Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-12-24

forthwith. "Good news, my friends
he exclaimed "Harrys wife has borne
son, and W let us drink to the health
and happiness OF the bride and Bride
groom, and the little grandson across the
sea-" Never did there seem a happier
company, even Mrs. Fleming appeared
jubilant over the news of Harry's boy.
The evening was spent in songs, music
and tales OF the mansion, and OF the
many marriages the Squire had solemn
lied, and mis- father before him, 10 that
same room. Nmas day passed joyluliy
the Rev. Nat. Brown preached the ser
mon, while the bridegroom sat, in the
high backed pew with his bride beside
him.
At evening one year from the first
time the minister had escorted Rachel
home, he took her to his home,
The parsonage, instead OF her grandma's.
Rachel recalled it all and tod him how
she had felt that night, for she resolved
there should be no secrets in her life her
husband should not know.
And as am very much interested i'll
these people who lived long ago."
perhaps ought TO tell you little more,
not exactly that they all married and
lived happily forever afterwards like the
people i'll fairy stories, but that many
very strange things happened, for as
you know wonderful things sometimes
occur in the lives OF men and women.
K 4chel was model minister's wife
and the mother OF hive daughters. You
would not care to hear oil them, as they
never married, but were all lovely women
spnsters. Harry Fleming's wife died in
Paris and he brought his boy home to
Ms mother 10 raise, while he studied art
abroad DR.. Collins was successful
physician, and after the death oi his
iatner and mother he kept house at the
mansion with his sister Eunice. Abbie
married and went to Utica TO live, and
when Harry tired OF living abroad he
came home too to be with his son, and
the family, for like many another wan
derer in foreign parts he longed for the
| old home, and the familiar friends and
places. Mrs. Gilman and her daughters
visited occasionally at the manson, and
after the girls were grown and the Rev.
| Erastus Gilman had been laid away
some time in the silent grave in the old
churchyard, where so many dear ones
| Rachel had tenderly loved were sleep
| inp-the love she had once erased came
to her. Harry Fleming, resting upon
| his laurels and his well.merittd fame,
| D
| home very pleasant, and the girls Totally
unaware OF any love passages OF the
| the past their mothers life contained
imagined his visits were intended for
| one Of them. What was their great sur
prise to hear from Dr. Collins that he
was their mothers FIRST sweetheart; they
we're romantic girls and leased their
mother numerically about her cd beau
| but she took the matter very seriously
| and called family council and laid the
| subject before them, where upon they all
| oe clded IN favor OF Mr.. Fleming; and
after seven years OF widowhood, and
when her hair had begun TO turn gray,
| and her manner was very sedate and
reposeul, there was another wedding
| in the same old parlor in the mansion =
not OF young and blooming bride, nor
an ardent young lover, but man in
years, who had seen much oil the world
and and was glad TO find rest and hap
piness in the love OF II true woman, and
so, though Mrs. Fleming was not there
to see it, Rachel came at last, after long
years, to be mistress OF the old mansion,
/ and the home was full too with Rachel's
children, and the Flem,ngs, ard in good
time still another was added to the
| family-a son was born 10 Rachel and
| Harry Fleming, and their was greater
rejoicing there on that MAS day when
the news Of the grandson was brought
from a'ar while the company sat at the
marriage feast OF Mr.. and Mrs. Gilman.
How o ten it has come to pass, that
tue things one loDged for unreasonably
when young, are given in the soberer
years or even in the sere aud yellow
leaf OF age. But the best OF all this his
tory remains to be told. and as this
story is already too long. you who are
fond of old fashioned love stories, must
wait patiently, until next Christmas. Tor
the finale. w. w. w.