Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-24
OUTSIDE POINT OF VIEW
"a True Christmas Story. ]

stories OF Christmas, Christmas giyers
and Christmas gifts will be printed to-
day, so that what follows has at least
the one merit of being true. Two of the
dramatic personne are alive in an Iowa
town today, or were short time ago,
and II this short story comes to their
notice they will appreciate the little fic-
ton used to preserve them from unwel-
come publicity. One of them, the man,
the hero the writer was about to say.
had to use little deception to carry out
his scheme, so he will forgive the little
embellishments here used, for "the ends
Tin both cases) justify the means This
Christmas story is a year old today.
Age has not spoiled it. Here's an out
! line of what is to come, the skeleton no
one need fear at Christmas merry
making: In brief, a year ago today a
married man, one of 'Iowa's respected
citizens" made "a charming widow" a
present of $4,000, this without rendering
the recipient under any obligations, this
with the full knowledge of said re-
spected citizens wife and also with the
unqualified approval of Mrs. Grundy, a
very important parsonage in the little
town where all these good people live.
| So much for preface: now for the story.
Some years ago Mary Holmes (thas
wasn't her name), living in an eastern
state, down-east schooIna'am, had
two suitors both anxious to relieve her
from her arduous occupation. Neither
had much of this worlds goods to add
| to their personal attractions, but both
were men spelled with a capital letter.
Mary found it hard to choose. When
Ellsworth called Saturday night and
both attended choir practice 1t seemed
as tho it was settled-at least Ellsworth
thought so--and Mary didn't know. But
| Sunday night Robinson had an inning
and they attended evening services to-
gether. This seemed TO put Robinson in
the lead, which he tried to believe and
/ Ellsworth to doubt. Now 1t so happened
that Ellsworth and Robinson worked in
/ the same wooden mill, were sincere
friends, and when matters finally
reached the acute stage had an under
| standing with each other that both
were to make a proposal in writing on
the same date and same mail, and new
er was Mary to know of their plan. the
winner as well as the vanquished to
| forever hold his peace. Mary accepted
Ellsworth and the friendship OF the
| three continued Robinson was best
man on the occasion of Mary Holmes
becoming Mrs. Ellsworth. And the gos-
sips of the little New England town
where all this happened knew less of
the foregoing facts than the reader OF
these words.
/ Now the scene changes to Iowa. Ellis
worth and his wife came west and
thought an Iowa farm. Ellsworth wrote
back to Robinson of the great opportu-
mites to make money and he came to
Iowa and also bought land in the same
township. Soon after his arrival he
married an Iowa girl and all settled
down to the humdrum existence Gin
those days) of western farm life. And
| fortune then picked cut her favorites.
Bad crops, probably some bad manage
ment, and i'll health made Ellsworth sell
out his farm and move to town, where
j bad became worse and after dozen
wears or so Ellsworth settled down to a
common day laborer, and Mary fortu-
Inately there were no children) took up
/ her old occupation of a school teacher.
| AS for Robinson, "a new railroad went
thru his farm" what the railroad paid
/ him gave him a working capital to go
Into the stock business; he bought
more land; it advanced in value; he
/ sold and bought again, and on the day
Mary again took up school teaching he
was the school director that hired her;
i had also moved to town; was president
of the state bank of the town, and was
reported to be worth 100000.
/ Now the writer happens to know,
never mind how, that Robinson had
never gotten over his first love-" He
was a good husband, a good father, at
least so Mrs. Robinson and the two
children claimed, and they ought to
know. But all these years Mary knew,
land Robinson knew, the memory of
those Sunday nights going to meetin'
together was not entirely obliterated.
Mrs. Robinson to this day has never
heard a word of It. And all during
these years Robinson never uttered a
word to Mary that Ellsworth would
lhave objected to, but still, somehow,
eyes talk, even on western prairie.
And now Ellsworth's health made it al
most an impossibility to get an insur-
lance policy of $4,000 in favor of his
wife. But he succeeded only to find
himself unable to keep UP the pay
ments. Mary's pay as school teacher
hardly kept them In food and shelter,
so they borrowed money of Robinson
/ and transferred the policy to him as