Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1903-12-23
THE DAY OF THE PARTY.
A Pretty Story of Childhood's Faith.

The room was quite dark. There is
never much light at o'clock on De-
cember morning, ana the thick curtains
shut out any faint streaks of dawn that
might have been outside. But neither
light nor darkness mattered to one Of
the occupants of the room. He sat up in
bed; for one moment he rubbed his
fingers in his sleepy eyes to make sure
he was quite awake, and then ne proceed
ed to arouse the other person in the
room, who was still peacefully sleeping.
Mother. mother, wake up! It's my
birthday, and the Day OF my party"
"Philip" she said. at is not time to
get up yet. Go back to your own bed
like a good little boy and go to sleep
again The party is not till o'clock,
and there is plenty of time"
The party, which was partly for Phil
ip's birthday and partly for Christmas,
description, for Mrs Dalrymple was
the entertainment was to be-only tea
and a tiny Christmas tree-it is doubtful
if she would have consented to giving it
had not Martha joined her entreaties to
Philips and promised to help with all
the preparations. Martha thought there
was no woman in London to compare
with her mistress. and no child in the
entire universe worthy to be spoken of
in the same breath as Philip, for whom
indeed she had an alteration bordering on
idolatry.
Martha entirely managed the little
house in Stoketon road. She had lived
with her mistress as maid in the days
before her marriage when she had known
all the luxury that money can provide
She had accompanied her, when, in direct
opposition to the plans and wishes of her
worldly wise mother, she had left home
secretly to marry the poor artist whom
she loved, preferring poverty with him
to riches with the sutton favored by her
MOTHER rich man with nothing but his
wealth to recommend him. It was Mar
tina, too, who comforted the girl when
her mother refused to have anything
more to do with hr, sending back her
letters unopened and turning a deaf ear
to her entreaties for forgiveness.
Perhaps if Violet Mitchell had realized
how absolute was the poverty in which
her marriage would plunge her she might
have paused. But she never believed
that her mother would really carry out
the threat of considering her daughter
dead on the day she. changed herrname; J.
and, too, she had unlimited faith in her
husbands talents winning him a name
and fortune. But she was mistaken in
her expectations. Her mother carried out
her threat to the letter. Her husband
might perhaps have justified her faith
in him had not death INTERVIEWED He
caught fever and died two years after
their marriage. The widow with her
tiny baby and the faithful Martha left
the little italian town where they had
been living, and came to London A lit
tie house in a dreary suburban road was
taken, and here Violet Dalrymple eked
out her minute income by giving music
lessons. She had given up all hope of
her mothers forgiveness.
Philip lay contentedly by his mothers
side and counted on his fingers the de-
lightful things he had seen being pre-
pared
"Cakies; chocky; flags; crackers!" he
murmured delightfully."-. Then he stopped
suddenly, and puzzled look replaced the
smile on his face.
Mother" he said, "why can't / have
a granny to. come to my party?",
Mrs Dalrymple hesitated. How could
she tell this baby of the years of stub
born unforgiveness and hardness of heart
that had denied him a granny; how, ex-
plain to him the. reason for his granny,
though living, being as dead to him?
What a morning of delight Philip had
on that day of the party. He helped
Martha to set the table for tea in the
little dining room, for on this marvellous
day mother and Philsey must dine in the
kitchen. And in the drawing room was
the Christmas tree, wonderful even now
before. the candies were lighted. He
helped mother to stick the little labels
on each present. He filled the little mus
lin bags with sweets, taking frequent
toll while SO doing; he arranged the
crackers in fantastic designs of his own.
But occasionally in the midst of these
d Dc PREPARATIONS the thought came
to him "How nice it would be if could
have a granny at my party to see all
these beauties" Then the idea began to
slowly possess him that perhaps mother
had made a little mistake, or had for
gotten, and that Father Christmas did
sometimes bring grannies. That one had
not arrived on Christmas day, the proper
day, mattered little Since he had once
been too busy to bring Philsey himself
till the day after, might not the same
thing happen again7
Mother he said in hushed voice,
"Do you think Father Christmas meant
to bring me granny for Christmas, like