The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-06-15

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 The lady laughed so heartily that the irate speaker joined in perforce after a while.
 I'm so glad you came" she re- marked prsttily; T am getting demor- alized here alone by myself. Of course my daughter comes at times, but then am more than ever guiltily conscious of my shortcomings. If I as much as mention wearing my brooch or tortoise shell comb down to dinner feel that 1t is almost personal insult to her, and sometimes I just long to take up the baby and soothe and pet him when he is hungry or fretful, but I am promptly informed that the best grandmothers do not do it. Of course it is all for my best good, for she says it all in love, and it hurts her more than it does me Cor she thinks it does). AS for an ear drop, an eardrop is an anachronism! I don't mind any of these things so much, but in, my little parlor at home there are my pretty colored wreaths and that quaint shell work father made, and the tides I worked long ago when mother was alive-all unhygienic, suppose"
 "Unhygienic!" ejacuiated her listener hotly--"and I've an old. red silk dress ing gown, reeking with germs, no doubt, that's been the chief prop and stay of my declining years; it's got to go of course, as soon as my folks strike the place"
 And the notices my little Emma worked when she was i'll before the last"-the sweet voice trembled a little ---'I can't let them go, even if for their Welcome No Cross, No Crown---L cling to them all, even if they are old fashioned" Her voice ended in a little sob.
 The elderly man cleared his throat with a mighty noise and patted the plump little hand in wordless sympa- thy.
 Anyhow, when it comes to the old drama we're all right!" he ventured at last. Think of those good old names and the old standard shows they gave! Plays that hurt nobody and gave our inaginations some small chance for ex- ercise." GA tacit but vigorous opinion of the modern stage was conveyed in the repressed growl with which he con- cluded.) The pretty color deepened a little in the lady's face; she looked up, smiling brightly.
 T have a certain tassel from the old museum," she said softly; q had to have something"
 And have a gilt cherub from one of the upper boxes," he chuckled. "Jove" he went on, his voice sinking to 8 confidential whisper, its good to meet some one who has things to re member. Mrs. Merrydew-Anna," he said softly, do you ever recall a piece that answered to the name of The Car nival of Venice or The Blue Danube Waltzes
 And The Last Hope and The Maid en's Prayer and The Battle of Sebas- topol?' Can I ever forget them, you mean? And yet, if want them nowa- days have to steal away and lock the doors like criminal And-whats the matter?"-she broke off suddenly as some memory of past wrongs darkened his face TOT moment.
 "Matter?" he echoed, "peharps you noticed that at my parlor chat last evening nobody listened or appeared to i care a straw for my modest reminis- cences of Holmes, Longfellow, Lowell and Emerson? was a doddering old imbecile to have undertaken it of course. Everybody simply yawned un- I 5,r las humorist."
 "Humorist' ejaculated the little wid- ow warmly. There was nothing hu' morous about her except her bonnet and our twenty dollars doubtless went for that creation If that be creation give me chaos"
 r "I was a little lower than the jani- tor," he continued gloomily. And the worst is yet to come. A sweet young freshman from Yale, addressing me as Tn your day (why is that innocuous l observation so unfailingly exaspera- ting?) said he supposed was acquaint- ed with all the leading lights of the early nineteenth century? I effaced myself before he could ask about Washington and Lafayette, and did ] sign the Declaration of Independence It was blood curdling!" The speaker mopped his brow in fevered retrospect But the limit was reached this morn- ing, when some youngsters offered to read fe the war headlines in the morn- ing papers. I made up my mind then that I was considered in the advanced 1 stages of paresis.''
 Its fearfully aging think, to meet such things" sighed the little lady pa l thetically. And then-some of the old ways I simply cannot get over-I don't want to try. The old hymns lived by and shall die by-that have brought me 1 through so much sorrow and loss; there have been crises I never could have survived without the help of those old tunes"-she was weeping softly into 8 delicate film of handkerchief.
 'Never mind, dear little woman
 these things are ours for keeps, ant nobody can take thsm away" Hi.
 voice was full of sturdy optimism anC sympathy, but it was very gentle and { bit unsteady, too. .ss.-.- :'
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