Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-08-06
Coo CoC3CoSs<'oSS9SSoS
3 The Holly
5 8pf:ig Spoon
8 B, lEDWIN @. MARTIN.
6 o5pyrisht, 1909, by 3. Q. Martin.
& Observation-Disclosures
,lEDw1N O. MARTIN.

=A stood ON the upper bridge-a
1AY high, open bridge-you saw
the catnal stretching far up and down,
a level trench of snow, Its wilderness
emphasized here and there by patch
Of brown earth showing from some I'M
derw,fsh in the banks. Southward, at
the cdnter of the town, a file Of low
decked boats lay soldered to their
wharfb by snow covered Ice. In the
near Fields to the north the white
ridgesI piked with last years corn
stalks, Suggested to boys and dogs the
rich possibilities in rabbits. The like
possibilities, though in lesser degree,
were Suggested by the nearer common,
thickly) bestrewn as its white surface
was with black fianked logs, lying
there ehch under its long, narrow nap
kin of know until the iron toothed gor-
mand, kyhom one could hear wheeling
Mt his Efeast from over on the river
bank, sShould be ready to have them
served Ito him, and the rows Of foot
tracks, Juvenile and canine, running oil
about limited of efforts to realize OF
some s,tch possibilities here. A wider
winter common on the east, with the
clumps fof white houses, smoking chin
neys a1i,d black cowsheds on Its edge
and thel steel blue sky dropping dowr
beyond, Twas very picture Of the sea
son. oyler large millpond on the wes
glided the skaters, boys and girls, wht
had themselves with shovel and broom
by hardy hot labor in brief hours aftel
school CLEARED of snow the scant ways
they tralyersed. In one corner Of THU
millpondI on the morrow, If the NOR
row chafJced to be Sunday, in poo
relieved Of ice for the occasion an(
hedged .fbout by a throng of specta
tors, thek would baptize the latest con
yerts Of fhe winter reyivals.
Hithert and thither, about and al
through &the town, wound the deel
trodden footpaths, SO narrow tina
when twto people met one must need
step outl into the full depth of tn
snow, for3 no provision of ordinance o
custom Sxacted of householders an,
contribution in this sort to the publ
conyenieH &c, and, except in SINAI
patches ut gateways and before tn
doors anA stores, the snow was LEI
lying UNTIL sun and travel dissolved II
And sincet in Osceola the rubber Doc
was as yIet unknown and the rubbe
shoe was tdisdained Of men as wea
beneath their manhood one rarely fai
ed to find in the houses and the store
a man shifting with his feet fiattene
against tile hot stove, sizzling off tn
snow taps from his boot heels.
In milde{ seasons the prevailing forr
of social Entertainment was evenin
teas, but bow there was apt to be
round of RATHER stately dinner partie.
The ladies lcame in carefully treasure
black silk 9tgowns, of the richest an
stiffest material, with wide collars c
white lace land lace edged white law
undersleevGAs. The men wore coats {
black broad lcloth, no less carefully kel
and no lesSs excellent in quality, an
high, stin collars, swathed in blac
silk or satiisl neckerchiefs. The Dime
cooked NAL inly by the hostess ow
hand, was Sserved In two courses, b,
4 out OF Its abundance might easily hay
furnished FL nth twelve or fifte"-
daintiness VI 'hicb 90
THEY'RE ms