The Tupelo journal., 1910-11-04
WA C
FOR PEACE

II +esse.
Early last spring somebody told
Miss Lucinda Hillman that tors
charged less in midsummer, SO she
promptly decided to delay her house
cleaning until after the Fourth. There
was q trile of grumbling. but Miss Lu-
cinda stood firm, and not until q sui
try evening Of recent date did she
warn the members Of her family that
the calciminers were upon them.
There's one thing l want under
stood" she added. Mother is to have
absolute peace during this confusion
1 shall keep her room undisturbed un-
til the rest Of the house is in perfect
order. and then she a go out into
some quiet, clean place while her
room is being DONE"
Mrs. Hillman looked up with the
gentle protest which has succeeded
her manner OF authority since she
handed over the housekeeping to her
eldest daughter.
Il always have the decorators be-
gin in my ROOM" she said.
mo doubt" was the reply. You
never looked put for your own COM
fort"
But l like to have mine done first"
insisted the mother.
Leave that to me. I've been read
Ing a splendid article called Keep a
Nook for Mother and I'm going by
that. All you need to do Is to stay
on you throne and keep calm"
Even a queen has some rights,
Luce her married brother put In.
a. don't relish seeing mother bossed."
Hush, Sam!" murmure1 Sans new
wife, who was not new enough to be
ignorant OF the effect this remark
would have on Lucinda.
The end of 1t was that before Luz
cinda's wounded feelings could be
soothed her mother was pleading. al
most with tears. to have her room
done last.
Accordingly. after breakfast next
morning Lucinda began making her
mothers bed.
Lucinda" called Sans wife, from
the foot Of the stairs, the calcimin-
ers want to see you about the color
for the dining room"
They'll have to watt" was the ma
jestic answer as Lucinda turned the
mattress.
mo hurry about that bed" Mrs.
Eillman urged leaning forward UNI
easily from the rocker where Lucinda
had placed her. Those men get 60
cents an hour"
II can't help it If they do. The
first thing is to have you In peace in
an orderly ROOM"
The mother idgeted. but Lucinda
finished busting and ven brought in
a vase of flowers before she left.
AS Mrs. Hillman sat there alone.
brooding a little sadly over past years
Of activity, Sans wife peeped in up
on her.
"All alone?" she inquired. I'll
bring in my work."
Within two minutes she was back
again, blithely scattering white ravel-
ings wei the clean rug as she spread
out the tablecloth she was hemming
and exhibited Its pattern. An ami
mated discussion on table linen arose.
and In the midst of 1t Lucinda opened
the door.
Mercy" was her comment as she
turned back to the broom closet and
reappeared with the carpet sweeper.
I'm straining every nerve to keep
this one room In perfect order for the
sake Of the peaceful effect on mother"
she explained to Sans wife as she
slammed the sweeper against a table
leg. do you mind If l set all your
things on one chair? And couldn't you
work with the tablecloth folded? 1t
looks so %cluttered! Why. mother!"
she broke of in annoyance. how did
all those dusty pictures get in here?"
II moved then In" was the apollo
xetic answer. Il happened to see
them In the hall, and l was afraid the
frames would be married with all those
ladders and boards. The passage Is
so narrow, you know"
Lucinda compressed her lips and
moved the pictures back into the hall
like an amateur whirlwind. Then she
closed the door on two r~ufied-iooking
women and wondered why 1t was i'm
possible for her mother to behave like
some Of the serene old persons she
know.
This vas the beginning. By the
end OF the third day Lucinda's war
for peace had reused the fighting
spirit of every person In the house
save one and several neighbors. Up
stairs In the front room the gentle
hearted old mother had taken to her
bed. worried to the breaking point
by strained relations in the household.
Now that evening had come Miss
Lucinda stood at the foot OF her moth
er,s bed, a sense of injustice clouding
her face.
NO. you shall not be turned out OF
your room while you're sick" she was
saving. "You needn't suggest going
into my bed tomorrow SO that the
men can work In here. Everything
else is done. Of course. but they can
lust take their pals and ladders
away and come back when you are
yourself again"
But / want my room done!" pro.
tested her mother.
Mother, lie down. Don't excite