beaus anyway" said old Mrs. Vane,
screwing up her thin lips. "And Pm
going to break up that sort of thing.
See if don'tr'
1t was with difficulty that Muriel
Vane, naturally high tempered girl,
checked the indignant retort that rose
to her lips Surely, surely, it was not
right that she, girl of IS, who was
earning her own living by teaching in
the district school, should be treated
ike child of s; that her tyrannical
old mother should place no confidence
whatever in her sense of right and deli
cacy. Up to this time she had rendered
the tribute of an unwilling obedience
TO Mrs. Nane's behests, and now she
felt that the moment for just rebellion
had come. She felt that she could not
live any longer in this cramped, Mig
gardly sort Of way, with the very Jumps
of sugar for her tea meted out TO her,
one by one, and the pippin apples for
her lunch dealt sparingly forth, as if
each one were nodded in gold. Mrs.
Vane took her lamp away at o'clock
every night. She dictated to poor Mu-
riel as to the very color of her dresses
and the number of yards which she
might purchase for them; in fact, the
girl scarcely dared to think for herself.
Could she live thus always? she asked
herself. Was it right that she should?
''At all events, mother" said Mu-
riel, speaking in a low, determined
tone, II shall receive my friends on
New Years day! Ii is my privilege,
and / claim it ~
"Humph ~ was the contemptous re
joinder, but there was a world of mean
ing in il.
So Muriel retrimmed her one black
silk dress and boughta new ribbon sash
and baked great, golden New Years
cake filled with plums and studded all
through with translucent bars of citron
and herself bargained with the grocer
for two pounds of real Java coffee with
rs little adulteration of Rio Maracaibo
and chicory rs he could bring himself
to concoct.
al can use the china that my grand
mother Vane left :ne in her WILL"
thought Muriel. "That, at least, is
mine, although mother would never al
low me to unpaek it ~ ..
She was busy decorating the walls of
the little parlor with laurel leaves and
long, dark green trails of princes pine
on New Years eve, when her mother
came into the room.
''Muriel," said she, al want to send
some dressed chickens and peck of
those golden pippins to your Aunt Dora
at the lighthouse. Jenkins boy is
ready with the boat, but he's such d
limb that / don't, for the life of me,
dare to trust him with the apples and
the bag of hickory nuts. / want you
TO 90 and ask Aunt Dora for the pat
tern of the new bedquilt-the 'Phila-
delphia pavement you know"
"Very well, mother" said Muriel i'm
the old submissive way. "But isn't it
rather late? ?'
"Pshaw ~ said Mrs. Vane. "Why,
the sun is an hour high yet. You'll be
back long before dark if Jenkins boy
is spry with the oars"
Aunt Dora, Mrs. Vane's only sister,
was worthy scion of the family tree
tall, masculine and hard featured. She
had always taken the entire charge Of
White Reefs lighthouse even although
the official appointment was conferred
upon her husband, and when one day
that public servant departed this life,
things went on precisely the same. Mu-
riel was not fond of her Aunt Dora, and
her Aunt Dora regarded her as poor
chicken hearted creature-Vane all
over" But Muriel did feel sorry for the
lonely old woman, and she thought that
even pair of fowls and few apples
this unwonted manifestation Of sisterly
feeling-were worth carrying to White
Reefs. So she made haste to don her
wadded cloak and little fur edged hood
and TO draw on the scarlet woolen nit
tens, which she herself had knitted
during these long, dreary winter even
ings when she and her mother sat in
silence opposite each other, for Mrs.
Vane never invited any company, and