The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-01-17
THE ROANOKE TINES, SUNDAY, JANUARY 81, 1872.

was ont of all question her remaining
in that gloomy old house all alone.
| So one sad day, overpowercd by the
| sons and daughters, who meant to be
kind grandma went softly to and fro
OVER the old house, taking leave of it
| all, and the last of the farcwells was
| the visit paid to the two mounds under
| the oak, where John slept and the first
born little son. Then, with u feeling
that the world had come to an end,
grandma drove away to the fine big
residcncc-thcy don't call them homes
nowhere Henry and lIcnrys wife,
who, for all her kindness, rather over
powered grandma with her fine ways,
had given her Il stately room, and,
what was most dreadful, 4 maid. a
maid that called her MADAM" and for
''Ycs" said ''Oui!'
Yes, they meant to be kind to her
but the gray stone pile and the maid
gave the old lady the feeling that she
was in an asylum and had Il keeper,
and, in spite of all her grandeur, grand
mas wrinlllcd checks lost their soft
pink like that OF II half-withcrcd rose,
and she grew feeble and worn, though
every one was SO busy that it passed
unnoticed She was pining for the old
home, though She felt it would be I'M
grateful to say SO, and somehow to
pray in the magnificent church. where
she sat in Il velvct-cushioncd pew, did
not seem to give her help, for God was
not close to her, she thought, us He
used to be when she llnelt ut home. If
she could only go back and tell her
friends all about it just once, l1nceling
where John seemed to come and ioin
her! This feeling grew and grew,
though, as there was no one to tell it to,
she shut it up in her own lonely heart.
One morning the French maid came
running down to the family with great
excitement in her dark face, and in
broken English informed them that
MADAM had slept not in her couch,
nor could Celeste find her anywhere,
though she search, she search every
where"
Then Henry rccollcctcd all at once
that he had rather neglected his mother
lately Mrs. Henry forgot her "cul-
tured" calmness and joined in the search,
weeping bitterly. Jane came running
in with rcproachcs for herself and all
the others. Joe left his desk for once
and set telegraph wires to work. and
confusion and grief reigned supreme,
while the sons and daughters found
their minds running back to childhood
and mother" rs they had not done for
years, and think they learned over
again, and far more perfectly, the
lesson of filial love-
Hours passed, and no news came OF
the missing, and fears grew gravcr and
stronger, till ut last Henry. walking
the floor in anxiety, exclaimed sudden
ly, as the idea STRUCK him: She's gone
homer and running to drawer in his
desk, where keys of every size and
form lay punched and singly, he turned
them hastily over
Yes, the key is gone and she has.
wandered back home. I'm sure of it.
Why we did not think of it before, L
cannot think. oh, mother! you never
wanted to leave it, the dear, dear old
house where we --1.a1aafaa. -1zss1s>-:.,ic l:-
sheltered us all so faithfully. Aid We
dragged you from it, selfish dolts."
Too impatient to wait for trains not
due for hours, they set off across the
country in carriages. AS they drew
near the old house they found news of
the lost one. She had passed only an
hour before Flooding YEARLY along