The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1866-03-22
Jennv's voune city friends soon filled


ribbons, and laces, crushing and crowd
ing among the handsome furniture No
one noticed grandma, however, sitting
alone in a corner How should they,
young and fresh and beautiful, and she
old and shrivelled and gray Is II
wholly obsolete now,-the tender veneer
alton, the humble obeisance, which used
to greet our elders as they entered or
left the room,-the rising up before the
hoary head? But amid all the frivoilty,
the friends whom Jenny most anxiously
expected did not arrive. She feared
her party would be a failure without these
guests to adorn the feast SO bountifully
prepared. Grandma, too, was uneasy;
il was almost her bed time, and she had
not seen the children of her old friend
no is that old woman wins
peeed a thoughtless visitor, as she spied
the forsaken grandmother III the corner.
oh that is our country relative,
fresh from the land of wooden nutmegs
and onions, laughed Jenny. She
was bound to stay up TO night and see
the company Old folks are SO childish
you know ("
Jenny turned as she said this, and her
eve fell on Waiter Montieth standing in
the crowd Just behind her. He had heard
the disrespectful answer, which she
would have given much to recall BY
his side was his sister, resplendent IN
dress and beauty, and all Jennys pow
ers of entertainment were in requlsltion
to please the strangers, introducing
them to the most distinguished of her
guests. After a short interval, the gal
liant young captain was amusing himself
with the gay, laughing girls, who flutter-
ed about like butterflies in garden, and
Jenny was sure her party would prove a
success after all the delay, when the
question from the attractive strangers
seemed asked simultaneously, "Where
is your grandmother
Jenny was stammering out some reply,
when her father, who was passing, pleas
ed that his mother was noticed, led his
visitors toward her chair
The poor lady had sat silent and alone
all the evening, far beyond her usual
bedtime, and evidently felt the neglect
but she looked up brightly to answer
the greetings of the young people; and
what was Jenny's establishment as the
young man raised that poor manned and
burned hand to his lips, pressing it with
his gloved hand What do / not owe
you, dear madam You saved me from
a dreadful death when a child !"
lyon have been i'll more danger
since" said the old lady, smiling
" Mamma is determined to have you
come to the Brevoort House and pass
the day with us. Now you must come
for we shall soon leave. "
II will answer for her" said Jenny
father, and his wife thought of the silk
dress which she ought to have provided
to make their parent appear respectfully
to their guests.
a little thoughtful attention, how hap
py it makes the old They have out
lived most of their friends of early youth.
How lonely their hours Often their
partners in life have long filed silen,
graves often their children they have
followed to the tomb. They stand soil
tary. bending on their staff, waiting till
the same call shall reach them. How
often they must think Of absent, lament
ed faces of the love which cherished
them, and the tears of sympathy that
fell with theirs, now all gone! Why
should not the young cling around and
comfort them, cheering their gloom with
songs and happy smiles
s'What was the story about her burn
ed hand ?" said the girls to Susie, as
tllcN NcIt SlilluiiiS tpSttHel llSiIHiiiS-
why, when Captain Montieth was 8
little boy, be was playing about the old
fashioned fireplace in Connecticut, and
his clothes caught fire No one was in
the room, and he would soon have been
burned to death, had not Jenny's grand
mother ran across the street and tore his
clothes from him. She saved him,-at
tho risk of her own life, however, and
IL f,fh
er say it was months before she held
anything in her poor hands again
= No wonder he feels grateful, said
Jenny to herself, as she saw the young
man tenderly lead the good old woman
down to supper. Il feel ashamed enough
of my neglect, when l see how THESE
highly bred people treat the aged. II
looks more refined and genteel.
All yes, Jenny, and more Christian,
too II religion could only, with its
loneliness and truth, impress such les
sons on your heart; but they will be
tieeting, if merely adopted as outside
manners.
Il cannot like that Miss Jenny" said
the captain confidentially to his sister,
when riding home that night. sShe is
pretty and winning but she is supercil
ious and disrespectful to her grandmoth-
er l noticed many things which dis
pleased me. l was prepared to love her
for the dear old lady's sake, but there
is no question about such a girl as that.
SO all the outlay and care and trouble
about that party came to nothing, after
all. An humble, gentle manner and
kind heart would have accomplished
more than all the gay show. Let us all
be respectful, tender, and loving to the
aged. Soon they will be gone, and when
youth fades, and we ourselves grow old
we shall be repaid in like manner.