CMPLD Local History Collection

Highland Park News (1874), 24 Dec 1897, p. 8

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1 did not plan it thus at all. In-{ deed I had at my mother‘ s earnestw request promised to spend that win i ter’ 8 holidays at home. the first time: since I began to fit for college. The matter of a family reunion had tak en possession of her whole soul and so insistent was she that I had prom ‘ ised nothing should prevent it. There would be gatherings of all the cousins and the clans who traced their lineage to Jedediah, I that staunch loyalist who gave up a pleas» ant home on the banks of the Con- necticut. for a pioneer's life in the frontier wilds of Canada, rather than yield his allegiance to King ' George and the house of Hanover. Every- thing promised to make the. l859 holidays memorable in my life, and a share in them had been my wak. ing and sleeping dream alike all the the long term of school to that en:- ning when Aunt Mary «the owner of the family boarding house where a half a score of fellow students found so pleasant a homeâ€"«:ame in to un study, just off the dining room. for a brief conference She did that occasionally, as I was a sort of a son to her, doing the fam- ily errands at the groceries. post office, etc. \ Aunt Mary was a typical New: England woman overtaken by an ancial reverses. She was of good family. a native of Riverside. strong- nrinded. a close and constant student, especially of theological subjects. and so she kept theological student boarders. The school had been moved half a dozen years before from New Hampshire to Riverside and was in the very height of'of its short- lived prosperity. for the am of this month its spacious bhildings were burned to the ground and the last vestige of the school passed away: Her own children were small and/she had adopted or given a home to theorphan daughter of her o,wn sister, a girl of some 15 years; Catherine was in every respect superior and gave promise of a rare wornhnhood. She had a marked per- sonal presence, tall. well-formed, erect, graceful as a swan, fair skin, with bright rosy cheeks. fine Grecian features, bright. luminous lustrous eyes. a high..intellectual forehemh modest and retiring even to a fault. She was also high-spirited, ambi- tious and proud,of course; she éould not be otherwise. Everyone knew she was an orphan, but they admired and Vpitied her, she was so bright withal, so cheerful where most girls of her age and circumstances would have been depressed and sad. Come what would she was determined to have an education and so helped about the household duties of her sun’s home out of school hours. It goes without the saying-that Catherine was a general social fav- orite in the tdwn, the old home of hqr mother'sffamily, as well as‘ in the school of 150 students. When Aunt Mary entered my study that evening I was very busy in my Tacitus or spherical geometry, but I saw at once that she had“some- thing on her mind” and so I gave heed. “I came in, Mr. Styles, to see if you can help me devise some plan for getting Catherine an evening dress; she has nothing and you know how many times she will need one this winter Her cousin Jennie- whose home was in the next block is having an elegant one made and: Catherine feels so ‘badly that she has none, and you know that I can't af ford to get her one." After- half an hour's visit I' told her I would think it over and report. A few days later she informed me there was tube a big party at Col- onel Jones Hie Jones were the family of Rixerside an‘d Catherine had a special ilQ‘liuli on indeed Miss MY CHRISTMAS 0F i859. ’Y PABSON STYL’ES. LL. D Jones had seen her personally and told her she'must be there without fail, never dreaming' of poor Cath- erine’s needs. - Every- time I saw that girl I thought of the dram and how if could be secured.. One_morn- ing as I awoke ‘an idea chine to me; it did not origiliale with me; it came into my mind from withoutfeuch tvl‘iings, however small, don“ origin- ate with 'selfish’ mortalsâ€"and so I said to Aunt Mary, who had told me the 'village dressmakere whom she had consulted, generotwly of their own accord, offered to make the dress free of cost if only the material could be secured, ‘Sfiindout what the materials and everything for that dress will oust.” Soon after I had gone to my work that same evening she called at my stduy to repoi-t. “Well, how is it, Aunt Mary?" was m‘y laconic interrogative, and