Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-12-24
A REAL LOVE STORY.

| ont from the home into the wide. wide
| world for which he yearned with .
| passionate longing, as boys do; he
| knew not why, but II was his destiny.
| Mrs. Fleming felt. too, she was no
| longer n young woman 10 endure hard
| ships, and when she looked back upon
| the past It was no wonder she felt old,
J her hair was plentlfuIly streaked with
I gray, and though she Hes straight and
| trim IN figure. and her wears sat light
| ly on her, perhaps because she was
| surrounded with young people yet she
| almost gave way in thinking over
| Georges words and considered all that
| It must mean to her In particular The
| girls must be spoken to seriously; she
| was sure they had not thought of II
| as certainty at all. and she deter
| mined to tell them that very day
| Christmas was near and preparations
| had already begun for the annual holi-
! days. And with the thought OF Christ
| mas came the flood OF memories surg
| Ing through her soul and yelling up
| In tears. But she wiped away the
tears with that old-fashioned mastery
that win not betray emotion,
Evening was drawing near and sup
per over the family gathered around
the great fire OF hickory logs burning
brightly on the massive iron fire. dogs.
The tall brass candle sticks on the
high mantel were lighted though they
were only tallow dips, and on the great
lamp (minus chimney gave an uncer-
tain light by which. with the aid of the
fire, the evening work was done night
after night, year I'm and year out. fine
sewing, embroidery mendinE, knit
ting Of all kinds, fancy or plain, as
well ms reading.
Ruth. the eldest daughter. noticed
her mothers soberer demeanor, for she
was usually cheerful and smiling and
observed to her sisters aside, as her
mother sat with her needles. knitting
as usual, DO you see how worried
mother looks; I'm afraid she's i'll or
may he she is over tired. We must
be mare careful about her; she does far
too much for her time of life" But
before Sarah. who was nearest, could
reply, Mrs. Fleming had caught the
idea, by intuition, as II were, and be-
gan her defense, saying, Eyes, girls,
/ am In n quandary. not with work, nor
about Christmas or company l am
glad there's house full coming; but
I've something to tell you all, and as
your brother is out. 1t is good time
to explain" II know what 1t is"
said Almira. one of the younger ones;
George Is going to be married. No.
quite different; a marriage would De
an agreeable surprise to us all.
1t is that he is going West in the
spring" For n minute no one spoke.
each one waited for the other; finally
other girls as superior in judgment.
addressing her mother, said, Don't
permit II mother, he mustn't go; nell
die of fever and ague; he can never
stand the climate
UNFORTUNATELY 1t Is quite impossible
to prevent him. and we shall be obliged
to break up the home, and therefore
l am more than glad Christmas is upon
us and the company invited and we
can enjoy ourselves with our friends
once again before we say good bye"
but mother. we're not going. We'll
keep the home all right, and George
will be glad to bring you back and
Elsie too, for of course she'll go If you
do, though why either of you need to
Is more than ] can see," said Ruth
persistently and speaking for her sis
tiers.
but you forget my dears. this is the
Fleming house, and that in your
where all of you were born except
George and Elsie" mo mother" Ruth
| continued / don't forget nor that we
| paid our money and your money to re-
build and refurnish the house when it
was going to rack and ruin. and that
| we built a new barn and carriage
house and ever so many fences that
| were needed, and that 1t was some of
| our money too that helped George to
| go away to school and get ready for
| college; and now he's given up the idea
| and wants to buy prairie land in the
| Far West"
| 1t was all quite true and the girls
| simply adored their only brother. even
| II he was not of the same pnternal
| ancestor, but they would not let their
mother forget or ignore their claims
upon the home. All this would not
have awaited in court of law for SIN
! gle women had no rights in that day
that could not be set aside unless there
were legal papers drawn up; however.
George Fleming was too fond of his
spnster sisters not to be magnanimous
with them, and he had no intention OF
selling the home. DR.. Collins Fleming,
his uncle, had died recently and left
him snug little sum, and his brother,
who had been born abroad. was also
dead. so that the money all came to
him; n small legacy from his Aunt
| Eunlce had also been left. She had
never married, and at her death divided
her income between her sister Abbie
and her nephew George. who was a
general favorite.
After the discussion of money mat
tiers. Mrs. Fleming and the girls talked
of the preparations for Christmas,
which sort of drove away the gloomy
feeling, and when George came in late
the usual good humor was restored
Coming in abruptly and not knowing
of the conversation. George said. Its
showing like blayes outside, we're go-
liz to have fine sleighing for Christmas
IN be bound. / hope II won't hinder
the folks coming from down country
he added apologetically. 81 should hope
not" put in Hannah, who spoke now fol
the first time since the colloquy begun
about the West, she had been listening
attontively, as quiet people do and Sc
had Mercy, the youngest OF the five. The
minister had named her Mercy
for his mother. who had beer
a model woman In her way ant
literary too, for those days womeT
, were not allowed any higher advnu,
tages and especially 10 dnhhle In liter
. airy work, II was most unseemly anC
unlndylike and all young girls We're I,
be ladies well-bred to the tips of thei
fingers even though they had to d,
their own household drudgcry, and hell
, keep their husbands accounts. nnt
i such other little things OF this sort al
, | were needed after marriage. No on
Z presumed 10 question George as e
where he had been. though It was cas-!
Z | to perceive the girls were DESTROYS o
/ knowing. Finally the demure litt
/ | Mercy spoke out. where have yul
! been this evening, brother; we want6l
you at home to talk about Christina
q and what is to be done, boys have som
OF tho work to do hanging things II
, ana driving nails and making room Il
= the stables for the horses and all tn
Z ont door work and Jake can't do any
/ thing without he's shown Just how
d she ratified on child-llke. "Well m
: little sister since you call me to nc
= count, I'll tell you whore I'VE been, an