Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-27
& Nd,val Richardson

My decrepitude brought only the poorer
classes-people with no thoughtfulness o.
thrift. They believed in treating me with
contempt, using each part of me as
suited their purposes best, defacing me,
running me.
An old hollyhock in the garden was my
timekeeper. Despite all changes. eacn
spring would see it Struggle up through
the rampant grass. lifting its stalks of
pure white blossoms high; then gradually
whiting and dying-thus did I know an
other year had been added to my age
Thirty-seven years had I counted in this
way since they left me-thirty-seven years
without the sound Of their voices. without
the look of their affectionate eyes.
At last the end was near at hand-I
felt it in every part Of me. My strong up
rights would tremble now when the wind
blew; l felt certain that 1 could not resist
another long winter.
l had been alone for months-even the
poorest would not consider me any longer,
and oftentimes people would go by in the
late night and shudder when they looked
at me, saying that l was haunted; that
ghosts lived within my walls. And they
We're right-ghOsts did live within me-
the ghosts and memories of that long
procession which had marched through
me with the passing years.
And then there came calm, cold night
The wind had died down into the golden
December mist, and the clouds hurried
across the sky, only half obscuring the
moon. 1t was lonely night, and 1 felt
9 great passionate need for lights and fire
within me. 1 whispered over and over to
myself; l was to die alone, forgotten and
unloved.
The night stiffness was suddenly broken
by the rumbling of carnage that stopped
before the garden gate. Two people came
toward me, man and woman. / heard
the man jange some keys and as he
fumbled with the lock the woman held the
lighted match until the door swung open
and they entered. The chilling damp
blew into their faces and smote them
with musty odor.
Tell the coachman to bring us one of
his lamps 1 heard the woman say, and
she waited silently In the darkness until
the man returned with the light. 1t was
then that my ruin and desolation became
evident to them.
1 saw her put her hands up to her face
and cover her eyes as if some deep pain
had suddenly taken possession OF her But
ne moved about with firm tread and
made the staring coachman bring some
old. rotted palings from the fence and
start a feeble blaze in my old cracked
chimney. Soon the fire cracked and a
bright warmth beamed into the room,
making it a little less cherries. | A.
most felt the glow of youth pass over
my shivering body once more.
When the fire blaZed he pushed the one
rough chair in the hall forward into lis
glow, and led the woman TO it. She sank
into it, claspin2 her hands before her AMI
letting her head droop forward ever so
little till the freight cleaned on her
snow white hair. Her eyes looked straight
out before her into the blazing timbers
He stood with his hand resting affection
ately upon her shoulder, a little back of
her. where the light shone Oh his strong
rugged features, so lined and furrowed
with the signs of age and appointment
An hour raced by and yet no word had
BROKEN the stiffness. Finally, he spoke
I'VE must be going now, dear We shall