The Parma herald., 1915-01-14


All, the greatest good OF all had not
vanished. and that was the love they
bore one to the other. The sunshine
came flooding back into mothers
heart. She lifted her face. beautiful.
rosy, eternally young. This was the
man for whom she had gladly rieked
want and poverty. the displeasure OF
her own people. almost half a century
ago. Now at last she could point him
out to all her little world and say,
See, he gives me the red side of the
applet" She lifted her eyes. two
bright sapphires swimming with the
diamond dew of unshed. happy tears.
I'm a-thinkin'. father" she twit-
tered. that naow me an yew be
argwine SO fur apart, we be a-gittin'
closer tergether In speret than we've
ever been afore."
Abe bent down stiffly to brush her
cheek with his rough beard, and then,
awkward. as when boy of sixteen he
had first kissed her. shy, ashamed at
this approach to return of the old
time love making. he seated himself
at the small. bare table.
This warped. hill-and-dale table OF
the drop-leaves, which had been
brought from the attic only today
after resting there for ten years, had
served as their first dining-table when
the honeymoon was young. Abe
thoughtfully drummed his hand on the
board, and as Angy brought the tea,
pot and sat down opposite him, hei
recalled:
I'VE had bread an tea an appleI
sass the day we set up housekeepin'.
dew yew remember. Angy?"
AN l burned the apple sass" she
supplemented. whereupon Abe chuck
led, and Angy went on with a thrill.
of genuine gladness over the fact that
he remembered the details of that
long-ago honeymoon as we'll as she:
"Yew don't mind havin' no butter to-
night, dew yer, father?"
He recalled how he had said to her
at that first simple home meal: "Yew
don't mind bein' poor with me, dew
yer, Angy?" Now, with silent shakei
Of his head. he stared at her, wonder
ing how 1t would seem to eat at table
when her face no longer looked at
him across the board, to sleep at night
when her faithful hand no longer lay
within reach of his own. She lifted
her teacup, he lifted his, the two gaz-
ing at each other over the brims. both
half-distressed, half-comforted by the
fact that love still remained their
toastmaster after the passing of all
the years. or a sudden Angy ex-
claimed, I'VE fergot ter say grace
Shocked and contrite, they covered
their eyes with their trembling old
hands and murmured together: Dear
Lord, we thank thee this day for our
daily bread"
Angy opened her eyes to find the red
roses cheerfully facing her from the
back OF the rocking chair. A robin
had hoped upon the window sill lust
outside the patched and rusty screen
and was joyfully caroling to her his
views of life. Through the window
vines in which the bird was almost
meshed the sunlight sifted softly into
the stripped, bare and lonely room.
Angy felt strangely encouraged and
comforted. The roses became sym-
bolical to her of the "lilies of the field
which toll not, neither do they SPIN"
the robin was one of the two SPAR
rows sold for farthing, and one OF
them shall not fall to the ground with
out your Father" while the sunlight
seemed to call out to the little old
lady who hoped and believed and
loved much: Fear ye not therefore
Ye are of more value than many
sparrowsl"