Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-11-24
CHAPTER VII.
StelIa's Story.

At Christmas play and make good
cheer,
For Christmas comes but once year.
Christmas day. What host of
memories, what varied emotions
these words call up.
This day of all others is kept in ali
the four quarters of the globe. Chris
tendon, though SO fearfully divided,
is one that day, and unites in the
incense rising from myriads of plum
buildings and the millions of happy.
careless hearts. Lord Mayors day
long cherished though thou are-thoG
mayst fade if thou wilt; May Day,
thou art already on thy last legs; even
once potent Guy Fawkes' Day may be
forgot; but as for thee, monarch of
great days, oh, king, life forever!
All the guests were assembled at
the Vale. There were the Cummings
the poor relations, the tottering old
gentleman whom Mrs. Newton most
disliked and snu0bed.
The Vale was hospitable to its con-
nections, and they were here gathered
around the Christmas fire in the draw
ing-room, waiting for the Christmas
dinner.
Outside, On the drive, were many
confused footmarks, impressions of
the feet of humble and enthusiastic
retainers, who had come up early in
the morning to sing Christmas carol.
They did it in kind-hearted Daniel
Newton's time, they did it now in his
widows; but not for any love of her
oh, no, their grateful voices were all
for beautiful Miss Stella, and then
eyes, one and all were directed to her
window.
Bless her kind heart. The poor
knew her in their distress and help
lessness, and the children by the way
side loved her smile and sprang with
in its magic circle.
Stella was there, standing amid her
distant cousins and shining like star
amid the worshiping little group.
Stella was always the beauty of the
family. Her gentle nature and kind,
sensitive heart had made her, what is
far better, the goddess, the best loved.
"How cold it is!' croaked the old
gentleman from the corner; 81 think
Christmas gets colder every year. 1t
usen't to be so very biting as it is
today, I'm sure"
Cousin Stella laid her little white
hand sympathetically upon his shout
der, and the old man looked up with
grateful smile.
Colder? Nonsense!" replied Mrs.
Newton, shrewishly, and before any
one else could make answer you
forget your blood has grown thinner
and your limbs older since you were
boy
Perhaps so, Martha" sighed the
old man.
Besides. the idea of your being
cold with such fire as this. It's rfdic-
ulous."
An uncomfortable silence fell upon
the little group, which Stella broke by
poking the magnificent fire violently
well, mamma, it is rot such very
fine one after ALL she said, with a
gentle laugh. 1--WE will have a Christ
mas log, shall we, cousin?" and as
the old man looked up and chuckled
in gratitude for her attempts at di-
version, she rang the bell for the log,
and with her own fair hands and eyes
superintendent it's elevation to the top
of the burning Goals.
Then rose the splinters and sparks.
Mrs. Newton stalked off to spend half
an hour in icily badgering the foot.
men and butler, and the cousins fell
to talking and laughing as if a ghost
or damp blanket had stalked off or
been removed from their shoulders.
All but Stella. She sat beside the
old man, her hand in his, and gazed at
the fire.
To be continued.