Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-04-24
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Interrupted Ferns
nnuauuoaouuc clcos;as o apuoroancu

IF had not been interrupted this
morning. | should have had the whole
long afternoon with you. Now | must
make cake and"
What were the Interruptions" ask
ed Aunt Lucy with smile. as she
gave her hat 10 her pretty niece ana
sat down in the kitchen rocker. Il WAS
a bride once. you know
IL never dreamed there could be SO
many Interruptions, sighed Marion
FosS This morning had my sched-
ule before me, as usual. ana had reach
cd l., busting, when Mrs. Dodge r4n
across the back yard and almost dag
ged me home with her. Just because
my mother was a nurse, she thought |
ought to know better remedy for a
croupy baby than she-the mother of
four-and the doctor expected IN
twenty minutes. When | sot home |
tried TO make up the lost half hour.
but 1t was gone forever.
Then, at 9;45, as was sitting flour
for cake. Deacon Stone drove up and
presented subscription paper for old
Mr. Rand, who lost his only horse last
week. When he left. il was time to
get dinner, for Harry comes home ev-
cry day exactly at noon, That is why
am making this cake at l:30 instead
OF at IL Is. | am sorry to have you
sit in this hot kitchen. but love to
have you near me. Can you stand it,
stand it," Aunt Lucy laughed 1T
Is about ten degrees cooler today than
the day twenty years ago, when | sat
down and cried because | couldn't do
ten hours work in five. |. too. was
worrying over my interruptions when
something feathery brushed my cheek.
looked up into the face OF young
teacher who was spending the sum
mer with friend of mine. Her arms
were full of ferns.
"'These are interrupted ferns said
the girl. 4 am going to decorate the
north porch with them. Aren't they in
teresting"
interrupted ferns.' exclaimed.
thinking for a moment she was max
ing fun Of me What are those black
things in the center?'
1.-The Interruptions, of course--the
fruiting portion the teacher explain
ed. Nearly all ferns have the spores
hidden on the under side of the fronds
but in this species they are very no
tceable,' and she held up large fern
that | had always called a common
brake. Instead of bearing leaves, or
pinnae, as Miss Fulton called them.
all the way down the feathery part OF
the stem, this fern had in the center
three pairs of very dark projections
that looked like blasted pinnae. And
those. Marion. were the spores. the es'
sential part of the fern.
when l went back to my work l
thought constantly of the interrupted
fern. Was 1t possible that the inter
ruptions that troubled me so deeply
were the fruitful part Of my life?
would not believe il at first, but in
time | found it to be very often true.
And So Marion, | wonder if the thirty
minutes YOU spent with that distracted
mother this morning will not count for
more in your life than the removal OF
all dust from your house? And your
gift of money, | am sure, will bring
more happiness to your unfortunate
neighbor than you and Harry could
get from your most delicious cake.
Il wonder If the interrupted fern
would grow under my pantry win
dow" said young Mrs. Foss. with
bright smile. Il want one where can
look at 1t several times day"