Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-11
THE EVENING STORY.
DAY OF GOLD.
,copyrlght, 1914, by ". wernerJ

Harriet Hess was shaking rug at her
back door. 1t was worn, down to the
warp. for 1t lay before the sitting room
door and every one of the eight feet of
her men folks had to tread upon it be-
fore entering.
Harriet felt this morning she was worn
out. 1t seemed to need more strength
than she had to shake the rug. And
when she thought that she must go on
shaking it until either she or it gave
out utterly curious despair seized her.
She had an idea that the old rug would
eutlast her. Signing heavily, She flung
II aside and sank down on the door
step and let her eyes go a-gaZing where
they would.
What she saw was what she had seen
each time she opened her back door for
the space of twenty-eight years. There
was the path wriggling toward the
garden. gathered now. for the frosts had
come early: the pear tree and the apple
tree and the reluctantly growing grape
vine which she had trained with her
own hands. This. and more. against
a background of other peoples build
ings. II she had turned the other way
she would have seen nothing better
for the house she lived in was gray and
shabby. set in a row of similar houses
Only poor folk and renters lived on
East street. Harriet was no renter. but
she was poor enough, heaven knew.
Sometimes her poverty got up and
snarled in her face. There no
other stir in her life. She washed dishes.
swept made beds, cooked. ironed and
mended. Her task waited unfailinsly
For a good while she had called herself
slack and slow, but this morning she
was forced to see that life was getting
the better of her Poverty always had
had the better of her. And what did
she amount to. anyway.
g 4.
to anybody, even to her husband and
her three sons. There had always been
a good deal of pulling and hauling"
between them. First she had wanted
Jake to be ambitious and get ahead. But
Jake would only work when he was hun
CRY, and thus have ample time in which
to go a-straying with his gun with
his fishpole. The boys We're like him
joyous, irresponsible young fellows. They
worked. but their money escaped their
hands like water. They would never ac-
cumulate. They had gone this morning
by an early train to the city. where a
great game of bail was to be played
Jake had no money. so he had taken
his fishpole and gone to seek the river
She had put up a bite for his dinner
knowing that he would not return until
dark. So she was left alone with the
house and her work and her own dreary
thoughts.
A maple leaf drifted down upon her
hand that lay listless in her lap. Its
touch aroused her. She took the leaf up
and examined il curiously. Nature had
done her best for 1t and the frost had
finished the job. Harriet half smiled as
she looked at il. 1t was many years
since she had remembered those far-off
days of her young girlhood. when she
had gone into the woods after maple
leaves. 1t seemed to her that she could
smell the fragrance of the woods. and
that she would give anything to be back
there and with her girlhood for one
hour
Il could go on then-real brave" she
said to herself. Il could start right in
where I am now and go on real brave.
With this leaf in her hand she felt
q strange yearning after more. She put
II to her nose and the tang of frost
and free air was still perceptible. She
looked up at the sky. She was amazed
To find 1t blue and deep. Actually the
sun was shining In all its glory.
Its fine day.. she murmureG. THE
woods must be beautiful How I'd like
to see them. Seems like they'd rest one
and hearten me. My men folks have
gone on a holiday. 7 amt had a holiday
In twenty weight years" She caught her
breath in a little gasp Of establishment
my sakes. a piece Of machinery wouldn't
run that long without going to pieces.
They have to rest machinery. l amt
never rested. except when 1 set in
church, and that amt often, for the men
folks always like a good Sunday dinner"