The Jennings daily record., 1902-06-25
iHowLetitia Kept Decoration Day

Letitta came down the path and lnLO
the room with joyful little hop, skip
and jump. The room was small and
dark, and pile of black cloth on the
table seemed to make 1t darker. Letitia
stood still for a moment until her eyes
became accustomed to the gloom but
her tongue did not have to wait.
Cousin 'LiZa?" she began.
The woman, who was standing be-
side the table cutting a boys jacket
out Of an old coat, looked up for q mo-
ment and then bent again over her
work. IT'S you, is it, Leutia?" she
said.
"Yes'm," answered Letitia- She made
her way around the table and stood
beside her cousin, waiting until sne
could speak She knew by long expe-
rience when it was wise to do SO. Az
hast she drew a long sigh OF relief:
there was very little margin left. but
Cousin Liza had "got it all out with
out piecing.
Now, Cousin Liza" she said, hap
PLY.
well, what is it, chiId?" answered
Cousin Liza, carrying her work to the
window and beginning to baste up the
seams.
Letitia drew a little stool to the
window opposite her cousin. The light
fell full on her happy face and shining
eyes.
TITS Just the loveliest thing: Cousin
'Liza!" she said. '..You see it's this
way: Next week Is Decoration Day.
There's always been Decoration Day.
guess, but / never knew about 1t be-
FORE So Miss Carries going to give us
a holiday, and in the afternoon were
going to put flowers on the soldiers
graves. We're to form a professions,
and. the girls will wear white, some
with red ribbons and some with blue,
SOS to make red, white and blue, you
see, and the boys, will wear tiny flags
In their buttonho1es; and the minis
ter,s going to meet US at the cemetery;
and thereIl be singing-we practiced
some today-and isn't it lovely? l am
SO glad, we have Miss Carrie this year;
she thinks of the incest things!"
Cousin Liza shut her lips tightly.
She dared not look at the radiant little
face opposite her.
"I don't approve of it at all" she
said stif1y. Il think Carrie Adams has
too many .new-fangled notions. 'Taint
proper to my mind"
All the happy light faded out Of
Letitia's face, but she did not say one
word. Cousin Liza looked at the
child, battling 30 silently and SO brave
ly with her disappointment, and her
voice grew sharp with the pain OF it.
81 never did see why men should get
all the honor" she said. 81 guess the
women had just as hard fights at home,
and nobody ever thought of honoring
Ihem!"
Letitia looked up wonderingly.
why, Cousin Liza. did theS?" she ex-
claimed.
You jest ask Bathsheha Briggs and
Nancy Anderson; I guess they'll tell
you"
Letitia sat on her stool thinking very
seriously. Just outside the window
was lilac bush, covered with cones of
purplish buds; as it swayed in the
wind, its leaves make a Pickering
tangle of sunlight and shadow at Lett
tia's feet. Suddenly her face bright
ened; she went over to Cousin Liza
and leaned coaxingly against her.
.. Cousin Liza" She said, ''if / can't
20 with the others to decoration, can
] go over and see Miss Page and old
Mrs. Price and ask them about war
times7 They amt men, you know
she added. seriously.
Cousin Liza looked uncomprehend-
ingly at her for a second-she had al
ready forgotten her own excuse; ther
q grim smile touched her lips. We'll
yes. l guess you can" she said,
"Oh, thank you so much. you deaI
Cousin Liza!" cried Letitia, kissing
her enthusiastically. I'm going up
stairs now; I'll be sure to be back time
enough to pick up the pieces and Sc
the table"
After she had gone Cousin Liza
work dropped into her lap and he
forehead roughened as IL with pain.
There's no use fussing" she said
''1 dunno how we're going to ge
through, anyway; and / can't get tn
child a white dress. And she shan
30 without it! l amt going to hav
people say l can't support heri She
got to give it up, that's all" She ben
over the coat again, but there wa
some trouble with her eyes. Once O
twice she rubbed them impatiently
nobody guessed what she suffered II
refusing Letitia things like othe
girls"
When Letttta came back she was a
bright as If she did not know wha
disappointment was. She got down O.
the. floor and carefully picked up a.
the ravelings and pieces. her tongu
going merrily all the while. At suppe
-lo ~ hA xr,{r