South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-03-05

when she had given some final in
structiOns 10 Jennie about Winifred
they hurried down TO the car. Mr.
Stevens greeted her cordially.
we thought ii was too fine a day
for any one to stay indoors" as he
helped her into the car and tucked
the rugs about her.
Now. John, drive out the
road" he directed as they started off
Helen leaned back in the wide
leather seat with sigh of content
Oh, IL was good TO be out To get
away from the chilled loneliness of
her apartment into the warm spring
sunshine.
They were soon speeding through
the park and then on out TO the
-- road. Everywhere were signs
OF spring. Bare-headed children.
barking dogs. and farther out in the
country the smell OF earth and grow
ing things
Helen breathed it all in hungrily.
IL had been so long since she had been
out in the real country. and now reso-
lutely she put from her all anxious
worrying thoughts and gave herself
up to the JOY OF the ride.
chicken scampered across the
road in front OF them or a dog ran
out barking at the car. Here and
there a horse. bearing the scars of
weekday harness, was taking its well
earned Sunday rest in field or barn
yard. Grazing cows looked up with
mild inquiry as they flew past.
Pleasant Scenes.
A country church with a few people
lingering around the door-prObably
the close Of an afternoon service. Then
a cemetery with fresh cut flowers on
several mounds, and a young couple
planting a rose bush on a tiny grave.
closed shops and sleepy Sunday streets.
Mr.. stevens There's a railroad
crossing just ahead"
The bars were down and the flag
man stood there waving his read flag
as a freight train pulled slowly by.
The sunlight fell on the glistening
coal with which the cars were loaded
and lit up the grimy faces of the
brakemen. And when the last car had
rumbled by, the steel tracks shone in
a long glittering line around the curve.
Helen gazed at them drearily. The
sun shining on the steel rails recalled
some vague impression of childhood.
And just now there was a faint odor
of burning leaves-that, too, seemed
part of the picture.
But the bars were raised and they
crossed the tracks and on down the
road before she could place the MEM
DRY. on and on they sped. the soft
air blowing back their wells and
bringing them varied odors of woods
and fields and fresh ploughed grounds.
Ii was after 3 o'clock when they
stopped at a little roadhouse for din
ner and it was quite dusk before they
started back. But the ride back
through the dark was to Helen as
full of charm as it had been through
the bright sunlight of the afternoon.
1t was growing cooler and Mr..
Stevens wrapped the rugs about her
more closely. The night air of the
country has a sweetness of its own,
and the crickets and tree frogs made
a murmurous background.
Ii was almost with regret that Helen
saw the glimmer of distant lights.
which meant the approach of the city.
IL had been a wonderful drive. She
had succeeded in putting aside every
thought but the pleasure of the mo-
ment.
She remembered having once heard
some one say:
eff only we could learn to take our
pleasure in moments. Life gives us
many of them-nOt consecutiVely and
not perhaps the way we would like
most to have them. And yet. how
ever dreary our lot, we all have mo-
ments enough TO make life 1iveable'
if only we would learn TO make the
most of them"
And Helen knew that this drive had
been one of her moments, and she had
made the most of il. She thought OF
the desolate afternoon to which she
had looked forward, but which after
all had not been desslate.
She wondered il she could learn TO
get her pleasures from moments like
these. Was that the lesson life was
trying to teach her-that she could
not have happiness in the way she
wanted il. but must learn 10 accept
and be grateful for whatever mo-
ments of pleasure that came her way?