The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-02-26
AUNT Annals ANXIETY
BY LUCILLE CUMMINGS.

seems SO out of the question to me
that when | received q letter from
Aunt Anna asking all the family
out to the farm for New Years day
! did not think the invitation needed
to be taken seriously.
She wrote to me because she
wanted me to change the gloves
had sent her for Christmas. They
were several sizes too small for her
and she appeared to think 1t would
be an easy matter for me to exchange
them for the right size. They are
gloves that Carl E,s'es brought me
from Europe two years ago. and
though they are beautiful they are =
little too tight for even my small
hands. Thought. Of course. that Aunt
Anna would simply put them away to
keep for one Of the children. That
| is what she should have done instead
Of insisting that l take the trouble
to change them.
Ones responsibility for present
ought to cease when the gift Is made,
but Aunt Anna is one of those terribly
thorough.going persons who never let
q matter rest until It Is settled to
their satisfaction. shall have to buy
4 pair Of gloves, l suppose. though !
have resolved to be as economical as
possible this year.
Arthur knight had invited me to 90
down to one Of the hotels and see the
old year out. but when inadvertently
mentioned It before father Saturday
morning he Immediately vetoed the
plan.
but. daddy" l told him. 1T will
, be awfully dull for me to sit drearily
at home the last night OF the year
when one always expects to have .
little fun" The disappointment was
so great that couldn't keep my tears
back.
WELL" said father. III you are dreary
in the midst Of your own family ask
some of your friends In and have q
quiet celebration by your own fire.
side"
l acted at once upon this sugges-
ton and when called up Arthur
Knight he said he was glad OF the
change of plan.
t Il don't believe you would have en-
] yed the downtown celebration as
much as you thought you would" he
said. laughingly. Your father Is
quite right We shall have much
better time at your house."
Although am really fond OF Arthur.
l think he is rather foolishly strait.
laced n his ideas
was fortunate in finding mum.
Der of friends who had no engage.
ments for New Years eve and SO It
was a congenial party that gathered
to watch the dying of the old year.
| think every one was little sur
prised at the somewhat elaborate hot
supper we had just at midnight.
managed things so well that 1t was
really very little trouble. got Cousin
Fannie to prepare in advance creamed
chicken for me to serve from the chat
ing dish and have the coffee ready In
the percolator SO Betty could preside
at that.
This careful Encouragement OF
mine made 1t possible for Cousin Fan.
ME and mother to stay in the kitchen
and fry the fresh mushrooms, fill the
patties and make the hot biscuits. In
the morning grandmother had made
some OF her old fashioned molasscs
cake that the men always rave over.
l should have suggested 1t absolutely
fresh, but when | suggested It mother
Immediately objected.
blanche" she said, 1T would be
preposterous for you to keep your
grandmother up till after II o'clock at
night merely TO bake molasses cake"
Why, believe she would like to
do It," answered. Grandmother Is
such wonderful woman that late
hours never feaze her. I'm always
Dragging about how young my granny
u.s."
This pleased grandmother so much
that | think she would have stayed
up all night to bake the cake If that
had been necessary, but still mother
would not let her do as had sug-
gested. Mother really ought to let
grandmother have her own way more.
We were in the midst OF our gay
little feast when the bell rang. Father
emerged from the library and found a
telegraph messenger boy at the door.
Why, what's this?" he exclaimed
when he had glanced at the message
from Aunt Anna: Why didn't yon
Gomez Is any one Ill! | am terribly
anxious"
"Rlanche." said father. calling me
out in the hall. do you know any
thing about this?"
i suppose she expected US out at |
the farm today" | replied.
why should she expect u.s." In.
CURED father.
We'll, she wrote me asking US all |
out for New Years. She said she'd |
expect us II she didn't hear to the |
contrary. Of course knew that none
of US would care to go and In the
excit.ment Of getting up this party
that you wanted me to have forgot
to write her"
Forgot exclaimed father In q very
unkind way. Blanche, without exccp-