Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1905-07-15
Cupid and Gray Hairs.
~o~

Ouuy SIeuICl oJdCuldLeu uor llSLeu-
er holly, land I've an old red silk
dressing 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 placer
"And the notices my little Emma
worked when she was Ill, before the
lastv'-the sweet voice trembled a lit
tle-"I can't let them go, even If for
their own sakes: The Lord Will Pro-
vide Welcome No Cross, No Crown
Il cling to them all. even If they are
old fashioned." Her voice ended In q
little sob.
The elderly man cleared his throat
with mighty noise and patted the
plump little hand in wordless sympa-
thy. Anyhow" when 1t 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 imaginations some small
chance for exercise" "a tacit but Wig
orous opinion Of the modern stage was
conveyed in the repressed growl with
which he concluded) The pretty color
deepened little In the lady's face; she
looked up, smiling brightly.
II have curtain tassel from the old
museum" she said softly; II had to
have something"
"And have gilt cherub from one
Of the upper boxes" he chuckled.
"Jove!" he went on, his voice sinking
to confidential whisper, 'it's good to
meet some one who has things to re-
memberl Mrs. Merrydew-Annaw 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
Maiden's Prayer and the Battle of Sc
bastopoly Can ever forget them, you
mean? And yet, If want them now
adays have to steal away and lock
the doors like criminal. And-what's
the matter?"-she broke of suddenly
as some memory Of past wrongs dark
ened his face for a moment.
Natter" he echoed; perhaps you
noticed that at my parlor chat last
evening nobody listened or appeared to
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-
til the lady monologist came on-the
humorist."
"Humoristw calculated the little
widow, warmly. There was nothing
humorous about her except her bonnet
and our $40 doubtless went for that
creation! If that be creation, give me
chaosv'
II was little lower than the JAM
tor" he continued gloomily. "And the
worst is yet to come. A sweet young
freshman from Yale, addressing me as
in your day (why is that innocuous
observation so unfailingly exasperat-
ingD 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 I
sign the Declaration Of Independence.
1t was blood-curdlingp The speaker
mopped his brown In fevered retro
spect. "But the limit was reached this
morning, when some youngster Of
fered to read me the war headlines In
the morning papers. I made up my
nina then that I was considered in the
advanced stages Of paresis."
Its fearfully aging, think, to meet
such things" sighed the little lady pa
thetically. "And then-some Of the
old ways / simply cannot get over-I
don't want to try! The old hymns
lived by, and shall die hy-that have
brought me through so much sorrow
and loss; there have been crises I new.
er could have survived without the help
Of those old tunes"-she was weeping
softly into delicate film Of handker-
chief.
"Never mind, dear little woman
these things are ours for keeps, and
nobody can take them away" His
voice was full Of sturdy optimism and
sympathy, but 1t was very gentle, and
bit unsteady, too.
II have some almost priceless old
laces and some china such as those
rosy maidens have never even dreamed
of in their philosophy" she affirmed,
"and highboy and sideboard that are
worth their weight in gold, and some
andlrons-you remember those and
irons Of mothers, don't you, StephenT
She blushed slightly as she spoke-it
had been a quarter of a century since
she had called him Stephen.
"And possibly you forget the waf1les
I made you one day"
"Waffiesl say no more! l may be
past, a pluperfect, but there are some
memories that tell me have not lived
In vainv'
'"That soup tonight" he interrupted,
breat hlessly, 'Mrs. MerrydeT-Anual