Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1915-01-15

mornin'."
"Why, Abel It's slieked ez slick ez |
1t kin be naow." However. the old
wife reached up as he bent his tall,
angular form over her, and smoothed
again his thin, wet locks. He laughed
little, self-mockingly. and she
laughed back, then urged him into the
hall, and, slipping ahead. led the way
downstairs. At the first landing, which
brought them into full view OF the
lower hall, he paused, possessed with
the mad desire 10 run away and hide,
for at the foot of the stairway stood
the entire flock of old ladies. Twenty
/, nine pairs of eyes we're lifted to him
and Angy, twenty-nine pairs of lips
were smiling at them. To the end OF
, his days Abraham remembered those
smiles. Reassuring, unselfish and
tender, they made the old mans heart
swell, his emotions go warning to-
gether.
He wondered, was grateful. yet ne
grew more confused and afraid. lie
stared amazed at Angelina, who
seemed the embodiment Of self-posses-
sion, lifting her dainty, proud little
gray head higher and higher. She
turned to Abraham with a protecting,
motherly little gesture OF command
for him to follow, and marched gal
lantly on down the stairs. Humbly.
trembling at the knees, he came with
gingerly steps after the little old wife,
he nf hQF nnWl
How unworthy he had always been,
vet never realized to the full until this
moment He knew what those smiles
meant. he told himself, watching the
uplifted faces; they were to soothe
his sense Of shame and humiliation.
to touch with rose this dull gray color
Of the elimination of his failures. He
passed his hand over his eyes, iercely
praying that the tears might not come
to add to his disgrace.
And all the while brave little Angy
kept smiling, until with truly GLAD
leap of the heart she caught sight Of
a blue ribbon painted in gold shining
: on the breast of each one OF the
: twenty-nine women. A pale blue NIB
bon painted in gold with-yes, peerine
her eyes she discovered that 1t was
. the word WELCOMED" The forced
smile vanished from Angelines face
Her eyes grew wet, her cheek white
\ Her proud figure shrank. She turned
and looked back at her husband. No
/ for one instant did she appropriate
y the compliment to herself. This II
for you'll" her spirit called out to him
! while new pride dawned in he
working face.
/ Forty years had she spent apologia
n ing for Abraham, and now she undei
. stood how these twenty-nine generou
old hearts had raised him to the pedes
u tai of hero, while she stood heroin
ID beside him. Angy 1t was who tremble
a now, and Abe, gaining manly coul
o. age from that. took hold OF her arr
W to steady her-they had paused on
OF step near the foot Of the stairs--ant
ID looking around with his whimsicf
re smile, he demanded Of the bedecke
ie company in general. Ladies. be ye'
IT 'spectin' the PRESIDENT"
ly Cackle went the cracked old voice
is of the twenty-nine in chorus OF a.
10, preciative laughter, while the oil
10 heads bobbed at one another as II
ut gay. Wont he be an acquisition
at And then, from among the group thei
te came forward Blossy-Blossy. who hs
NJ sacrificed most that this should CON
Dc to pass: Biossy, who had sat till mi
OF night painting the goldnnd-blue ri
he bons; Blossy, the pride and beau
us of the home, in delicate. old, yello'
ar real lace gown. She held her tv
'at hands gracefully and mystoriously b
an hind her back as she advanced to Il
foot of the stairs. Looking steadi
Ter In Abraham's eyes, she kept a-smilii
IN until he felt as If the warmth of
to belated spring had beamed upon hill
on THE PRESIDENT" Her mellow, we
It'll modulated voice shook. and 81
led laughed with mingling Of genera
sre 10Y and tender pity. Are we expe'
sti- ing the president? You dear. mode
lily man! We are welcoming-you"
all Abe looked to Angy as II to 81
to "How shall take it," and behold! t
or miracle of his wife's bosom swelli
'ne and swelling with pride in him.
,ne turned back, for Blossy was making
wn speech. His hand to his head.
a bent his good ear to listen. In teri
ng, poetical and touching she descrih
the loneliness of the life at the hol
let as It had been with no man unt
hat the roof of the house and only de
hull and-dumb gardener who hated her s
led, In the barn. Then in contrast
his painted life as 1t must be for the |
an ters now that the thirty, tender vii
had found a stanch old oak for tn
oke clinging. "Me?" queried Abraham
rm. himself and, with another sill
aow glance, of Angy.