Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1902-12-23

a Christmas approached they re-
ceived letters from their mothers, and
were told they might arrange vacation
week as they liked-they could go to
Warrenyille and stay with Uncle and
Aunt Dallas, or they could go to Mil
ton and put in the time with Uncle and
Aunt Winston. Nellie was silent and
thoughtful over the probi.m. Lucy was
all excitement and impetoosity.
''That's easy" she proclaimed. "We'll
go to Warrenville, of course"
Nellie said nothing, and the voluble
little miss ratified on.
'Shut up with prosy old Uncle Win
ston a whole week, and hum-drum Aunt
Jane, and sick and ailing Eliza! Why,
Nellie, Martin Dallas wrote me they had
a new automobile, and were getting Just
SWELL! Warrenville is so lively, and they
have big house, and servants. Wen
go straight to our room and write them
we're coming"
Il want to think bit about it frst, -
demurred Nellie.
"As if there was choice! Oh, surely,
Nellie, you are not thinking of spelling
nice holiday by going to those old-fash-
ioned, humdrum Winstons? Why, they
live like hermits. And they're poor-they
must be, to make no show, and you'll get
no presents-they aren't that kind"
''I'm not exactly thinking of presents -
announced Nellie.
whats Christmas for? What are
you thinking of, then?'
'Why, I'll tell you, Lucy; mother has
often told me how good Aunt Amanda
was to her when she was sick once, and
if we both chose Uncle Dallas, they might
feel hurt. Besides, poor Eliza is a help
less invalid-so lonely, so little of glad
ness, or change in her life. I've quite
made up my mind"
"You will go to Milton?"
''Yes, Lucy"
'You-big gump"' cried her cousin.
and hounced out of the room in high
dudgeon.
Milton and Warrenville were only ten
miles apart. Two days before Christ
mas Nellie and Lucy boarded the cars.
The snowy Dallas rig awaited Lucy,
and Nellie experienced slight pang as
she glanced down the bright business
street and thought of the fine Dallas
mansion. She could not help but COM
pare the dull little hamlet of Milton
and the humble Winston homestead. She
found but little change in the Winstons.
A rough bob met her at the depot and
blunt old Hiram Winston looked as home
ly as ever, but he tucked in real warmth
about her with the immense buffalo
robes. When she got to the house Aunt
Amanda greeted her with her usual prim
ness, and her invalid sister, Eliza. only
looked paler and thinner than ever.
There was no mistaking 1.-THE place
was dreary, and the set ways of its in
obi -
Nellie cried a little as she pictured Lucv
in the gay gas-lit parlor of the sump.u-
GUS Dallas home. Then she brayeIy re-
solved to see if she could not brighten
her surroundings, instead of inflictiny ad-
ditional moodiness. With earliest day-
light she was down in the kitchen heIp;ng
Aunt Amanda. She arranged a dainty
tiay for poor, invalid Eliza. She made
them all smile, telling humorous stories
about school; she fed the chickens and
hustled about, jolly, useful, happy, and
had the satisfaction of hearing her aunt
tell Eliza, that child is a regular sun
BEAM"
She read to Eliza, she sang for them
that evening and, as her uncle expressed
it. made the old cottage organ Just
hum" In fact, it was a successful day,
and the next one was just like it, and
Nellie could see that every hour she was
winning more and more love.
There were not many preparations for
Christmas. Eliza was working on
curious frame of stamped leather, and
Aunt Amanda was making silk affair,
which she said mysteriously might be
pincushion. Uncle Hiram went down
town Christmas eve, but to Nellie's disap-
pointment brought back no Christmas
tree, no inviting parcels, nothing of the
suggestiveness of Yule-tide.
Nellie's heart rose, however, az she
kissed them all good night.