The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1882-12-23
A Case Of Coincidence.
christmds sory)
BY RosE TERRY Cooke.
Ghistmds sorgl

She was queer old lady, was Grand
mother Grant; she was not bit like
other grandmothers she was short and
fat and rosy as winter apple, with
gseat deal of snow-white hair set up in
big puff on top of her head, and eyes as
black as huckleberries, always puckered
up with smiles or laughter
She never would wear cap.
81 can't be bothered with emp she
said: and when Amelia Rutledge, who
was determined her grandma should, as
she said, "Gook halfway decent" made
her two beautiful little mob caps, soft
and fluffy, and each with big satin bow,
one lavender and one white, put on to
show where the front was, Grandma
never put them on right; the bow was
over one ear or behind, or the cap itself
was awry, and in the end she pulled
them off and stuck them on a china jar
in the parlor, or tin canister on the
kitchen shelf, and left them there till
flies and dust ruined them.
"Amelia's as obstinate as pigW said
the old lady: "she would have me wear
em, and l wouldn't"
That was all, but it was enough; not a
grandchild ever made her another cap.
Moreover Granddaughter Grant always
dressed in one fashion; she had a calico
dress for morning and black silk for
the afternoon, made with an old-fashion-
ed surplice waist, with a thick plated
ruff about her throat she sometimes
tied large white apron on, but only
when she went into the kitchen; and
she wore pocket as bigas three of yours
Matilda, tied on underneath and reach
ed through a slit in her gown. There
in she kept her keys, her smelling bottle,
her pocket-book, her handkerchief and
her spectacles, bit of fiag-root and some
liquorice stick. mean when say this,
that all these things belonged in her
pocket, and she meant to Eeep them
there; bat it was one popularity of the
dear cid lady that she always lost her
necessary conveniences, and lost them
every day.
"Maria!" she would call out to her
daughter in the next room, "haye you
seen my spectacles?"
"No. mother; when did you have
them?"
Give minutes ago, darniaf Harry's
stockings but never mind, there's an
other pair in the basket"
In half an hour when Gerty came into
her room for something she needed,
Grandmother would say;
"Gerty, do look on the floor and see if
my specs lie anywhere around"
Gerty couldn't find them and then
Grandma would say:
"Probably they dropped out On the
grass under the window, YOU can see
when you go down; but give ne my
gold pair out of my upper drawer"
And when Mrs. Maria went to call
her mother down to dinner she would
find her hunting all about the room,
turning her cushions over, peerjng into
the wood basket, shaking out the silk
quilt, and say what is it you want,
mother"
my specs, dear. can't find one
pair"
"But there are three pair on your head
now I" and Grandma would sit down
and laugh till she shook all over, as if It
were the best joke in the world to push
your spectacles up over the short white
curls on your forehead. one pair after an
other, and forget all about them,
She nislaid her handkerchief still Of
tener Gerty would sometimes pick up
six of these useful articles in one day
where the old lady dropped them as she
went about the house; but the most
troublesome of all habits was a way she
had of putting her pocket-b0Ok in some
queer place every night, or if ever she
left home in the daytime and then ut
terly forgetting where she had secreted
it from the burglars or thieves she had
all her life expected.
The house she lived in was her own,
but Doctor White, who had married her
daughter Maria, rented it of her, and the
rent paid her board she had a thousand
dollars a year beside, half of which she
reserved her for dress and her charities,
keeping the other half for her Christmas
grifts to her children and grandchildren.
There were ten of these last and the ten
always needed something. Gerty White,
the Doctors daughter, was twelve years
old she had three brothers Tom, John
and Harry, all older than she was. Mrs.
Rutledge, who had been Annie Grant,
was a widow with three daughters
Sylvia, Amelia and Anne, the latter two
now out in society and always glad Of
new dresses, gloves, bonnets, ribbons,
lace, and the thousand small tineries
girls never have to their full satisfaction.
There were Thomas Grants two girls of
thirteen and fifteen, Rosamond and Kate,
and his little boy Hal, crippled in his
babyhood so that he must always go on
erutches, but as bright and happy as
Grandma herself, and her prime favor
tie.
Now j. was Grandms's way to draw
her money out of the bank two weeks
before Christmas, and go into Boston
with Mrs. White to buy all the things
she had previously thought over for
these ten ana tQelE pafSulsj anu ollS
winter she had made herself all ready
10 take the ten O'Clock train, and had
lust taken her poeket-book ont of the
draWor when she was called downstairs
to see a Door woman who had come
begging TOR some clothes for her hus-
band
Gone right up stairs, Mrs. Slack /"
said Grandma. II don't have many ap-
plications for mems things, so / guess
there's coat Of Mr.. Grants put away in
the camphor chest, and maybe vest or
So; you ST right down by the fire whilst
10 up to the garnet and look.
1t food Grandma some time to find
fbe clothes under all the shawls and