The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1899-12-23

A western lady who formerly lived at
Cambridge, Mass, writes entertaining
ly OF what she declares was the hap
pfest Christmas of her life. The climax
Of this merry occasion was house
party given at the home of her uncle
not many miles from Cambridge The
lady writes:
MY uncle owned big place about
twenty miles from town, and every
year he invited all his relatives to
spend the Christmas holidays with
him. He was widower with, two chill
dren.-a sor 26 years old and daugh-
ter Of II. This girl, my cousin, Stella,
was one of the brightest and most
fun-loving girls have ever known. I
was just two years her seniors and be-
tween us we managed to stir up that
house party to degree nothing short
of startling! Twenty people beside
our family were invited, there being
altogether about thirty guests in the
house. Among them were a young law
yer from New York (for whom i'm
mediately conceived violent admira-
tion), a naval officer, three Yale men
from New Haven, my two brothers, an
antique female cousin of ours Gage I'M
known), some girls from New York
and a young married couple from St.
Louis. Before the end of week Stel-.
la and I had almost originated a d.,
vorce case, where the young st. Louis
couple were concerned. OF course,
there were some other people, but they
were sort Of chaperones, old fogies who
didn't count much. Well, that year
the 25th of December fell on Wednes-
day, and the guests were invited from
Dec % to- Jan. 2, and can tell you
we made Rome howl My brothers
and I, with our parents, arrived at our
uncle's late Monday morning. The
snow had been falling steadily for
thirty six hours, and was many inches
deep.
I'VE drove from the little rickety
station three miles cross country to
the farm We were the first arrivals,
and we made good use Of the advan-.
tage over the other. invited guests. The
next train. at O'Clock. brought them
all, and at 5 they came shouting and
singing up to the house, an sleighs.
wagons and carriages, borrowed from.
the farmers all over that part Of the.
country. Well, the first evening was
passed in the big dining room. all Of
us crowded about the roaring log fire.
That is, all Of us, excepting the young
lawyer from New York and--myself.
We were seated on a chintz-covered.
soap box, of in a dim corner Of the
room, discussing -er-the possibilities
Of effect Of m!stletoe on mankind.
Before the candles we're brought in to.
announce the time for disappearing.
we two had begun to understand each:
other. It was our first meeting, but In
the country, and at Christmastide, peo-
pie become acquainted very quickly.
The next morning we all arose at 8
O'Clock, and after the jolliest kind Of q
breakfast. we hauled in great punches
Of evergreen. reels OF crow-foot moss.
and pile after pile Of holly and mistle-
toe. We spent most Of the day on step
ladders or tables. hammering and tack
ing the Christmas decorations IN place.
And In the evening my uncle had Z big;
pine tree brought in and set up IN the
parlor. We had each brought scores
Of little packages from town to present
on Christmas morning, and these.
were suspended from the branches Of
the tree. Mistletoe was everywhere.
and SO were the gi-ls. The conse-
Quence will be readily understood the