The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1910-02-10

help and good cheer
hold next door. and y
| ~ concealed ways littieV
\ rreshment from his am
I their way into the fruga
had been transplanted d
Of all the world. The bid i 81
for another. but his were H. 4
streams that watered its Isl -
harvest is not always TO h
tivates the seed :
In time the adOred Est -
rious ways toward her TAI IS
sOttened into an attitude s.. 81
Grant, eNcUsiDg protection = ~
infrequently the old child
ence would fare up and - !
Ot all seasons when he way i
need OF guardian TO defend lii1FSS
ms vice of hospitality. the most
~ O''nC was cherry time. On the cresW
q " loe-s" eepins lawn stood the low
and pride OF his horticrll,rer liz
Iion' mis- cherry tree 80 child in ~,
Town mad been more carerull,- Dr,r.(.1
ana coddled, and it's spreading hrsn,l.-
/ 0''h year yielded rich returns. So
devoted had he been TO it's v-err.r.
and th, winter and sumrne~ ,T--
MS curious attachment became q f'-
word among his friends. each of v-r--,
tried in turn some itGe Uoiutess
pleasantly
4 guess Tunes got a treasure bur
led under his cherry tere," said one.
with patent wink at Esther. WHO
stood eating ripe cherries. her baby
on her arm, as Tunis tossed them
down.
Il have, indeed" was Tunes grave
answer; and there's nobody but me
ana the tree going 20 know what it
is, either"
ILs one OF Tunes mild insanities." F
said Esther, as she released 2 red
bunch from the childs clutch.
One day. Just at dusk. Tunis aDDear-
cd on the neXtdoOr threshold with a
distrausht expression which was clear
evidence OF some new impotence OF l.
hospitality
Got any cookies. Esther he said
ueprecaungly as he removed his hat
and rubbed his red locks i'm fever
OF perpieNity-"O anything else HANDY ..
10 eat? And, say, can't YOU send the
boys over quick. to pick cberries?"
Why. Tune. IF hat ails you2 No one "a
could pick cherries now: it's too darn,
and they look crazy enough no Inc
trees with a lantern, What kind OF a
mess have YOU got yourself into?
Company again, I s'pose, and YOU for
cot YOU asked 'em,"
We'll, said Tune. 1T looks a little
like that / seem to remember rbat 4.
as CIT down town this morning
said TO several people that my cherries
were ripe. Come up tonight. / said.
'2nt help yourselves must have
said it twenty times. for there sit
I" ent4. people over 10 our house wait q
ing 10 help themselves Nov. l saw
esther, he added beseechingly. as he
observed the severity in her face. you
know as we'll as / do that twenty pao-
pie can't get into one cherry tree. IN 4,
nave TO paciiy 'em with something else
and Jane can't find a thing in the
house
The latter half of this speech was
delivered TO Esther's irate back. as
they walked i'm a procession of two
around 20 the outside cellar-door. the ID
entrance 10 a base OF supplies that
never failed poor Tunis I'm his eXtrem-
lty. When they issued from the dark
depths. he was clasping tightly to his
heart big stone crock heaped with
cookies, and Esther, as she reflected
en- her wasted mornings work. dung
after him parting shaft
Heaven only knows. Tune Van
Brunt. what ever viii become % you
when I'm dead"
The man stood stock-stiI. with
sudden shock that nearly finished the :
crock ON the stone wall, and looked
after her receding figure with fright
oned expression in his eyes
Heaven only knows" be said. with
sigh which was almost a sob. what
/ could dO?"
So the summers came to Tupis and
his cherry tree. tarried briefly and =
slipped away. until one day they found
themselves old and quite ready to be
cut down. The man lived his lie
backward now in dreams OF lo9g-sone "A
Juncs. and tie Tree had forgotten how
10 blossom and bear save In a feeble
reflective way that was like memory. .;
TUnis would go out and stand under
its dropping leaves and fancy himself
once more a sChoOlbOy. hand i'm hand
with Esther. that happy day when she
brought him bunch of oxhearts i'm
her iirtle dirty pocket. Once more
he tasted the luscious sweetness Of the =
dark --UiC favored with her childish F,
love and the grit from her pocket
treasures. once more he boarded the
pits and stole out at dusk to plant
them i'm his own garden plot; and
again ne watched with daily recurring
Joy the little sprig of green that grew
at last TO a tall tree. 20 become FOR him
the secret commemoration OF a life ?
long affection. ID
The noisy voices Of Esther's chill
dren would sometimes break into the
old mans revery their cries and
laughter, and their mothers tones caIl- ,
inS them home. Again, the tall sons
and daughters came back from school
and college, where Uncle Tunes gen
crosby had sent them; and once more
M memory's panorama they married
or passed away into the engulhug mists
of the greater world. Again. they re-
turned for brief stays, or to invoke
the ever-ready help Of their neNt-door
GmOner.
Hrl tn. It,,,,- thn- c-...-1 49, -. l..-.-