The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1896-05-06

making nerSelt useful IN MIS-. dOl-
brooks kitchen" 1t disappointed her
to be told by her nephew that her SER
vices would not be required, and that
q caterer would provide the supper.
She did not know what caterer
was, and felt confused and uneasy,
and went to sleep half wishing herself
home.
When the next evening she found
herself in the beautiful home OF Mr..
Holbrook, surrounded by finely
dressed ladies and gentlemen, who
looked curiously at the odd-looking,
little old woman in the queerly-made
and old-fashioned black silk, she
heartily wished that she had not como.
Mr.. and Mrs. Holbrook were as at
tentive to her as they could be with
q house full of guests but Aunt Susan
soon found it convenient to slip off
into a corner, where she hid like the
little country mouse she was.
But she was glad after all that she
had come when James, looking so tall
and happy and handsome, came into
the great parlor with his bride on his
arm, in her trailing, white satin dress
and long veil. Aunt Susan was so
completely overawed by this magnifi-
cence that, instead of going forward
with the others to offer her congratu-
lations, she slipped off upatairs to the
room in which she had taken off her
bonnet and shawl. In it was her we'd
ding gift to Jimmy-the quilt that had
but yesterday seemed to her as beauti-
full and appropriate gift that she
could bestow upon him.
Across the hall was the open door
of a room almost filed with shining
silver and glittering glass, with pic.
lures and rare ornaments and beauti-
full books, gifts to James and his
bride.
Aunt Susan felt that her own offer
ing, although it was the gift of her
own labor and love, would be out of
place. It might offend her nephew
and his bride to see it there. Some
one might laugh and jeer at it, and
she could not bear to think of that.
1t seemed so poor and triaing now;
she could not think of allowing Jimmy
and his wife to know that she had
brought them such gift.
She turned back a corner of the
quilt, and looked at q piece of the
pink and white muslin of which one OF
Jimmy's first garments had been made.
A food of tender memories filled her
heart, and she buried her face in her
gift and cried as she had not cried for
years.
There she sat for q long time, pay.
ing no heed to the noise and merri.
ment downstairs. Presently she heard
rustic of silk and satin in the hall,
and low murmur of voices. In
moment pair of soft arms were
around her neck, and a girlish voice
was saying:
''I am so glad we have found you at
last We have been looking every
where for you'll"
When Aunt Susan looked up she
found the bride kneeling by her side,
while James was bending low over her.
"You haven't been up here all this
time, have your" he said. "We have
wondered where you were. Helen was
so anxious to see YOU"
''Of course was," said the bride.
''There is no one am SO glad to see.
James has told me all about you, and
it was SO good of you to come SO far
to see us married. You must kiss us
and wish us Joy, won't your"
eff you'll let me-" said Susan, with
the tears still in her eyes.
"Let you /" said James. eve should
think it very strange if you didn't.
What have you here? 1t looks like
one of the quilts you used to make.
1t is q quilt, isn't its"
Aunt Susan tried to conceal the
quilt, but James took it from her and
unfolded it. Suddenly he said:
"Why, Aunt Susan, didn't you
bring this for a wedding present G'
"Well, I-I-did think I'd give it
to your wife, James," said Aund Su-
san, soberly. "I thought that-well
well, you see, made it ev'ry stitch
myself and-and-there's lots of
pieces in it from the first clothes you
ever had, and-I thought maybe she'd
like it because did it ev'y stitch my.
self and"
''Like it?" cried Helen. 'T shall
value it above any gift have had 1t
is beautiful-I never saw such exquis-
ite needlework What weeks of labor
it must have cost you. I am so proud
OF itw
''She said them very words" said
Aunt Susan to half dozen of her de-
lighted friends who came TO see her
the day she reached home. She was
so tickled over the quilt. She fairly
cried when showed her the blocFs
made out of pieces of Jimmy's things.
''She said she'd think the world and
all of it. She and Jimmy had to go
off on their weddin' tower in about an
hour, and l expected TO come home
that night; but Mr.. and Mrs. Hol-
brook wouldn't hear to it.
"phey made me stay there q whole
week, and they treated me as if 1 was
one OF the greatest ladies in the land.
They took me to ride ev'ry day, and
they never seemed to mind bit about
nv old-fashioned ways and clothes.
81 had a beautiful time, and the
best part of it is Jimmy and his wife
are coming to make me visit on their
way home from their tower next week.
Yor never see such a splendid young
woman as she is l"-The Downington
Archive.
Old Sermons in Demand.