The Newtown bee., 1901-07-19

She wore her best grey silk, turned
 and remodeled for the seventh time 1 With her pretty bonnet trimmed in
 soft lace, and flowers. she looked beautiful in ROb'S eyes, who seldom
 saw mamma in anything but calico
 dresses. Rob was mute with supreme
 content, to actually have mamma ride
 with him and in such carriage. MT Northrop treated mamma as if she
 were countess, ,and Rob young count.
 The ride to the church was altogether
 too short. How Rob did delight in
 passing all the teams, and wasn't it
 fun to see the people stare! MT
 Northrop did not appear to notice any
 thing but mamma and Rob.
 When they drove up to the church
 it was veritable triumph. A crowd stood around the door. MT Salisbury
 rushed down the steps to help them out. Everyone wanted to shake
 hands with mamma, and all gaZed with that respectful awe which quiet elegance inspires in those unac- customed to it. How proud Rob was to
 have mamma attract such attention.
 Papa, Uncle Ned, Frank, Harry, Char
 lie, George, stood just inside waiting for them. Rob heard papa whisper to mammal:
 "The Kate of years ago has returned to me tonight. It will be my own fault if l allow heragain to depart
 The boys regarded mamma with new eyes. Instead of a person whose ex- istence was apparently for the sole ob- Ject of waiting on papa and the boys, she was really entitled to some thought, and enjoyed attention and assistance, as we'll as they. After listening to MT Salisbury's recital of several poems and selections from Dickens, the audi ence was invited down stairs, to eat the maple sugar. The long tables were set with pans of snow, saucers of hot maple syrup, spoons, forks and cups. Wh en Rob, his mamma and Mir Northrop reached the foot of the stair MT Salisbury and two ladies conducted them to the other side of the room. Rob's plate was wreathed with flowers, Jacqueml- no roses was laid beside his cup. At mammals plate there was also bunch Of roses, but hers were pure white. The maple syrup was delicious. Rob's mamma told him how to pour it from teaspoon on the snow, then as it hardened, to to take it off with fork. People looked and smiled at mamma and Rob, with special admiration.
 Rob imagined it was because his man. AAAa@ oSAuohA AOAO 1AOAIC3 Ailu d11 VClC dS glad as he to have her with him.
 When Rob had eaten all the maple sugar he cared for; MT Northrop asked him to take him to the kitchen to show him where the syrup was boiled. Rob was delighted to act as MT iNOrthrOp's guide. In the kitch- en there was a busy scene. One gen. tleman presided at the stove, looking comical enough in his big apron with a bib, and he stirred the syrup boiling in an immense iron kettle. Another gentleman filled the ladies' pitchers for them. Other gentlemen were ing and smoothing it in the pans for the table. Several ladies washed and wiped the dishes, and turned over the snow in the pans that had been used. After the syrup was once poured over the snow it could not again be used. MT Northrop asked if he could not be of some use, although stranger, whispering to Rob, "I must earn my pay, you know" They thanked him, and laughingly set him at work. He dusted around the tables removing the dirty dishes, then coaxed the bashful people in the corners to come and take their places at the table. The next moment he was in the kitchen, bringing in the syrup and re- plenishing the empty cups. Rob laughed to see him fly around. Mamma, in the meantime, was surrounded with 1 old friends and neighbOrS whom she had not seen for months At last it was time to go home. The moon had risen, shedding. it's soft radiance over the hills and valleys. Rob had never obtained long glimpses of the moon, for as soon as the moon appeared, | also appeared to tell him "It was bed time." The horses were fresh | after their rest, and flew over the roads like birds. The mists were rising in the valleys, the tirefivs dancing over the marshes, and the moon with her dainty silver fringes transformed the mists into fairy veils, bespangled with the tirefy's light. In and out, around the hills, and through the trees, the silver mist wrea tined itself. .Rob, look ing off to the distant mountains, then at the beauty below him, thought: "I guess it isn't much prettier where God and the angels live" He knew noth- ing more until Mr. Northrop had lifted |lim out of the carriage. The next Sunday MT. Salisbury's congregation heard sermon they never forgot. How to work for God, in the home, as we'll as in the church. He told the oOys and girls, men and women, not to make the mistake of working for their )wn pleasure and personal popularity. hor ooi1inr |