Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-12-24

hkf anu luhhNu NO UlNif NNhH w. AN't'
were four " ne. wns the eldest. Then
there was a Girl Of 10. one Of 80 and
boy ~ Z. In october we had moved to
the house on the shore N Lonesome
lake. which was very lonesome Indeed.
It was a solitary little sheet Of water
on tie top Of q hll. almost n mountain.
There were no nolghh1rs nearer than
mile Father had moved 10 this farm On
Lonesome lake because his father had
died that fail. aud the property had 10
b. divided between him and his brother.
Uncle william Uncle william was not
married. though he was older tban ia
Their. and h. and father ana grandfather
had always lived together and worked
the home farm. sharing the profits.
After grandfathct's death father and
Uncle william had some difference
never knew what IL waa about. one
night after I had gone To bed ! heard
them talking loud and the next morn
ing father and Uncle William looked
very sober NJ breakfast. and mother had
been crying. That afternoon she told
u that we were going to move because
the property was TO be divided. and We
were 10 have the farm On Lonesome
lake. near Lebanon. Lebanon IL y little
village about ten miles from warcyille
where we were living then. Mother said
she was sorry to 80 away because she
had lived there 10 long. and she was
afraid she would be pretty lonesome In
the new home. but she said we must
make the best Of II. Uncle william was
the eldest son and had right To the
nrst choice " the property. and Of
course since he was a bachelor II would
be very hard for him TO so TO live at
Lonesome lake.
We children rather liked the idea Of
moving and began packing az once.
Flory and Jancy had their dolls and
their wardrobcs all packed within mn
hour. Fiory was the sister next TO me.
and thought her rather Old to play with
dolls. had given up dolls long before
! was rs old M she.
Two weeks after grandfather died We
were all moved and nearly settled In
our new home. There had been no one
living In the house for several years.
except when father and Uncle william
went IN there every year In hnylng time
To Gu, ana make hay. Everything SEEM
ed pretty damp and dismal at firrt
hut when we got our furniture set up
md the fires started II looked more
cheerful. The house was large. with
two front rooms looking on the lake.
which was only about % feet distant.
one Of these rooms was our sitting room:
the other was our paflor. Rack NJ these
rooms was a very large one. which was
our kitchen and dining room. There
were dark bedroom In the middle "
the house. bedroom out ~ the kitchen.
one whore father and mother slept. out
Of the sitting room. and four chambers,
Thanksgiving came about a week aft.
or we had moved. and We had a rather
forlorn day. We all missed grandfather
and Uncle William. I am sure mother
cried little before We vat down to the
table and father looked sober.
when THANKSGIVING was over We be.
ran To think about Christmas. Mother
had promised us Christmas tree. The
year before We had an had the measles
and been disappointed about going to
the tree az the Sunday school. and
mother had said. "Ncxt year you shall
have tree ~ your own n nothing hap.
pens" OF course something had hap
pened. Poor grandfather had died. aud
We had moved, and Ne wondered u that
would put a stop 10 the troe. Mother
looked little tro1blcd NJ FIRST when We
spoke Of Il, Thon she aald n We would
not be disappointed II We did not have
many prcsUnta ana the tree did not
have much On II except popcorn and ap-
pies she would see what shc could do.
Then We children began to be- full ~ IT.
,lc secrecloa. Mysterious bits ~ wool and
six and colorcd paper and cardboard
were scattered about the house. nnd we
were always shutting doors and Jump
ing ana hiding thlnrs when door was
opened. Each NJ m was making some.
thing Tor father aud mother. even
Charles Henry. he was working a
worsted motto, God Bless our Homo.'
Then. " course, we were all making
presents Tor one another,
IL was a week nnd ono day before
Christmas. We had our presents almost
done, ana mother had promised to take
two Of uH the very next day ana ~
down TO the village 20 do some shop.
plng-wc had botn saving money en- m,
year Tor sofie bpuThtcn preseHts-ghrr
the news about Uncle William cama. \
man rode over from wnfeyille quite Lao
Of night and brought word that uncll
William was dangerously sick ana IA
ihsr and mother must come nt once 4
they wanted To- see him alive, M0thc
said there was nothing for II bu, tho
must go, She said II they had not com
away Just Ms they had, with hard word
between father and Uncle william. sh
would have let father go alone and stall
with us children; but. as IL was. she fel
that she must gu too. She and father
though l can understand now that tho
felt anxious while trying TO conceal
from us. aid not think there was an
real danger In our staying alone. The
reasoned that nobody except the peupl
In the village would know we wor
alone ana there was not probably on
VI disposed person there, certainly no
,ne who would do us harm, Then TO,
Il was winter, and We were on the mai
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