The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1909-04-10
THE DELEGATE.
BY SUSIE BoUcHELLE WIGHT.

Although grandmothers may be at
discount in some homes, they GER
tainly were not at Alice Mason's, and
they did not reside upon a shelf,
either. The sunniest room in that
beautiful new house, the coziest cor
ner by the fire and the most inviting
chair belonged by right of love and
reverence to Grandmother Parker,
and when that dear old white haired
lady spoke her gentle mind, she was
sure of affectionate attention. So
when young Mrs. Mason came in,
flushed and excited, from gay after
noon at a friends reception, she
paused with smile at hearing Grand
mother Parker's call from the library.
Come here a minute, my dear,
before you go up to change your
dress. have such lovely news for
you Soon after you went out the
minister came in, all worried and
anxious. He said things about the
decline of hospitality in the city, and
asked if we would not take delegates.
You know the conference convenes
tomorrow night, and although the list
has been published in the paper, some
of the people are making excuses,
and he is sadly put to it to find homes
for the preachers. He seemed timid
about asking, because we were new
comers, but I told him that I was
sure that it was nothing but inadver-
tence that had kept you from asking
for delegates, and that he might send
you two, provided they were two of
a kind, as you have only the one guest
chamber. Won't it be nice to have
delegates, deary? 7"
"I don't know, grandma" faltered
Alice, little aghast. "I've never
had the experience.
"To be sure-to be sure. am al
ways forgetting that you don't know
anything about real home-life, spend
ing all your days wandering about
over the world with parents that by
rights should have been Gipsies. But
when your mother was little girl,
and we lived in Brooksville, we used
to have such exciting times when con-
ventions and conferences would come
our way. There is something so fas-
cinating about entertaining anyone
whom the authorities may send you
quite like opening prize box.
Your dear grandpa and I have enter
tanned as many as dozen for more
than a week at a time. We of the
family would sleep upon pallets made
of quilts on the floor, giving up our
rooms to the visitors. And such
preparations in the kitchen! Why,
we would bake cakes and pies by the
score, grandpa would kill beeves and
porkers, and the turkeys would be
gobbling in my coops for weeks ahead
of the time! Oh, 1 am so glad we
are to have little peep at old times
again !"
Mrs. Parker sighed so happily that
Alice Mason bent down and kissed
her, compelling smoothness into a
brow that was troubled. Then she
slipped away to her husbands study
to pour out her misgivings.
"OTed," she cried, "Inever would
have taken them in all the world I
don't see how am ever to manage
Just an afternoon tea makes Jane SO
cross that am afraid to give her an
order for a week afterward, and if
my dearest friend drops in to dinner
l feel like making the most abject
apologies-and to think of two stran-
gers for whole week Grandmother
forgot the grocery bill, too, Ted, and
| it makes me faint and sick to think
| of it, for we must not let her feel that
we don't do her justice.
"With our pretty new house and
our carriage" she added, "they are
sure to send US the bishop or some
other important person, and I simply
must rise to the occasion-but oh, ]
do hope grandma won't revert to old
times this way again p'
"The bishop or some other i'm.
portant person % repeated Ted Ma,
son, vacantly. "Well, 1 love your
grandmother, my dear, and I know
that next to somebody else, she is the
sweetest of women, but if they are
going to quarter dignitaries upon us,
1 am called out of town. can't rise
to occasions like that P'
80 hush, Ted You are going tc
do exactly as l shall-make the very
best Of it, and grandma is not going
to be made uncomfortable. 1 am go
ing to cook up everything nice l car
think of. I'll put an extra shine or
the silver and cut glass, and the house
will be spick and span by tomorrow
night-you'll II see p
| Soon the house was full of pleasant
excitement. Mrs. Parker found thing:
for her feeble hands to do. Alice
fitted about busily. Jane was molli
fed by gifts and hattery, and soor
the night came, and the family wait
ed in the library for the bishop. There
were American Beauty roses bending
on their tall stems on the library
table, there were violets scenting thu
entrance hall, and Alice felt a pleas
urable glow of self-satisfaction.
81 believe, after all, that l an
rather glad grandma took the dele
gates. I am not very much of I
church woman, but realize that thes'
men are doing a great deal of good
! and the bishops and the other leader