Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1902-04-04
Welcome
Callers
By EUGENE UhLRICH
Copyright, 1901, by
Eugene Uhlrich
By EUGENE UhLRICH
Copyright, 1901, by

0S9VW~0S'e1SN'GS<se '~'ep~to'NS'OO~NS0"~
The old lady sat very still. The
hands that usually made the knitting
needles fly had not moved fol- full ten
minutes. Her eyes were fixed abstract
eddy on q somewhat worn spot In the
bright red and vivid green ingram car
pet. II by chance she had been asked
what was In her mind, she probably
would have replied testify that it was
about time those carpet strips were
woven and put down. What with the
tracking in and out and sitting round,
winter was harder than summer on
carpets.
But when the bowling wind gave a
fresh blast and the coal In the base
burner sputtered NJ with an answering
glow she turned toward the muslin hung
windows, and one might have thought
that she was having little struggle
to sit still on her chair. The old man,
smoking by the stove, looked at her
furtively every once in awhile. Now,
when q stronger blast shook the house,
he pulled closer the black silk muller
under his coat collar and turned to his
wife.
TITS q cold night for New Years,
mother. l mind II was almost as bad
when Johnny was married"-
She did not answer or even look at
him, but tightening of the lips show
ed that she had heard.
The old man had learned the danger
signals and was silent for the time.
There was something unusual in moth
er's mood, but he did not know for GER
tain which way the signs pointed.
New Years night do be lonesomer
than any other night" he continued
tentatively, with no children and
young folks to see the old year out.
saw Johnny's boy the other day
Then the old lady swung round In her
chair so hard and quick that she jog
gled the lamp at her elbow, and the lit
tie frlnges on hOr silk embroidered
shoulder shawl trembled.
JOu1DJ IVY, lhutCus hId yOu od w
him, of course And whose fault is 1t
but yours that JOhnny's boy isn't here,
I'd like to know You were always CIV
ing the boys their way about every
thing. That's how they came to marry
those Qulnlan girls. far downs like
them, the Lord save u.s."
"Well, mother. they always seemed
good girls to me and are good house
keepers now. OF course there's them
that may be better to our way Of think
Ing" The old man never said your"
when making an assertion which moth
er might question. "There's them that
had more money, and everybody can't
come from Limerick. But, then, it's the
lads who have to live with the girls,
and they ought to have something to
say"
1t was hong speech for the old man,
and the old lady was gasping when he
finished.
Eyes, and you don't mind me having
to think Of my own childrens children
DCll6 up lhC NdgO VA bhC
Quinlans. 1t wasn't enough when
Johnny married Nellie, but you had to
be that nice about 1t that Richard went
and married Kate"
He tried to turn the stream of lndig-
nation into less immediate channels.
at did seem aggravatlng," he said,
though JOhnnys boy seems nice lit
tie fellow for seven. But Of course,
mother, you don't know him."
Didn't she know him? Wasn't she
going to church every Sunday just to
see the children march in for Sunday
school, and Johnny's boy with them?
She not know Johnny's boy But she
said nothing.
The old man walked to the window,
q gentle. deprecating figure in shiny
black suit. His white hair was cOmbed
forward over the thinnest spots In
front and parted carefully toward the
ears I'm the back. The mild blue eyes
and rosy skin gave him a look Of al
most infantile kindness save for
certaln furtlve shrewdness that may
have come from years of watching the
storm signals Of his wife's moods.
"The old ladys all right" he replied
when any of his relatives had the te-
merity to give him advice as to his do
nestle arrangements. She's the best
hand in sickness and good manager,
but she does like to have her own way,
and it takes her awhile to come round
when she finds that she's made a mis-
take. But she does come round II you
give her time enough, and that's more
than you can say for most Of them"
He raised the curtains gently now
md peered out
"Just look, mother! What blizzard
It has got to be all at once! Now,
that's too bad for little Kitty Mullenys