The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-06-20
CHAPTER LII.

When Harold's suit at last arrived,
his first thought as he surveyed himself
before che glass was that now he could
go down into the dining room and have
q good square meal. What that thought
was to him can only be imagined by the
hungry man to whom the delights OF
the table are supreme. Since Harold's
Weakening he had been served with what
he called broth, accompanied with nuts
and fruit of different varieties. He sup
posed il was served according TO the or
ders Of physician, who might imagine
that it was necessary for his stomach to
get used to work by degrees after so long
period Of idleness. If that were so,
the broth and fruit might seem reason
able enough as diet, but how about
the nuts?
MRS. Winthrop" he said, going
down to the porch, where that lady was
taking her morning exercise, what il
your dinner hour? And is the room that
my mother selected still used for the
dining room?"
"Dining room! What can You meanT'
For a moment Mrs. Winthrop looked
puzzled; then her brow suddenly cleared
as she exclaimed: "Oh, remember
nowl I was reading only the other day
that people used to sit around large ta.
bles and watch one another eat all man.
ner of queer stuff that they called food.
They must have resembled pigs gathered
around trough"
MAY ! ask" said Harold, striving
to control his wrath, "how you manage
the matter of eating at the present
timer
"To be sure. You have been nour-
ished since your awakening, have you
not?'
II have been given little broth"
"Have you not felt sufficiently nour.
ished2"
~ have not suffered with hunger,
admitted Harold, who suddenly realized
that he had not felt hunger at all, but
was simply uneasy because he had not
sat at a table and filled himself with
food as he had done in the good old
days which were to him but as yester.
day. He began to have an awful feai
that he had slept beyond the pleasures
of eating at loaded table in company
with congenial friends. Mrs. Winthrop's
next words confirmed this fear.
"In this day." she said, "no one
thinks of supplying his system with
necessary fuel in public. Each takes
such nourishment as his system requires
whenever it is most needed, but he
would no more think Of allowing his
neighbor to see him take it than he
would think of changing his linen in
public"
II fear have much to learn" said
Harold, before / shall be able to live
in this da-abem, beautiful world"
II am afraid you have, SIR" replied
Mrs. Winthrop severely. "There is an
old woman living not far from here who
might help you. II is said that she is
nearly 100 years of age, and that she
has fine memory. She might be able
to teach you the difference between your
yesterday and our today and SO save you
and us great deal Of embarrassment. I"
Harold thought the idea a good one
and decided TO go to this old woman at
once. 1t was barely possible that she
had not given up the good old customs
for the outrageous new ones, and that
she might ask him to stay to dinner. In
an incredibly short space Of time he had
placed himself before her.
80 you are the sleeper7" she ex-
claimed. my, my, how young you
lookl Ii would be hard for any ore TO
believe that you are 80 years older than
l am"
Harold looked at the thin figure, the
wrinkled face and the toothless mouth,
then recalled the handsome young fell
low he had seen in the glass only that
morning and decided that 1t would be
hard indeed.
"Well," she said when he had made
known his errand, what 90 you most
want TO kuowSy