The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-01-14
Grandma Hull.


IN. mon Maple Valley among the gray |
,-.~ england hills, and with 1t all the
..-.,-svept bitterness OF winter.
q. brorcht on a bad night early; a
LA r.eht without, but within the great
s..u,-,orses OF the valley It also brought
49,. blessed warmth and glow which
j., storms save those misfortune ana
.,,row can chill or change. and those
dear cid New England suppers with their
-,sodious kettle-songs, their wealth OK
Ginning pewter. their spotless table
.,,.hs and their hosts Of pickering can
s,s: those pleasant. olden' year-roui'u
.f,u.-worrns within the gentle murK anu
s.r, of ample farmside homes
AT their evening meal, IN tne WIZ
s,nse sat Grandma Hull" her TWO
st,tner fatherless children, four-year-
- N1a~v and ten-year-old Dick, and her
o .- -. 1sne whose husband, old Josh
r..olrer vas stil busy about the CHORES
"a Ga housing the shivering dumb prutes
s-,rn the furious storm. AS the ihlsuesS
., ,ba farmhouse pushed her cnalr away
I'm the table, the light from the pIe
80. 10 revesled the sorrow-sh arpened out
- from love labor and love loss,
us sfiu scarcely a middle-agea
,, who had come TO be calleu
M,.'~-.-.-,5,oa, Hull by the valley folK
-.,srio,slv nj first and finally from
oii-.~ssi habit through her stubborn
,,,,slress and generosity TO all SUFFERING
LIS cast by the tide OF mlsiol ',,'.
on the rocky beach or Maple Ndney
charity 49,. ,,ooD,,, Mamie
,r, o,,.er debit" was the remark OF
80 member of the Turnover club at
ue odorous village store. ,o,,.
ai+s iess sech silly critters as keeps
,f.re Valley fun o passels er Vega
800" struck up another.
ar,,, Irnlrd shrink up til his grave
,ttbas yyuz loose at sech CONS on ii ne
,.d know on en-" Vouchsated aholIieI'
,-,.cn ,ho parson walled from the VII
haze nulpit. There are those IN ,hls very
Northumberland may they be ioisineli.
III, vvaete their substance upon Sodless
.t-.re when millions Of htathen sous
90 brn.-erin.. for the mama OF the
Worir' Whereupon all the village cohsIe-
,otl,n rrosncd at the obdurate iniquity
y. ,,randtna Hull in the old house on the
Maple Ill., - -.-,,o,, -,
Wbonover Grandma Hull was struck IN
ter iutoward heart by particularly cIuei
r|Hlf OF lflln UtAliNf s'it~ 49,
ror sun-hOnnct on her head; TOOK hsr
fuble in her hand; started for the niue
fsmilv burving ground beside Maple Hill
lowe where the Gipsics came and canpeu
once or twice each year; sat there aHoi's
,.e uftro headstones beside her parents ,
her childrcns' and her dead husband s.
aim Tull's. graves for little ume' Wheh
size always returned home calm and cheer-
al "a cav to Jane and Josh. as she had
- before that when
llu died he had told her. nearly the last
sainc he said. TO be kinder easy and
nir 70 them as hadn't had much show,
and that. ncighbOrs or no ntighDors, a
Nt1e kindness to the hCathen right
under our own noses seemd 10 be about
Ne right sort OF religion for Cynthy hun,
widow. better known as Grandma Hun,
g. long as she could keep the dear Ola
home together.
suddenly old Josh TOoker. tin lantern Ut
hand. burst into the room ike half SHAT
tlied snowman, and quickly latching tue
door gave a premonitory "S-s-s- sh y
setting down his lantern, he shook MN
SELF into recognizable shape by The IRE
place. and blurted out.
Jane ToOker. git right outer this settih
uomi Bring the children. He's comm
seed him wrastlin' I'm the snow along th'
lane. and jess slid I'm ahead on i'm. GUS
NI|u. ana MllubuL 0IDtllNi NSANf 80
'ersed his lantern from the floor Jerkeo
Nmselr into the kitchen among the hired
| r.en and slammed the door behind him
Then Jane ToOker rose up. She marched
/ Mary and DICK authOritaiively befor'
| ffr into the Kitchen. and pausing an in
faut al the door Just as mufied footsteps
wore heard on the snow banked porch
remarked porientiously.
oyes. it's him. Grammer HUI, It's 81
Elas sunthn's goin' TO happen. sunthn
| alma docs happen arter that pesky oil
nicer comesr' with which she snappe
| Na door behind ner, as Squire slater, IN
/ s1,-made great man OF Maple Valley vi
| lace in response 10 Grandma Hun J
| r0w.se cheerful answer 10 his lhsisuN
Stockings. was hurled into the room, a
though even the ulgy storm was giao ie
little 10 be rid OF him.
Jess passing. Cynthy. Been haNin
lard day chasin' Cipsies outer the VaileN
rsor-honse full enough now. Tough nish
snt u2 Thought mebby you'd be glad [
F.a me a minnit. 'Remembcrin' tn Wilde
a' fathcrlcss' IS a divine injunction. Cyn
Ul. am bein in the law. ailus minu II
iMet0ns,"
Hls square head was set so low betwee
hls peaked shoulders and he was 50 stou'
F mIiIcd. that the smart chucklc VINE
followed seemed TO come from some pock,
III. iln fftht-tndt idiitI IMAM liN4" 49,
hairy throat
wye aint changed yer mind yit, Cynthy
lis waited a little. but got never wor
iom Grandma HUI. who now sat rockin
ana looking calmly into the fireplace vii
~' impassivc face.
"No? We're eittin' on IN years. CynthS
ielne see It's nigh onto fifteen yea
how aforc Jims time-ye know. II
Hlln' richer cvry ycar-and you amt
close listener might have heard an
cher low chuckle from one OF the great
coat pockets.
Tough night. aint IL? Wen, guess i
Pull out. Prayer-meetin' night, an I've sc
- see young Jeff Dean yit Hes chasii
away them Gipales. too. We oughtnt 7
iet EN- camp in the grove, Cynthy. Make
YAK. Course 1 hush It up, down TO IN
Village Course you need money. ia
coat keep dom things that MAKE taih
,in'hy It's bad. Makes trouble. Frien1
i'.ii on; solid friends. Makes money tiSn
en- that's mighty bad. Corners ioik
VEL I'm or"
10 had the door open and was near
zone when he turned 10 the woman wi'
haa uttered no word and never change
he position. when from the great-coa
ss'ao parting injunction FOR Grandm
hui 10 mind.
.,ksep thinkin' II over. cynthy--har.