she told me the amount of the bill in a pennymbut a few dollars more than} .knew that holiday trip would oost,hnd that few dollars l kllew I could make up in sawing wood 0‘: (fillet-Wise. g “Aunt Mary,‘ said I “my holiday vacatiom which you know I lhave planned. will cost so much. lwill give up that holiday trip and put enough more with it to pur’cbase that dress material." The good merchant had ofiered a liberal dig count when Aunt Mary told hifithe scheme. The next da‘v the [natal-in} and one of Catherine's dresses were in thedreasmakers’ hands, two as no- ble, self-sacrificing sisters as ever plied the needle. It had cost me a hard, almost bit- ter‘stmggle to give up that holiaay trip, and I felt the panga of that bit tel-megs every day, although fully cénscions of having done Qply what was right. ‘ I sat down at once and wrote my mother a full statement of the case, ending my letter with the remark: “Mother. I put ‘Sis’ (the pet name of my sister) in fiatherine’ 3 place, and I could do no less.” Promising to go home the_ next winter, and teach the old school. only 15 to 20 rods from the house, which [I did. , I ‘knew ollly too well how keenly mother Would feel the disappoint meat; she would moisten that letter once and again with her tears. as she read and rearead it, And when Chfistmns came and the dinner; I could see all the family {it table, only myself exgiapted. at: stile table my plape at my father's right vacant. and I knew only too well my mother’s feelings at that time. ' ‘ Aunt Mary promised us as good a Christmas dinner as she could prepare. and said! should haVe my board free during the holiday vaca~ tion, but there was a constant pain at my heart. albeit I knew I was do ing right, as Piiul felt the rankling of the thorfl in ibis flesh, though the promised strength divine was given him. The dress was’ finished in due time, brought home and hung in my press, where Catherine never went.) so she would not discover it. Her! cousin Jennie came over the night before the party, as she often did, and spent the night with Catherine After they were sound asleep Aunt Mary took the dress with a card, “For Carrie from a friend” attached, and placed it where she found it next morning. When she came to the dining room that morning it needed no ~diviner's art. to tell that' her cup of joy was hill; it beamed from her face, and eyes and every movement. She could not keep the joy to herself], though neither she nor' anyone elm? suspected the any more than they did the Popé in Rome. ' ‘ After breakfast I went down him: for an hour or two and on returning as I entered the door opening into the dining 1'00an Catherine stoéd on and than as quick as t me is she Would her tube > and sped to Aunt'Mary’s r :11. Her heart was so full‘and hipp ‘tbat she told me every day how‘gr teful 3119 was, and when dressed for the party. with Aunt Mary she cam‘é to my it‘ndy that I might-first seehwr prop- erly gOWned for the dgcasiéu. Yes, I was abundafitly Ecompens- ated; but for all that the rain and the sting was at my heart ror maqy a day, and' I pitied my deli: mother But that lesson. one evedy person, young or old, needs to letirn, name- ly that the value of real giving lies not in the intrinsic worth of the gift, but in the sacrifice 01} ouir part to bestow it. I learned as I had never learned it before, though I did not perceive it at the time. One word more and my; sketch is doue. Catherine had mariy admit-- era as she grew to womanihood, and she wisely accepted the atthutions of a worthy, noble young mien, bright and stubdious, who had hisi'own way to make in the world, theIg a student at Riverside. After com leting his classical studies and raduatipg from the Albany Law sehdol he set- tled in a growing city, in this west- ern world. In due time heiand Cath erine were married and have bub of the finest homes in that city, while he has had all these years: n lucra tive practice, honors not aé few, hav ing been on the bench for his circuit of counties for over a doten years. A more 'charming family life. a hap :pier home than this I knotv not east 1 or west. ’ ' f HIGHWOOD HAPPE 05. Troop C first c:valry,:will give a ball on New Years eve mg the Dost mess hall 3 , Chas. Preston and wifeLleft early in the week for Plattvill Wis. to spend Christmas with th father of Mr. Prestbu. The Mia’ses Sheitoh 16? Tuesday for Atlant‘a. Georgia, whqre they will spend six weeks. returning the first of February Mrs. H. L. Harvey