Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1912-09-27
The Big Cele-
bratiOn
nAyITn = GATr
(Copyright, 1912. by Associated Literary
Press.)
By DAVID c. GALE

It was a sweltertng day when the
letter came, one Of the days that
makes you wonder why cities are
built. The streets were parohed and
glaring, and the oflces-everyone
knows how they are In midsummer.
Marshall Kenton leaned back in his
chair with his eyes half closed. A
bit of paper had set him to dreaming
of the distant hillside where he had
first become acquainted with green
fields and shade trees.
"If you could arrange 1t so as to
be at home the frss week in August,
the letter ran, there's going to be
big celebration. Town Is hundred
years old. Most likely you would see
some people you know"
So the sleepy old town had decided
to mark the advent of It's second CEN
tury with birthday party. What a
record Of uneventful yearsl He could
remember when, as a boy, he had
climbed the hill out beyond the mea-
dow and counted every house In the
village. And the last time he was at
home he had found it surprisingly
easy to point out those same houses.
THAT was when Alice was married., =.
he mused. Five years-no-can IL
be as long ago as that? I wouldn't
have believed It"
All that afternoon he was living,
amid old-time surroundings. Once
more he set out on the path that
leads up past the trout-brook to the
spring in the edge of the woods. He
threw himself down beside 1t as OF
old, and watched the bubbles zigzag
their way to the surface. He couldI
almost hear the call Of the south wind
in the naples over his head. FL
When he reached home at night. his.
eye was still vibrant with boyish en-
thusiasm.
"You must have had good day.
was his wife's greeting.
'I got letter from home" came the
smiling reply.
"Then I'm sure there must be
something nice in it-you are 80 light
hearted. You ran up the walk like a.
boy"
81 am a boy" he cried. as he hand
ed her the letter "T've been boy all
the afternoon. Don't ask for rea-
son; it's impossible to explain 1t. No
>one can tell why this letter Of all the
others should have given me such a
backward turn-unless it's the hum
dred years idea. Anyway, I've squan-
dered my time in dreaming. + i
And have you decided to goF
1--WE must. 1t would be-a crime to
put it off any longer. business >or no
business. hadn't realized until to-
day that It's been five years since we
paid the old folks visit No wonder
they keep asking when we are COM
ing home" =
"I'll tell you what you ought to do,"
she exclaimed. Get the whole family
home"
"Ours"
"No-theirs."
"The old house wouldn't begin to
hold u.s." protested Marshall.
'T mean their sons and daughters
OF course I would love to go myself
and take the children" she fastened
to add, "but. that can come later. Just;
for this once, I'd like to have you all
go back alone. In no other way could.
you give your father and mother so
much real pleasure; 1t would seem
like old times to them. Think of what
it would mean to- you, too"
"I don't believe 1t can be arranged
The rest of the family might not be!
able to get away"
"Oh, yes 1t can" she persisted. It'll
write to them tonight"
Thus 1t came about that, on the first
Monday in August, the grown-up Ken.
ton children we're on their way to the
big celebration They met at little
town six miles from their destination.
They met there because the train
could carry them no nearer-beyond
that point the stage was their only
choice 1t was the same stage which,
had carried them to and fro when
they we're children In reality.
Had Uncle Jerry. the driver, been
in charge OF things that afternoon. he
would never have set out with any
such collection Of baggage and ex-
press-he would have left a part Of 1t
until the following day. But the boy
was sanguine, and thought he could
take 1t all. He was about ready to
start when the Kentons came In
sight
"Wait a minute!" wheezed Mar
shall who had. run on ahead to make
arrangements. where's Uncle Jer.
ry?" r..
"He's sick I'm driving today"
"Can you make room for us?"
Guess so-if you don't mind being
crowded, Get In anywhere you can"
At any other time they would have
resented such accommodations, but on
this particular day 1t seemed like an
other touch of realism. Often, in
years gone by. had they started for
home after spending the day in town,
only to be confronted by similar con-
.ditions. So they climbed in among
the strawberry crates and n,oij
pouches without word of protest.
even the boy was surprised at +ha,r
cheerfulness.
ITS a shame the way we've baa,
neglecting the old people" exclaimed
Alice, as the stage toiled along over
the country road. 81 don't believe
they've seen any of US since the day