Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-06-11
THE EVENING STORY.
Aunt Jemima
(Copyrigh.. 1913. hr ". Mcrner.l

her not to come grumbled Ethel. But.
mother. she'll have to sleep on the
davenport IN the living room. or else
you will.
Il won't mind hastily
What does she want to visit Us for.
when she hasn't seen us for fifteen
years. growled Harry. TN bet she
looks just ike hes name. Aunt Jemima.
You girls will have to show her the
sights. 1 Won't.
Not mc." said his youngest sister,
EuSen!a, with decision. II see myself
escorting shabby. old lady. She's sew
enty-threc. isn't she. mother
Seventy-two." said their mother,
tired-eyed little woman. who was busy
keeping enough battercakes on the break
fast table to satisfy three healthy girls
and two hungry young men.
And this is the first time in twenty
years she's been away from that small
ten-acre village where she was born. III
bet she wears hoops ana Il bonnet Of the
vintage of A." ieered Victor
I'm busy myself every night for two
weeks" said Nora. In calm sctisfac-
ton. Mother can take he- to a nickel
show. She'll think that's a treat
hope, said their mother, ncrvousiy,
place to stay but u boarding house be-
fore / married your father ana she had
me come to her. She WAS good to ME.
Everything that she could do to help me
with my clothes she was g.ad 10 do. lie
was her favor1,e nephew. 4 care say she's
oldfasnfoned and shabby. But please
don't mind.
She looked around cntreating;y at the
circle or mutinons young :aces. She re-
mcmbered their father = advice when he
lay on his deathbea eight years before:
Don't spo:i the children. Mary. Don't
wait on trcrn so much or you'll TIC sorry
Sometimes she ieared she had spoiled
them. Sometimes she wondered with an
aching hea t II they cared for her as lit
tic as their careless, selfish ways de-
noted. But she always tried to suppress
the wonder. The girls were busy stenos-
re piers. The BOYS worked i;,rd IN a
wholesale grocery house. 1t Was only be-
cause they were 80 busy that they seemed
selfish. If they had time they would
have noticed things-that her bonnet was
shabby. for instance, and that she got
tired OF staying home every day cooking
every evening reading.
Il hope you'll be NICE to her she re-
pea ted, earnestly.
Gee I'm late cried Victor, and
You surely don / expect US to parade
he- around town" Ethel said, irritably.
Anyway. I'm -ushcd to dea,h.''
They all filed out, handsome well
uIcSScu InpIr nCCneF signed, DUl
she had to hurry to get the dishes washed
aud the laundry gathered. She did not
mention Aunt JENNA again until a week
later. when she tod Harry that the old
lady was coming that day. Could he get
on at noon, meet the train and bring
her out? I'm not used TO finding de-
! potts. she told her son, coaxingly.
II can't" nc said, With vim. Tell
fer to get In cab and come out. :
Then he hurried out before she could
him Victor poll1dr'f al
the girls. She had to go herself
Despite her inexperience she found
the depot. found Aunt Jemima, a little
old lady. with shining white hair, sharp
! black coat and skirt. The first even
ing passed more pleasantly than she
had hoped. The girls and. boys were
very cordial, kissed the little old lady
with fair semblance of affection, told
her how glad they were to see her.
and. having no engagements. chartered
in lively. entertaining fashion ali
evening. --'-. ~-s~'---'.~-- 49,
Ethefs eyebrows went up when Aunt
Jemima placidy let out that she would
stay probably. month or longer, and
Eugenia grt,Haced Their mother was
alarmed, but Aunt Jemifna wasn't
looking at them. and rambled on in I'M
conscious JOY of an assured welcome.
The next evening. every one had an
engagement and hurried from the din
ner table to dress-;4 dance. they eX-
planned airily to Aunt Jemima--and the
next they went away. Eugenia to a
theater. the others visiting. The fol-
lowing night they lounged at home for
an hour after dinner then Victor saun-
tered out Harry and Ethel went to a
nickel show and the others went some
where else
Their mother and Aunt Jen,ima sat
at home Young folks like to gad''
said their mother. alphabetically "And
| they work hard all day. Her face
flushed under Aunt Jemima's sharp
eyes. She was miserably conscious that
Il understand" said Aunt Jemima.
easily. You remember Ruthy Pei
Lew. who lived across the road Shes
here in the. city. Married well. and her
wrote that her oldest boy bought her
an electric runabout last year. Let's
go over and see her tomorrow. 1 got
her address,
Only" her voice quarered, 81 guess
my clothes are pretty seedy. Next
| month maybe I'll get-a new coat. I'd
hate to have Ruthy see the one l got
now"
"Of course" said Aunt Jemiina. She
cleared her throat, hemmed. hawed and
finally blurted out. Sort Of a contrast
in the way Eugenia and Ethel and
Nora dress-and you Nora's charmeuse
| dress cost $40 didn't it?'
They have to dress well" quickly
You see. they work"
II see one thing. Mary BRADY grim
ly. that you are u Woodworking old
fool. I'm surprised at you. It's your
fault. What did you train 'cm that
way for
II don't know. aba ndoning pretensc
IT wanted EN- to have as easv a time
as could. And they don't near to he
sells they're just thoughtless.
Yes. calmly. II guess III jol; some
thought into EN-.
Mary Brady looked frightened If
Aunt Jemira undertook to lecture
them they might say things
Don't worrE. said Aunt Jemma
.'rll handle 'em careful as if they was
yong chickens with the pip
The next evening Ethel who got
home first, found dark fiat a cold gas
stove and no dinner in sight. Eugenia
arriving ten minutes. later rummaged
| ,1uallKlAll.