The Washington herald., 1913-10-12

"HCH lliG llOul nOOI was SdiCiN
closed she sat bolt upright on the
couch, upon which she had been in
structed to rest, her eyes travelling
eagerly from furniture to pictures, TAX
ing in every niche of the living-room,
in which Martha and Caroline and Sa-
die had played through their child
hood-had spent their girlhood days
until one by one they had gone off to
college, leaving The-Little-O -Old-Lady
and The Big Oldham quite alone.
The-Little-Old-LadyS mind travelled
over a thousand dear memories OF
days long gone by-happy. useful years
of them-bringing her thought up TO
the time when Martha and Caroline
and Sadie had come home from col
lege, one by one. She remembered
that night they had sat in this very
living-room for hours after she had
gone to bed, talking in subdued tones,
and the next morning had begun
new regime in the old home. Martha,
who was the oldest of the three. slipped
into the room of The-Little-O -Old-Lady
very early in the morning and told her
that she would attend to the carly
morning duties. and The-Little-Old-
Lady received the news with feeling
akin to gratitude, because the expert
ence was so new TO her. For many
years she had gotten up early in order
to assist the one maid-of-all-work in
the smaller things about the breakfast,
and it was quite a novel experience to
60 down and find the butter put around
in the little plates at each place; the
water poured; the market list made
{ .t,a H. IL,
Perhaps it was because of its novelty
that The-Little-Old-Lady smiled at
Martha and made no protest
seemed Fair Enough.
Then came the news that Caroline
and Sadie were going to do the dust
ing in the future. They told The
-Old-Lady that she had toiled for
them through all the years, and now
she was just 10 rest and live the bal
ance OF her life in peace. They said
it was nothing more than fair, which
seemed very true.
And this was how it came about that
little by little the aspect of the whole
house was changed to conform to the
tastes OF Martha and Caroline and
Sadie-how it came about that The
Little-Old-Lady was laid on the shelf
OF idleneSs, labeled "UselesS" it
happened that she sprang bolt upright
on the couch, where Martha had left
her alone with regret, and made a
careful survey of the living-room,
where her girls had played as babies
and had now SO completely trans
formed it that it did not seem to The
Little-Old-Lady like her home at all.
But what was she to do?
She knew that the kindness of their
hearts had promoted the grown daugh-
tiers to take the responsibility of her
household from her shoulders, and that
they had not realized that their en-
thusiasm had carried them so far as
to totally obliterate the personality OF
e-Little-Old-Lady from the home
which she had been forty years in
making. Nor was the living-room the
only one which had given up its one
time honey atmosphere TO modern
smartness; for every nook in the big,
house bore the stamp OF
the college girls.
But the living-room was the one
which mattered most to The-Little-
Old-Lady, for it was before its open
fire she had rocked all her babies.
Here she had made their little frockS
here she had spent so many evenings
sitting in the fireglow with The-Big-
Oldham. So many OF the oldfash-
ioned things which had been closely
associated with her life had been rele-
gated by Caroline and Sadie to the
attic, while those which had been lett
had been changed around until the for
mer aspect of the room had been lost
and until The-Little-Old-Lady felt like
a stranger in strange place.
Her Inspiration.
As she sat on the side of the couch,
pondering i'll her mind these many
things, sudden inspiration came to
her. Sadie and Caroline were play
ing golf and would not be home till
night; Martha's business downtown
was urgent and of a nature to detain
her many hours. The-Little-O Old-Lady
looked at the clock. Pushing the
couch back into its accustomed corner,
she ran from the room, calling TO the
maid, who had been with her for
many years.
Mary" said The-Little- -O1d-Lady,
when she had reached the kitchen door,
Il want you to stop everything and
help me-" And she led the way to the
attic, where they dragged out the one
time things she loved, and, with the
help of the faithful maid, who entered
into the spirit of The-Little-Old-
Lady's undertaking, she got them back
into the living-room. There they
worked, mistress and maid. all the
afternoon, and when they were through
the pictures hung just where The-Lit-
had seen them hang
through all the years; the old-fash- |
ioned furniture was back in its accus-
toned place, and once more the living
room of the old-fashioned house took
on the character of The-Little-Old- |
Lady.
The-Big Oldham was the first to
come home. He found her sitting in
the freglow-for the evening was
where he hadSeen her sit !
and sing lullabies to the babies in the
years before modern ideas began to
persuade women that the natural in
stincts of their motherhood were never
to be obeyed.
The-Big Oldham stood in the door
way, watching The-Little-Old-Lady
rocking away in the fireglow, humming
an old-time song, and from her his