Show written for this paper AN OLD FASH FASHIONED LOVE STORY children like stories and grown people too so I 1 have observed and especially at christmas bri simas tarn time e and indeed they expect this sort 0 of f amusement along with many other things music music songs games etc and to help entertain the readers of our home paper I 1 am going to tell a story of christmas happenings a I 1 long time ago aeo it would be little use telling about a modern christmas the children are familar with its details and grown up people know on only ly too well what christmas means at the close of the nineteenth century yet ma many ly people are made happier by the observance of the christmas giving and receiving however as happiness does not exist in in fine clothes or slee ant t presents not nor yet a grand house or even in luxuries of of any sort christmas in the olden time brought as much goodwill good food will and nd pleasure as our christmas f day As a matter of fact the young oung people nowadays know vei y I 1 little e of the customs arid and ethics of the past generations and sometimes it is well to remind them that though there was less ostentation and show there was real enjoyment in iii festivities and plainer cook t the be s simpler inar nf g the days of their grandparents grand parents ing bit S the kestory Se story I 1 shall tell you will not deal much enuch in christ christmas m as sweetmeats sweet meats nor ev even en he neat meat and ganie game dishes with which the dinner table is often graced on these but more with the sentiment of accle occasions symeone days ganeb by and with people plain lio every day folks alks who lived in in a very sundle ae way with humble surrounding riding in P boned tove it will be an old bashi fashioned love tory story att ctt ea must drive to town an and d get the X ait tonight dick harness old B betty etty and bring brine the chaise around to the fr front ont gate will said a country gen gentleman ti eman to you his barf hired d rn man n one cold afternoon in winter and turning to his wife explained 1 I hall be back in good time for tea dont be worried its ir moonlight loon light and the mare is is safe and as tomorrow arow is christmas the post off icell be shut I 1 iteming airs iS fleming eming followed her husband down the war walk to the gate chatting as she fihe went telling him to keep wrapped dup up wells well for the snow w was as falling fast now five ave miles to drive in a snow st storm orm john is isa a long inar way you better send diac rno noid id like the ride do me good od to stir about and youre busy with P christmas hris things is there anything I 1 can brine you from the store no unless ba aft ea n get some wax candles ive only both e made tallow ones and id like to light the parlor up if the folks do come dibi we expect and it is a long time since we used the tall brass candlesticks candle sticks th re bright and shining now and it would be a sort of a welcome even if we 40 te have havea a roaring fire of pine knots its aft rf laid ready but im shivering h here ere standing here while hile youre getting off bring brine good news john therell be letters arz from le the children anyway and from the folks up country or if coming maybe they wont write and they kissed goodbye good bye as though they were young oung lovers ova as even old folks will when eyre so much alone mr fleming drove off while kis his wife shaking the light snow from the shawl she had thrown over her head went inside saying to herself its always good luck to have snow fall on christmas grandpa grand pa used to say and ive noticed it often busy with preparations for the evening meal and humming um an old lullaby song to heri herself elf as she went in and out giving directions to the housemaid and putting some flowers from the house plants into a vase or two lor for the table the time flew fa fast stand and looking up at the clock striking the hour such an old familiar friend it had stood in that same room more than fifty years she saw that it was past the time john should be at home and lifting the heavy curtains noticed how the snow was blowing and ana she called to dick to see it the chaise was coming up the road for the good good wife was getting very nervous but before dick was halt half way out of the yard his master came driving through the lane to the back door and was in the kitchen shaking his great coat and calling to his wife to come and take the letters womanlike woman like she looked them over until she saw the foreign postmark and trembling with excitement she hurried back to the supper room rom and sat down and cried before opening the letter lest it should be bad news from her boy john coming in after getting oft his wet boots was astonished to see her tears and in his usual cheerful way tried to convince her it must be good news and she broke the seal a tiny wafer and her eyes swimming in tears read a few lines then looking up to her husband intently watching her said 1 I knew it t was bad news I 1 felt it you read john and tell me I 1 cant taking the letter and lookin looking 91 1 why theres nothing the matter hettie oni only only the boys married over th there ere anT and wants us to congratulate him of my boy my pride my own darling married and never asked us never told us and we all the time