Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1897-04-15
AUNT MEREDITH.

ever ade.
BBm my lounge in the corner OF
AMt Meredith's room watch her
with half-closed eyes as she draws
her Low chair before the fire. and
takes her knitting from the work
basket at her side. She is always
busy it seems to me, aud when !
think Of it, we six are enough to
make work with her
First ta-e s ~ ser--A
Meredith brother, full Of hobbies
that require her constant attention..
''If | can only prove It's worth
lessness before he mounts it, can
save him a good deal Of trouble, -
she says, when a new hobby ia pre-
sonted; and often she succeeds.
And there is Robert, just start
ing ont for himself under Aunt
Mercdith's special guidance. There
is Frank, another nephew, gener-
Gus and lmpulsive--a regular tlnd-
er.box in temper-with May, his
sister, always ready, in her love for
teasing, to put the match to the
Undertook.
And there ia Richard happy,
rolIicking Richard, Of whom Aunt
Meredith is never quite sure until
che has herself tucked him in bed
and sung him to sleep
Then here ain ! cripple, de-
pendent upon Aunt Meredith for
every ray Of sunshine that has crept
into my poor manned existence
since the day opened my eyes to
the life which, bat for her, might
indeed have proved a curse for me.
So there are six Of ia, all under
her care.
She thinks am asleep, or clse
she would not have spoken Of that
fatal mistake which affected The
current Of 30 many lives
The freight plays upon her nee
dies as she patiently plies them
The blaze rises higher, and forms,
as she sits oustincd against it, sort
or balo about her gray hcad.
She is thinking Of the past, J
know, and that mistake, while
she sits there waiting
Robert is doing some extra book
keeping, and will not be IN until
ten O'Clock May and Frank are
busy with their Lessons in the SIT.
( ting room. Uncle Clay rode over
to Richlaud today, and ala not re
turn until late. Richard is asleep,
for ] heard Amt Meredith singing
"Rock Of Ages" in the boys room
more than half an hour before she
went down TO get Uncle Clay Ina
supper
While she sits waiting for the
last one Of the household to come
io, am lying here thinking over
that mistake she made.
Indeed, often think Of it. We
cripples have SO little else to do ey-
cept to study books and people, aud
all these tedious years ! have stud
led her until ! think know her
great soul by heart And | know
all about that "sad mistake, al.
though she does not dream that it
is known to me. II ! were to tell
her that ! learned from her own
lips to call it ''mistakc," | am
sure that she would think the al,
Fiction that dwarfed and tortured
my body for almost forty years hat
attacked my mind as well, for shC
does not really look upon it as d
/ blunder.
If she ever allows herself to think
OF it as such, it is only when she is
troubled and tired, and her thoughts
90 crowding back, to fasten them
selves upon the highest spot in Tho
past.
Such moments come to the brav
est and best of US. But | heard
Aunt Meredith tell Uncle Clay only
last night "that there can be NJ
blunders in Gods PLAN" and j
she can stand up SO grandly annie
the ruins Of youths promises anC
testify to the perfection Of the eter
nal plan, few indeed have the RICH
to sit in Judgment on it.
feel the warm tears trieklinl
down my cheeks as | watch the fig
ure in the freight. can remem
Der the day when this white-hairet
woman, knitting stockings in tn
chimney corner, was the merries
GIRL in orr village.