it; going to Jacksonville, Fla.,,‘ to apepd Q10 win- ter, She will refilrn in Phat“ three months. In the meantinje Mr. Har- vey ‘will keep bachelor's ball. Mr. Hicks, who was mfintioned by mistake in the Cooper mémorial item of last week asthe broth r-iwlaw of- the deceased from Lake Geneva. is a member of the local 10 go of K.P. from the army at the qut W'eare m receipt of 21 very elab orate program for the Christmas celebratRm of the Lake Forest Sun I day school next Sunday afternoon ‘ at 4: 30 o “clock There will be recit i atione by several of the classes, an 3 address by Dr. McClurie and plenty 4 of good singing. V Christmas exercises will be held at the M. E. church, Fridny evening, by the members’ of the Sdndav school Plans have been made er a chimney corner, from which Chl'istmas pre- sents will be dispensed bylSanta Claus. Still a few choice Christmas; preeâ€" ants left at Schumachei’a, such as fine phrfumea, fancy stationery, etc. i The Misses Barnum King, the W mum, went to Goldwater, *fiich" Thursday, where they will Spend the Christmas vacation with friends. . . , We can't tell the libifiry folks all books they should phrchase. But them is one just outlhy Bishop Spauldiug of Peoria o timely po- litical and educational fi'airs which we ought to read, what er we agree with all he writes or 0t. He is a man of ability who stu ies the prob- lems of the day and mi want to know what he think} (if tliéfm. Let us have. the book. i ' WAIFS. Nuts, Candies, 0ranges and Fruits ‘ .é . ’ ..... of all kinds for the Holidays HOLIDAY GOODS' 1897. Groceriesbry and Fancy floods, Boots, Shoes. MRS. A. BOCK, DUFFY BROS’ Express, Baggage and mm Parcel Delivery. i V , (’3 Ni jOFFICE: CENTRAL AVENUE AND FIRST S‘T‘REET. ' TELEPHONE 56 Furniture and Pianos Moved, “Packed and Shipped. Hard and Soft Coal, Kindling, Wood, : Lumberi JOHN MIDDLETON. Trunks, 259; Parcels, 10c. ' Toorfrom any part of the city. Sewer Pipe. Lime and Cement. Building Matefial of All Kinds. Until you have seen the line Mrs. A. Bock s for you to select from. ~She carriea full 'line Of Holiday Goods for pr uts, etc, of every dewription. Alsg a most compieué stock of Her goods are freshâ€"none ’shop wornâ€"and prices are reasonable. An inspection is solicited sure ,and not buy your J. H. DUFFY, Manager. , mun“ m, m Tubman: no, .12 TELEPHONE 24 . DEALER IN CENTRAL AVENUE. We have made some li!‘ gation of this Emmi E college matter, (1f which 1 week or two sin‘w. We Dixon has ofl'ered flw boa: agate a campus and bi equipped and in “tuning with perhaps some money addition. ‘ Freepon us 1 the plan of providing a ten acres. and a mmwy g2 of 830$“) to erect an suitable building. “In would insist on an‘ equal money and land hr're. cannot say,,lmt my} “'61; z-sity need a camp)!- and ‘ sum‘of monv)‘ m pm d] running OTdEK and m- pect them ‘0 mme here smaller financial bayis tl get elsewhere. for while an ideal place, a college ist I‘holly on ideals. mice the qucsx'nm f( u this city is this: I)O‘ c51lege enouglxxtg) raise $31101 K) in (n inatiou won't cumc here when: else emptyrhzuule They will “Us“ and hm as a permulwm «union the int-0931* of which. it tuifiion fees. ghau be u pr'ofessore' saiaries. am redt expenses As to bf students, We can 01 berm we split fn the < 4 fun year: ago, Na: $25,009 to securé thus: there, and then) were I 400 students at the tim as'gudems yrem {here VOL 111. thallliuoiy eunfereuce. it could safely, rgly on 2th studenlh fr‘dm abr 1 or 1W0 froxnthefl). dial and steady im-rrasu ‘ mean. of cnurw a large populanun m mlr (' AV men and Women and t ameducaxiun. alw u- ry .ieé whxrwuuld come } sake of mint-axing: their fog the sakv 2115(3) uf I'm lege {own Thaw are varnished fact,“ aa tn t its natural wslgit(1;x| afiyme know» Whn ix 1 Maw: - (Tile due :pfifi‘dmfi this?!» we. Iain ix ex up the requisite bum course a commiltw 01 be asTuL-ia‘ml thh (In tiger» in spending 1 we tlét it wax used purpose fur whik‘h Dixon and anpu aboufif‘fib. l, 13%”. will do, and we may both very ansipua {c The rink i551? Tull Mrs. \ an S<b8ick n' n nite In Carwith s an ‘ pm Zlk 30" {em in with some 25 inn-am has a he” und combo putting ,on and of! s! ting warm or testfug a permanent plwudl hand to s»: that eve: clans order. «The :01 stand are. fur a back a (3111in of §wu it for a larger family I THAT oouepe ~ sunâ€"«mag it br‘ long {at it has. ["6“Pd 3 The ”marr- arr K (ash {or A SKATING h

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