expecting him home soon new years maybe and rachel what will we do about her ashes always loved him ever since they were children and we expected marry some day and settle down here on the farm same as we have you know that john but john was reading the letter though he heard all his wife had to say and knew it was what they had calculated on well the suppers getting gettin spoilt spat please maam said sally shall I 1 serve isnow it now seated at the table mrs fleming pouring un the tea with a tremulous hanao hand her husband trying to cheer her remarked we must let our children choose for themselves we did you know and harry never really proposed to rachel did he there was no engagement was there between them IN no 0 but it t was an understood thing and im afraid shell break her heart about it she 11 be here tomorrow and how shall we tell her he is married the best thing we can do now is to eat our supper and may be after that you can finish reading in g the letter I 1 confess I 1 don t care much for or the kind of match he seems to have made but we must nt grieve over it hes married some rich woman over there chos fallen in love with him 4 not a title I 1 hope I 1 hate titles and all al that flummery said mrs fleming with a toss of her head 0 01 1 dont know about that you seem pretty proud of being called the squires wife ive noticed and what of your grandfather old major those ate are not the titles I 1 mean you know well enough american 1 I dont know I 1 guess they originated in the old country poor foor mrs fleming was so cut up as she expressed it that the supper she had taken so much pains to prepare was scarcely tasted by her though the philosophical squire ate hearty enough after his long ride and kept tellin telling his wife all the while this and that the letter letter contained trying to console her that the wedding was a very grand affair they had been married in church and the bride wore an elegant silk dress with real lace and such a long train two or three servants to carry it and her flowers and fan and when they came out of the church a shower of rice was thrown after them and it was all just like a fairy tale and the name hettie what do you think it is her name why mrs harry fleming now ashes married but she has a name of her own of course your name is mrs john fleming flemin but your own name is hettie and was hettie warner once upon a time when I 1 first knew you my name was as yon say mehitable lameris Wa War meris neris hers hem any worse than that no I 1 not worse but were used to mahitable though youre never called by it but my maternal grandmother was and grandpa never called her hettie and in tact said I 1 was undignified U n dif he believed in long names he hezekiah k i h ether spoon think of that for a name yes I 1 confess it was dignified but you dont seem to care about the name of harrys wife however you can read it yourself now youve done crying do try and take a little supper no kno knowing finx be here yet to night and youve never opened the letters atom utica or newburgh harrys cifes rime name the squire re repeated slowly is is honore marie octavia de lorme 01 weh that beats all I 1 cant think how she could condescend to unite her money and add her grand brand name to ou one ii like harry fleming if he does paint pictures the conversation was interrupted the great iron knocker on the front door banged and dicks voice was heard calli in ing 10 to the horses for he had heard the wheels crunching in the snow and soly opened the door and the broad front entry was full of people who looked like lifee snow men and women but sally carried carded their wraps off into the kitchen and soon shaking hands and hearty welcoming was going on in in good earnest and the guests were brought into the die warm living room and mrs fleming forgot her trouble ule and nd her letters in fixing supper for her visitors while the squire lighted the pine knots on the parlor fire and then he remembered the candles and brought them out of the capacious pocket of his great coat and when mrs fleming came in later the room ablaze with light and the reflection on the walls hung with pictures of harrys amateur paintings remind edher decther of the unread letter and her recent tears supper over the guests were ushered into the best room as squire fa fleming A insisted upon calling it though really it t was I 1 very much ot of a parlor for a country coultry house after seeing the company comfortably seat seated ed in the arm chairs and rockers mrs fleming ml ing excused herself and went to see to the s sleeping I 1 ee ing apa apartments rt ments ad while showing sally ay how to fix extra bedding and so on she bet bethought bought herself of the letters and went down stairs to the desk which stood in the comer of the long living room where they always sat together except on high days and holidays and took all their meals there lay the letters on the open desk two unopened one from the girls away at school eunice um ice and abigail always called abbie and one from collins the younger son at the university they were all right neither of them coming home for christmas and the letters were loving epistles and she gathered courage by reading them to finish harrys letter 1 I mind it so much after all she said to herself by way of comfort I 1 