The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1904-12-31
s elect Story.
Ralph DafTOV'S New Year TFyst.

together before 4 fire, waiting to sing out
the old and sing in the new year. Ii was
only half past ten clock No one had
spoken for five minutes. The eldest Of
the group, furid man of seven or eight
and twenty, rose aud went to the piano,
First he played an argumentatiye iugue Of
Bach's then he swept the hearers away on
the measures of waltz Of Chopin 5, and
last he raised rich tenor voice and
sang song after song, ending with Beet
| hoven's Adelaide. The three by the
FIRE applauded rapturously
lie is in great voice tonight, said
the GIRL Though her features and color
were more delicate than the singer ;, the
resemblance between the two showed them
10 Ike brother and sister,
lie ought TO have been musician,
said the young man, = youth not long past
tweut4,
That shows. Basil how little you nm
/ lerstand Ralph Music i his recreation:
IL be has made mistake it is in giving up
his inventions Two Of his patents are in
use today on every railroad in the country.
| The speaker was tall keen faced man
Of about iiye and twenty In dress and
/ ia manner be was more conventional than
/ ans III the other
Ralph, CURE help mc keep the peace
Hers arc Basil and Philip on the verge OF
discussion. You ali promised there should
hc n slispuise- On the Ls~' ni-ht of r;li, dear
old year sail the girl
he said ,tuarrcl-, Mildred SON will
uos ai.iera - mild ,lehate2 Sea se have
siiE ~ haar oF the Old year lci1 What
\ ssbjecs i under discussiouy
As he spSke Ralph trft the piano ani
i0inesi the gronP by the fire
laa.
/ Well What alsoai nae
+ Whether soa made mistake ip bee
( eaussns IN arehitert instead 1T q. u,s,ieiau
- az layeutsf
+ 4fhey shink have 'us,ic > mistake,
Iu shese .iss.k al-,ut y,a. friends lhi,
I + .e..d rs-,,a
ls j shs lss,s r-,n T.. 'ks sosId
/ erisi Bssil. IT, Is the ooly Iisse va ibl,
se~-se,l gity where she ,rnsh Is -fe.keu 'r
aasierss.-.i.
1 Fs4 pare euanlort bake aeser s,n a
rs-san ahas eoald e,,asgass With IT, Philf
sdugiHsd
Hos happy ve have all been berc.
s;hed MillFfvi Ba,d aai Philip i-aks,I
asss Il hst sai then at esei, other.
Yea thisk tiis - ay frs zIr;up, b.
seaF lsli sen have been an avchitegt
siner she day lsnsli my arst hess~s of
tlssas, ia MS narsery. vas keeping my
sEeat news till midnight II W,ll keep nj
l5nseF My plans fhr ,hr new cafatol
have Jesn Rnsninssu,ly accepted by the
/ ssaspsfitissn asasmlttess. nos a yyznsFary vnte
There vas a sssanoni If astnnishe,i
silsac~ Iiv announcement yscas,l in.
rrsiil.le
A harsa pi enthusiasm tcllswrsl Ralph
I canglst his sister in hss arms. wtsile Phllif
and Hasl vslssej together rs.sls,i the gr,'ai
rs@ssss. Which rs-oauslssl wish thcsr iosau.
I cries asa lzashtrr The fr-i iaiaxieasie,
/ Il sars9i-e over, The group g,rtusd sgaia
isrfase 'he Roble Fireplace Uhesc the sal,
/ hss huras,l u,rFrily.
1 Il, : even aure than Is Iooks at hr.l
tlush. sai1 Ralph NV sketches In
els4sle plans ge- the new mint and lau
cs.arss The whole fa'ary of ,he city S IL
uy hanis The capitol Is tl.s keyno,e
ny sciesne fo5 the 4yeaae and balllingt
! whieh arIaosch is taast be carried o,lt. ei
the whals thing Wlll be- gatlarc. Oac 81
the esNlaisicy said 10 me cs.afsIestlsll,
that | sglghg L. sure &C beiav esuplayes
b The city for the next twcajy years, ii
i've
II you hve, cried Basil. II na,
die; philip nlay die eannot imagine ye,
sleAd. You are aore alive than anv,hias
ekse ii the world
Large phrase, Basil IT live, ~,
shall sseeoFa,e Lhe capiIs.l. whieh viii laskr
ypn famous. Philip shall pag VA his mes
ssssem a lighting and heating, which Nil
make his reputation have always ia
that / uas iH sorns strange way responsible
fsE yoa two The committee decision 1
the Foundation If three fortunes instead a
enc
Four Fortunes cuyrcciszl Mildred
/ Ny krtane Is yours until ~,ne oIhe
mas takes YOU tr'ni me. ssil Ralph
strokins her thin hand
If Philip asl Basil and ms fortune
are bound up ia yours. hie brother. Soc
must sake extra csrc Of yourself, nur
nlnred Mildred.
Yes. said Philip, laughing. vel
oagh. 10 insure year life for ear benefit, i
yen feel Ike dying
II never felt leSs hike dyirg in ay liza. '
said Ralph Like Basil. / cannot i'm
s..ine myself dead What is this thin.
that call NV SOUP Ralph coatiuue,
after hong pause II can hardly sr.sl
the idea a. pure spirit a soul has substanc.
q me, A. it had to those old preraphaelii,
chaps who painted il as little white bah
bic passing from the hps Of the dying
| Il has eelgr to me. said Mildred
Mise i white ike snowstorm; PhiliI
is sfay Ike mist Ralph is red Ike sha
fame.
. Anu iHllicS asked bdsii.
- canno, tel | ,io not see il, sai,
Mildred.
/ 1T | should die, ifihe little whit, bab
bic should pass nay lips before cur grea
coup Is made, | promise You al that vii
linger long enough about this dear ole
earth to give you each lift with yeui
WORK We four have been too much t,
each other 10 ferset one another, even il
another life. What are three or fou,
score years out IF eternity, after all? sal,
Ralph.
.What indeed? echoed Basil. ,.W,
often wonder why we ferget the dead 5,
| quickly Is it not because they forget US
If we become 50 ensrossed in life, which i
already an old story to us, that we giv,
less and less time Ito remembering them
why should We expect them, among all tn,
splendid surprises that await them, TO re
member us2'
Enough of this morbid talk, sale
Philip See! the clock Is on the strok,
Of midnight The song!"
i Fill your glassesl' cried Ralph
stNow, before the song, an oath, tha
twenty years from this day and hour W,
four will meet in this room aud tell eacl
Il n