Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-20
HIRAM EATON'S MEMORY
By My E. wilkins F---m-n

By My E. wilkins F---m-n
TT was three O'Clock on Christmas Eve Two
hours ago it had been only one clock and
in another hour it would be four. Grace
Weathersby. a spinster of perhaps forty-one
or forty-two. stood by the kitchen stove. in
which fire was burning: She was boiling the
water for tea for herself and Mrs Litchfield
who lived down the road across from Mis-
Abel Jennings-Patence Williams that was
and who had come in to leave her annual red
knitted bed slippers and, which was useful
as the slippers and more warming. her Christ
mas greeting and cheer.
a young girl OF about nineteen or twenty.
her pretty face Just visible through her plentiful
bundling and muffling. came into the kitchen.
How do, -Arabella'" said Mrs Litchfield
"a mite early, but Merry Christmas to youi
Better bundle up good. It's bitter day
The same to you, Mrs. Litchfeld," said
Arabella happily. Il guess III be warm
enough"
Better take my black mittens Arabella.
said her Aunt Grace, if YOU re gon to drive
You II find EN- in my upper right hand drawer.
Better wait and have cup of tea fore you
drive out in that cold. 1t does warm a body"
No, thank you aunt said Arabella; - I'm
late now. Goodbv, Mrs. Litchfeld," and she
went out the back door to the wooden barn.
She s goin' to the station to meet Will.
said Aunt Grace as she handed Mrs. Litchield
a cup of tea. He's comm here to East Low
ell for over tomorrow and they re goin to get
married in spring. He's fine boy she went
on and that direct Wanted Arabella and
told her so, and before she had so much as a
chance to say he went to her mother and
father and asked them. and they said they
guessed if Arabella willin' they wouldn't
stand in the way, and that's how quick it went.
Not at all like her mothers case, 1t
Il was living in Illinois then said Mrs.
Litchfield. You know I've been here only
fourteen years last Easter ="
That's So said Aunt Grace I'D most
forgot. Well Mary Weathersby a real
pretty girl, though | am her sister that says
it and shouldn't. All the boys around here
real attracted to her; but, land she didn't
seem to cotton to any of EN- except Hiram
Eaton. She liked him real well, and he knew
it; but they might gone on that way till the
day of doom if it hadn't been for Hiram S bad
memory.
Hiram and Mary had been in the habit of
exchangin Christmas presents ever since they
real small,-nothin' snowy expensive,
Jest nice little membranes. He'd give her
a dewdab of hair ornament or an album, and
she'd give him a neckte or book or some
thing Well. as | sayn', they used to see
each other pretty often, and Hiram'd drop in
here every little while, sometimes as often as
three times a week Well, one Christmas Eve
he came in, and Mary down to meet him and
give him his present-a muff1er it that
year, and he's wearin it still.
Merry Christmas, Hiram says Mary.
and here's little something thatll keep you
warm
We'll. Hiram wasn't ever what YOU might
call bold, and that just took him back. Not
the muller, you understand; but there Hiram
had forgot all about its bein' Christmas Eve.
and he didn't have thing for Mary. and it
too late to get anything now. Well, you know
how It's with some men. The bravest of EN-
weaken at times, and the shyest of EN- act
right up Hiram must a done some quick
thnkin' then; for he up and says. Mary. he
SAYS. wish YOU the merriest of Christmases in
he
he says, I've brought you myself. he says.
and he up and gives her a smack on the mouth
you could heard down cellar. And she says.
oh. Hiram and kind o laughs and cries in
his arms. And they were married in the
spring, Jest like Arabella and VIII are going
to be, only it didn't take any accident to make
Will ask for what he wanted.
Yes, indeed. | always think there's some
good in every human fault. even if it's bad
memory"