Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-12-13
.MANY HAPPY REruRNs.v
The Formal Dinner Party Was 1,
Honor of n. Birthday.

Honor of n. Birthday.
Judge Edgell hurried into his house
as usual at half-past six, threw off Ills
coat, washed his hands and fastened
into the dining room. AT the threshold
he recoiled in surprise. A blaze of
light dazzled him. The best silver
and glass We're laid out. Candles
burned at the four corners of the tn.
Bile. Cut flowers filled the room with
fragrance that extinguished the
usual smell of cooked food.
AT the table his wife bloomed like
young girl. Her best gown of white
wolfe trimmed with lace-her mothers
wedding lace-showed her fine throat
and arms. His little daughter sat with
the self-conscious smile of party cor
rectness, wearing blue ribbons on her
"pigtails," and his son beamed be-
hind great deal of glistening shirt
front. His older daughter was. busy
swing a last touch to the sideboard.
She was the most serious of all in her
grave officiousness.
Goodness! Well! What! Who's
coming? Have l forgotten dinner
engagement? The Bryces aren't COM
ing till next week"
"The week after next" corrected his
daughter, soberly.
"Then who? What? My, what a
handsome spreadw
Daddy" observed the youth in the
white shirt, II thought judges never
got surprised Mt anything, and here
you are like n minister at a slipper
party"
MY son." said Mrs. Edgell, "you
are not quite old enough to make COM
ments Of that sort on your parents.
Charles" she said, turning to her hus-
band with cool but gentle smile, "you
need not dress; there is not time.
This is rather n special event, but 1
will not explain until dessert. Sit
down, dear, and enjoy it with u.s."
Judge Edgell's training as n lawyer
taught him not to ask futile questions
Of his wife. He sat down, ate one
good thing after another, admired his
wife, talked with his son about foot
ball and school, and came. completely
out Of the abstraction into which the
lingering memory of cases in court
sometimes plunged him during meals.
When angel cake and colored ice
creams came in. the handsome lady
across the table smiled and said:
Charles, Don Carlos"-lt was the
name she had used playfully in their
youthful courtship, and threw him
back twenty-five years-"Don Carlos,
this is birthday celebration"
"Oh, 1t isn't mine, mama," came
from the little girl. al had two last
winter"
NO, my dear, It is mama's."
Mama's" cried Judge Edgell.
Then, as his son would have said, he
"tumbled." Everybody, he certainly,
had forgotten the dear lady's birth
day. The self-contained If not vener.
able Justice left his seat, strobe round
to his wife and kissed her heartily.
The woman glowed. The elder daugh-
ter brushed away tear. Seeing the
tear, the small daughter began to cry.
MIR. Edgell looked distressed, and his
more manly son pooh-poohed Mt the
fuss. "That's a nice way to end a
good dinner!'
My boy" quoth the father, at is a
good way to end dinner which has
in it a little repentance, and it is a
good way to begin now for other din.
ners, about ore year. No, we won't
walt year. This one does not count.
Tomorrow night we'll have real
birthday celebration for mother, and
she shall not have to superintend 1t.
Well have caterer to do the Job.
1t is poor stick of a husband who
makes his wife get up her own birth
day celebration. Youths Companion.