CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1899-03-02
THE CHRISTENING
OF SARAH'S ELDEST
BY Kenneth Herford.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

THE balmy breezes of . down east
August morning waited ACROSS the
fields the Eweet and soothing odor of
the green and yellow growing things.
The grain stalks waved their tasseled
heads gently and rhythmically-an
ocean Of gold-and the birds chirped
their joy among the ripening fruit in
the branches of the harvest apple
tIee. there by the corn crib.
On the back porch of the old. old
farm house-an echo, seeming, of an
other day.-behind a screen of Dutch
mans pipe and woodbine, Aunt Jane
sat in ''cane seat" brought from the
front room, husking the sweet corn for
dinner.
Now and then an ear of the peariy
kernels would fall from her hands into
the pan and she would, for an instant,
look of down the road or across the
field toward the dark green wood be-
yond-absently her mind racing back
the pathway of the years to the days
when she and Silas were children to-
gether in the old red schoolhouse; lead
ers, afterward, in the singing school.
their wedding.
Once or twice Aunt Jane took of her
steel bowed spectacles and pulling up
her apron cleared the glasses with a
corner of IL. Then she would arrange
them again comfortably astride her
nose, slipping back the bows into the
ruts that time had made above her
ears, and pulling down, ever SO slight
ly, the gray hair over them Then, of a
sudden returning to her task. she would
tear of the green husks impatiently,
as though by sheer force pulling her
self back to the evening of the pres
ent. from her moments ramble in the
morning of the past.
With my book, over on the other side
of the porch, did not intrude into the
domain of Aunt James revery. Fre
quently on looking up j would see her
lips moving. as though she humned to
herself some old-time song OF repeated
in her heart some words that long since
had been told her would smile. sim
ply, and resume my reading. When
the last ear had been stripped of its
gown of green and the brown silks"
had been picked from between the rows
of kernels, Aunt Jane set the pan down
on the floor of the porch and gazed
out across the fields.
do you see.- she said. after q mo-
ment, and from the tone the words
seemed as much addressed to herself as
to me, though 1 responded do you
see." she said. "that big tree cross
there. right at TIL edge o. tn woods.
TIL one mex T. tn old blasted oak?"
1 leaned forward In my rocker and.
shading my eyes with the open book.
gazed in the direction abe designated.
''Yes." replied; has that tree a story.
Aunt Jane?"
heard a sigh. but so gently breathed
that IL seemed but the echo of a sigh.
''No. 'tain't got story. That's tn tree
where Silas asked me Z marry him.
Nearly every man in tn Heminway
family, pears. asked their wives Z
marry 'em under that tree. Silas'
brother. Seth, asked Sary Z marry him
while they was a-stroilin' through
them woods one day. a long. long time
ago. Seems ages almost. 1t was right
under that tree that he asked her Sary
told me of II durin' her las sickness
when we tryin' Z take care of her here
AZ III houss- Her room wAs the back
one upstairs. an she asked US Z pull tn
bed down so'f she could see Ia tree out
o. tn window. II amt mistaken she
died a-iookin' at thai tree She told
Seth fore their fust child was born
that she wisht, II she should die. he'd
take tn child out under t.rat tree every
birthday o. hern' an tell il that il was
there that its mothers happiness be
gun. But Sary didn't die-not then
She had three boys an one girl grown
up before she passed away. / wonder
IL me or Siias ever told YOU bout tn
christenin' o. Sary's eldest?'
And through the moisture that mem
ory had caused to gather in Aunt Jane's
eyes there broke the light of smile
that brosdened and deepened until she
laughed.
Your mother likely knows it" she
said. "but il she amt told il Z YOU
x'pose might as we'll"
And I knew that there was TO be for
me another delightfai human chapter
out of Aunt James delicious volume of
"reminiscences. leaned back in my
chair and closed my eyes to be carried
tway by her to another day. another
world--to me.
''Seth's wife's name was an Empson
fore she married Seth. TIL Heminwny
an tn Empson farms joined down be-
low that stone wall by tn creek. Tn
Heminways was always on good terms
with tn Empsons an tn Empsons was
always tn same with tn Heminways,
so. with tn two farms ioinin', 'rSant
time Seth an Sary should get married,
Z sorter Join tn property mite closer,
rs old Hiram Heminway used Z say.
An 'twant. Tn weddin' o. tn two was
Jest tn ordinary conclusion o. two
children bein' raised within a stones
ton between 'em. II was tn nacheral
-esuit of a protracted period o. singin'
school an huskin' bees. Anyway they
was married. Their eldest was born
bout tn end of tn second year as l
rccoilect now. | remember that child
Utmost as well as remember Ezra, my
first. 1t was as pretty n baby as you
ever set your eyes on, and as bright and
rs smart. from tn beginuin'. as crick-
ct. 1t was about two months old before
they named il. And then o. course
,ame Z Seth an Sary tn thought of
Il accordin' { tn orthodox
doctrine. TIL country want SO thick
settled as IL is now. TIL Green's want
here an your grandfather owned near