if it for rachel and then she broke down a again tin looking up she caught sight of he herself rsvp ia in the glass and soliloquized dear me how old I 1 am growing my hair is getting gray and my eyes are dull and sunken and 0 my the wrinkles I 1 must try to brighten up a bit how long ive been here and all those visitors and only john to entertain them what will they think just then the clock struck midnight and she could hear the merry voices calling out the christmas greetings and john came calling hettie bettia where are you and before she could answer he kissed her on both cheeks and brought her into the best room and then there was more cheering and at last they quieted down ind and sang and talked of old times when they were all young for an hour or more and then sally and dick were called in and the prayers were said in the old orthodox way standing behind the chairs and the company were shown to the cosy bedrooms up stairs and entered to prim beds with downy pillows and homemade flannel sheets hettie and john fleming sat by b the firelight with the shadows flitting about them and resting oh the pictures on the walls and talked of harrys marriage and of the children away from home and the years they had passed at the old homestead and the many changes and the squire turning to his wife as though to conclude said weve been so happy here and no great sorrow has come to darken our lives aves atwould be wrong to indulge in ill feeling about harrys marriage cheer up and make the best of it we must make an efort to have our visitors enjoy themselves come so tar lar through the cold to see us and brother ben and his wife anse have never been here for years nor cousin joseph either and the girls and boys will be delighted to see the farm and have a look around if the storm subsides sides by tomorrow used to the eity chy and all be new to them fine young folks the they seem yes wes john I 1 mow know we have much to be ae grateful for andyes I 1 cant help feeling hurt hui we thought it would be so different and for our eldest son to disappoint us so it is not a good example for the others and it has been too sudden I 1 fear mar marry ry in haste and repent at leisure I 1 is the old ada adage ae but its true generally we expect too much in this world life is full ol of changes and the fact says adys truly im afraid in your case for disappointments not the thing pride and passion point the sting and seemingly hettie im inclined to believe it is not so much harrys marriage that is a but your pride has been wounded and you wanted him to marry rachel van dyke I 1 indeed youre not very complimentary to course pm im proud of harry and his hia pictures too and I 1 had set my heart on rachel for a daughter in law and theres not a likelier girl anywhere and she has good blood in her veins if it is dutch and ashes as much an american as ag any of us though her great grandfather came over from holland and settled here in york state he was one of the original landholders land holders but I 1 am hurt I 1 own to it and it bothers me about rachel and telling all our friends sure to ask alter after harry and they 11 ll see how we feel even if we dont tell them I 1 I 1 let them think what they please I 1 shant explain matters harry had a right to marry hes of age long ago and if we dont make a fuss no one else will im sure said the squire you know everyone every one around here just about worshipped wor shipped him and I 1 dont fancy young men going off and marrying women it orthodox you know that what kind of religion cheis been brought up in we dont know nor what sort of morals either perhaps shell lead harry astray from truth and light dont don it worry so hettie the lords lord Is care will be over him there as well as here let us leave him in the good lords care who rules and overrules over rules all things for good to those who trust in him mrs fleming tried to be brave but only mothers know the yearnings of the mother heart for the absent ones and with sorrow unfeigned she tried to sleep away her grief and dream of brighter things and while family and guests are buried in dreamy sleep oblivious of surroundings we will ramble round the premises it is is an old square two story house with large rooms below and chambers equally spacious plenty of windows and and the regulation green shutters the front piazza iazza was quite imposing with tall buted fluted columns and the entire appearance denoted stateliness the front yard was some distance from the road and the long walk was bordered on either side with tall lilacs and great horse chestnut trees in the comers old shady elms on t the he roadside road side the lane on the south side ran out to the barn and thence to the orchard the trees now were covered with frost and snow and in the moon light the whole place was like fairy land A beautiful picture in itself some parts of the house were not used much in winter for th those yere se were not the days of stoves and furnaces and the best room was only for company of the best sort from a distance and not for ordinary visitors not even the minister and the guest chamber chamber over the parlor was even more exclusive and colder but on special occasions like the present the great brass warming fan was taken down from its nail in the wall and filled with live |