The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1908-06-04
AT APATRIOT'S
GRAVE
Gfandmother's Memorial Day Speech
BY DORA oIiPHANr coz.

just as her fingers touched
the stiff ruching In the front
OF her best bonnet her attention was
arrested by a ring at the front door.
AS though suddenly petrified in her
STOPPING position. grandmother waited
while Susan Ann, her daughter,
.reaked through the passage way lead
ing from the kitchen.
At the first words Of greeting grand
mother Strengthened with snap like
a jack.knife, and an angry color famed
IN her cheeks.
why. Marthy Ellen. what lovely
roses! Did you ever see the flowers
so handsome as they are this year?
Come right in. It's dreadful hot.
amt 1t? Seems like l never knowed
II to warm up as early as II has this
season, but, then. it's been awful fne
| for the flowers. Pears like the roses
and laylocks and pinies has just tried
| themselves to see who could do the
most bloomin'. Now, that's pretty
idee, amt 1t. Mrs. Rayburn. that lay
| lock WREATH"
Yes: laylocks was Dicks favorite
flower. and he set this bush out his
sci. and thought I'd make wreath
to hang on the cross on his tombstun."
The expression on Grandmother
Adamson's face would have made a
| good study. From a blaze of anger
| It passed through all the stages of
Mortified scorn to stony determine
| ton.
| The development of the converse
ton beyond the paper-covered board
walls collected her nebulous chaotic
emotions into stern resolve.
Susan Ann was stout, and she had
| grieved all the morning over the long
walk to the graveyard. AS she sank
ponderously into a chair, she la.
mented:
Il get heavier on my feet every day
l live, and the heat to-day is just
awful on me. IL mother hadn't had
her heart so set on 1t, | wouldn't try
to go to the cemetery. just know
| I'll be sick"
Couldn't she walk up with us?'
Mrs. Rayburn asked. Wen not walk
fast"
But grandmother. with what was al
most one movement, had stopped for
ward and slipped off her congress gait
ers, at the same time taking from its
box her bonnet, She slipped a hand
through the round handle of a little
basket and scu-ried Gown the passage
way and out through the back door
On the step she delayed just Ions
enough to put on her shoes; then. will
her best bonnet carried more careless
ly than ever before in its dozen year
of use, she hurried out through tn,
back gate.
The cemetery was being made brigh
with flowers when grandmothe
passed through the iron gateway. an
her face hardened as she recognizes
some of the STOPPING figures and tn
graves over which they bent.
At a brilliantly -decked mound sh
stopped and. kneeling, said:
Il hate to do 1t, jeremiah. but
know you'd want me to. ] won't TAX
them to any one else. though, Jert
miah, though know you'd say fur m
to. IL you was here. But dearie. Nv
keered fur these things ever senc
they was buds. jest as tender as
they'd a ben babies. and jest SOS 20
J could have them to-day. and l jes
can't see any one else have EN-. Ho'
would you like to look over thes
posies and see that laylock wreat
a-hangin' on old Dick Rayburn's toni
stun? You fought. bled and died a
most fur nothin'. jeremiah. when ths
} old copperhead gifts jest as many fiov
ers as you do"
Grandmother had turned up th
} skirt of her black alpaca dress ant
into the receptacle thus formed. ha
put every flower that had lain o
J Jeremiah's grave. She carried thei
all over to a far corner Of the GEM
terry and buried them under a pile {