The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1907-04-12

By Martha MocuIIOoh.wiIIlams

said rcgretfully, rocking at the prickly
twig she held still there seems to be
nothing else Easter falls Just too late
for the plum blooms-the rain last night
washed them all ragged And the pear
and peach trees are just fairly budded-
and not even a jonquil blooming in the
garden
TT beats me clean and clear" Mrs.
Murdoch returned discontentedly, why
the good Lord should send us this late
cold season. I've heard ever since | was
knee high 10 grasShopper: Early
Easter, early Spring Still ! can't say
as mind about the blooms you've named
over j amt deceitful to man-why
should tryte be ter my Godl And
know He knows fruits amt the same as
lowers, however, you may talk about
1t. Don't you agree He oughter have
always the very best we can give7"
Surely" Mrs. Gray said. making a
faint sigh with lambert smile.
The set of Mrs Murdochs mouth was
portentous-by it she knew some daring
thought lowered in that lady's mind.
But for a little while it was left I'M
spoken. Mrs. Murdoch rambling on: Il
amt for denyin' the chapel looked pretty,
all right, lined and punched up with
dogwood blooms, the way YOU would
have il last year-but told Mist Muir
doch then, and think so yet, it put
folks so much in mind of the bush arbor
at Methodist big meetin' my conscience
wouldn't never let me help you do it
again. And Mist Murdoch said was
right-for putin religion all aside, only
think Of the nail-holcs you made taclIin'
up them big boughs. Everybody knows
sweat-bees air shore TO find some of them
holes and creep in through 'em to de-
stroy all this we've had such a turribe
time ter upbuild."
90 hope not, | can't think the
nails did real harm. They we're small
so small ! can't see mark Mrs. Gray
her transparent face flushing
as she scanned the church walls.
They were log walls, of fine straight
yellow poplar timbers hewn to smooth
face, carefully laid up, and the cracks
between pointed neatly with mortar al
most matching the wood color. They
supported hewn poplar rafters of all |
most Gothic pitch, which came out be-
tween ceiling panels of narrow matched |
poplar boards No profaning brush had
touched the wood. Every year II got
softer, richer. mellower, in tone. Yet it
was Mrs. Murdoch's plan to get the
,dihce weather-boardcd without, painted
within. She liked to have things fin
shed, she said--specially churches. 1t
vas a plumb shame, down right unre.
igious, to leave Gods rorse naked as
'ou wouldn't leave your own.
The chapel had begun existence asa
mission. Indirectly Mrs Gray was its
Ane1., g.. sbo.,xw IT..o....:. hsoI o..L H.
'outly Episcopal, she had married one
i the Tennessee soldiers who marched
nd fought four years with Lee, and
ad come with him.. smiling and UNI
fraid, back to the hill farm on which
g was. born Life there had been hard
harder, narrower, than she had
reaned existence could be, But she
ad faced hardship bravely as became
thoroughbred, clinging and holding
ast to but one part of'the old life. That
Tas her church, notwithstanding the
earest Episcopal parish lay fully TWEEN
, miles away, Its church was in the
ounty town, so it had been doubly hard
J go there at lEaster in pteously faded
arments and the most ramshackle Of
luipages, yet she had gone. Further,
lie had taken her children for baptism,
I'd when one after another they died 1t
nd been her chiefest comfort that they
ere laid to rest with the ritual of her
18th.
St. Georges had received her with
zen arms and tried dciicately to help
RI 1t had planned to make min
ter of the one son left her, her eldest,
II Just as he came to seventeen his
Their fell sick Of old wounds and was
n years in dying. The boy OF course,
uld not leave him.. and long before |
Q ten years were OUT. had given over
piration and married hill girl,
fneIy, back-cyed and rcd-lippcd, with
ling strength and heart OF gold ,
t, so rough and sip-shod IN speech /
d manner she was a continuing cross {
her mother-in-law. (
But even Izzy, the new daughter, had (
/ broken Mrs. Gray's patience, nor !
lde her give over her church going. Z
lie whitening hair above her trans I
rent face by and by moved the more
ilous of her church-fellows to talking \
a mission at her door But talk is \
a slow builder, even when 4
Dplementcd BY days work from folk !
10 have only work to give.
The chapel was not consecrated until !
& years after its building was first !,
iited.- II might have waited even 4
ger indeed, il the hill country had I
|. been full of mineral wealth whose Z
,elopnlent brought into il a sprink- )
Z Of other Episcopalians. Mrs. Muir I,
h was, if not the richest. the most \
4erful and liberal Of the new com 4
! She felt that she should be like II
e the most influential not her A
band head and part owner of the 4
gcst mining enterprise? i,
)r Blenner, ST. Georges rector, OPEN !,
deferred to the poor lady, and Young
neforth, the curatc. who came fort ].
htly to hold Sunday services, ac- q
med Mrs. Gray as the mother Of the y
pei. e
Dear mel You ought to see them Z.
holes. Haven't You got your second y
III You oiighfcr have it--at your u
!" Mrs. Murdoch said pointedly.
ring her neck to look upward.
Irs. Gray's lip qnivered, but she an sa
red bravery: eT'm sorry II did 81
n--but the dogwood made bcauti- a.
decoration Mr., Dyneforth liked ii ei'
much biz told the town ladies about e
and they used II for their fair Ia y
ter week. e.
Town folks may like it. don't p
is all, Mrs Murdoch shifted loft "
"Come herel Lenime tell Won