The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1893-07-12
How Grandma Went Home.

Dear old Grandma Jackson, like
everybody else, had the grippe, ana
had IL badly, too. She did not die,
but she came near IL. After q long
time, when the doctor allowed her to
creep downstairs, weak aud white
and wan, her poor mind was filed
with the qucerest nolon. She thought
she was making visit at her brothers
in New Hampshire.
Day after day she spent in the big
rocking-chair at the silting.room win-
dow, guzing out nt the familiar street
with wistful, dim blue eyes, aud
keeping up pitiful murmur of "Oh
ii | could only go hons | know |
should get better right straight off, if
they'd only just let me 20 home !"
Grandpa, in his seat opposite, wor.
ried much over her unhappy fancy.
There were even moments when she
did not recogniz, him. but bent upon
him, too. the same troubled look, as If
strange face had suddenly replaced
that which she had known aud loved
80 long.
''DJn't you think we'd better be
talking of going home. falher?" she
would ask every morning in an anxious
whisper "lt seems TO INC we've been
here TOO long now, aud there's no
sense in wearing out your welcome. |
guess Ezra's folks'll never want to set
eyes on us again; and | should like TO
get back to Boston pretty soon. There's
all my spring cleaning to see to. Oh
dearl do want to get home!"
"Well. but motlIer"- tho old gentle.
man would begin; but she went OH
Without needing him.
"Ezra's wife is wcl-meaning
enough, but she's drcadruly wearing,
aud that bed up in the north chamber
is hard as pinc log. Now that Fm
feeling poorly. seems as If I'd like to
get back TO my own bed. There isn't
one TO compare with it in this place
all live goose fcnihers, every one of
'eml . father, don't believe | shall
ever get any stronger here! Won't
you see IL you can't manage to take me
homo somehow
Thus she kept up her ncver-ending
homesick cry. The sunshiny May
days came and went, The elms on the
Common tossed their boughs against
tho bluest of blue skies, children
played once more in the long malls
with shouts of laughter, wandering
bands flooded tho air with music. the
world was filed with the Joy of
tpringtimc.
But there were deepening wrinkles
on tho gentle old face beneath the soft
white cap that rested Oh still softer
white hair, and grandmGs shrivelled
hands, busted with their knitting,
trembled until the needles glittered III
the sun.
A note of despair had cycpt into her
longing for home. She could see
from her place at the window the
Common growing green aud the ru,h
of sunlight lighting up every corner
of the street to which she had come as
bride half century before.
This was the house where all her
children were born, where somc of
them had died. In this very room
Rachel and Martha had been married
many year ago. Here her boys had
clung to her neck with tears, as one
BY one they had said good-by TO her
and gone out into the world to make
their fortunes.
Loving memories were associated
with the very chairs aud tables. But
to grandma's bewildered and failing
sight they were only strange, unfa-
miliar shapes.
'l want to 60 home!" she mourncd
still. 81 want to go home!'
The doctor shook his head one day
- he strapped up his case of medi-
cines and drew OF his driving glovcs
Miss Lydia had followed him out into
tho entry.
"You don't think Shoe falling, doc