The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1899-12-28
NEW YEARS IN THE SIXTIES.

ooh, the CHEEKY old custom of making
New Years calls!" said a woman OF
my acquaintance at little tea party
the other evening. Il am so sorry that
it has gone out of fashion,
ut had its good points, | ven
I tured.
Yes, and its bad ones" said one
sweet old maid. Her kindly face dark
ened little as she spoke, and scented
story.
| 1t took much diplomacy and an extra
tart or two, but gained my point
"Thirty-five years ago." said the
manless one. 1.-The New Years call was
in full bloom. 1t was the proper thing
everywhere, and was frightfully over
done. My sister and myself were work
| ing girls at that time and occupied.
with our mother, a small house in Nor
ton street.
Mother took couple of boarders.
and we did fairly well.
II had beau then-the only beau
| ever did have, by the way"-her
voice broke little here, | thought
"and his name was Charley Van Brunt
| He was very fond of me, and OF
| him.
New Years, '64-it was during the
war, | remember-my sister and / de-
| cided that we would receive callers
| So we cooked and swept and busted,
and our little parlor looked very nice
on New Years morning.
1--WE had five kinds OF cake, includ-
| ing the rich plum-studded black arti-
Gle. with nightmare in every ounce;
nuts, raisins. figs. coffee, tea. sherry,
whisky and port wine.
Mother objected to the liquors, but
| we said she was old-fashioned, and
| gained our point, as in those days
| house that didn't serve stimulants OF
a spirituous sort would have been pref
ty well 'boycotted, as we say today
well. the callers-all men-began
| to arrive at about ten o'clock in the
! morning, and kept 1t up all day
"At noon my Charley called in a
huge omnibus, as was the custom
among the middle class people In those
days-and brought with him seventeen
| fellows. not one of whom ! had ever
seen before.
This was another .absurd test or
| hospitality current at that time, and
very trying it was.
For seventeen lusty strangers to
run amuck amid our already depleted
stock was OF itself an aggravation, but
| the quantities they ate and drank, in
honor of 'Charleys. girl had an effect
far from pleasing, for some of the call
ers became a trifle boisterous and
scented disinclined to depart.
but my principal worry was about
Charley.
Il bad always supposed him strictly
temperate, but on this occasion he
drank a great deal Oh, how wished
then that i had taken my mothers ad-
vice about the liquor.
His face grew red, his eyes CLASSY.
his speech thick and his walk UNI
steady.
~ fancy now that he must have been
drinking before he called on me, but
az that time felt that l was alone re-
sponsible for his condition.
When he approached me to say
'good-by' / shrunk from him in disgust.
| He saw 1t. and it angered him. We
| had some words, he dashed out and
| went to my room to weep.
II never saw him again.
| What" we calculated.
| Never! In defiant mood he must
| have drunk more and more. He had
quarrel with companion, blows
| We're struck. he was arrested and
| lodged al night in Jail. ! read Of 1t in
the paper next morning and my soul
sickened. He called to see me few
days after. but would not receive him.
Perhaps / was wrong. perhaps l was
right. At all events. he became con-
| firmed drunkard, and don't feel that |
was altogether responsible. New
York Herald.