Free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1888-1908, 1899-12-23

A western lady who formerly lived at
Cambridge. Mass, writes entertaining
IL of what she declares was the hap
piest Christmas of her life. The climax
OF this merry occasion was a house
party given at the home of her uncle
not many miles from Cambridge The
lady writes:
my uncle owned a 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 SOC 26 years old and a daugh
ter of II. This girl, my cousin, Stella,
was one Of the brightest and most
fun-loving girls I have ever known. I
was just two years her senior, 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 i'm
mediate1y conceived a violent admira-
tion), a naval officer, three Yale men
from New Haven, my two brothers, an
antique female cousin of ours Gage IN
known, some girls from New York
and a young married couple from ST.
Louis. Before the end Of week Stel-
la and had almost originated a di-
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
| ell
day, and the guests were invited from
Dec. % to Jan. 2. and I can tell you
we made Rome howl. Ny brothers
and 1, with our parents, arrived at our
uncle's late Monday morning. The
| snow had bcen 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 4 O'Clock, brought them
all, and at they came shouting and
singing I'D 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 ehintz-coveret
soap-box, OF in a dim corner Of thu
room, discussing-er-the possibilitiei
of effect of mistletoe on-ah-mankind
Before the candles were brought in II
: announce the time for disappearing,
we two had begun to understand eacl
other It was our first meeting, but II
the country, and at Christmastide, PEG
pie become acquainted very quickly.
1.-The next morning we all arose at
O'Clock, and after the jolliest kind OF
| breakfast, we hauled in great bunche
f of evergreen, reels of crow-foot moss
: and pile after pile of holly and mistle
toe We spent most of the day on ste
; | ladders or tables. hammering and tack
Ing the Christmas decorations in place
And in the evening my uncle had bi
S pine tree brought in and set up in tn
j parlor. We had each brought score
Y of little packages from town to presen
f on Christmas morning, and thes
= we're suspended from the branches c
: the tree Mistletoe was everywhere
and so were the girls. The conse
+ Guence win be readily understood-th