The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-03-27

'
spent with an aunt. of Jacks up ir
North Sidney, taking the boys on 8
never-to-be-forgotten visit. The Sc
cond was the time that she went
with Sam Hold and myself and oul
wives down to Boston to the famous
Fair in the old Mechanics Hall.
This tired scribe has forgotten now
exactly how it was that we happen
ed to go and take Mary. I think she
had broken down temporarily after
Fred had the scarlet fever and for
week or SO just after Tom left for
college and fearing for her health,
think we utilized our railroad passes
freely issued to newspapermen in
those halycon days of country jour
nalism-and made Mary the fifth of
our party.
But if we Of the office have for
gotten the little details of how Mary
CHANGED to be with US, emphatically
we have not forgotten what happened
on that trip and the pathos of the girl
who married Jack Purse for love-in
one situation that came from that
journey.
For we saw the Great Zola-the
Truman woman, nee Henderson-in
all her glory.
1t was Sam who found the notice in
newspaper as we lounged late one
winters afternoon in the lobby of
the old Parker House.
"The famous contralto, the Great
Zolar he cried "Sufferin' Moses, Bill,
do you suppose that could be Mibb,"
'What about the famous contralto,
the Great Zola?"
''She's singing here! She's giving
concert here tonight"
We read the advertisement. We
passed it to our womenfolk and to
Mary. It was Mary who turned the
page in trife of bewilderment and
uncertainty and we fancied a
bit of usefulness. And it CHANGED
then that she turned open the pages
of the theatrical section. From the
page picture stared at US. There
was no installing that picture. It
was indeed Mibb-Mabel Of cur office.
And beneath was the usual press
agent wrote-up of Mibb's wonderful
talent
ut sort of slops over" declared
Sam disgustedly. Cali the same, if
she can sing now as she sang in the
old days, she's certainly some warb
Ter. Folks! let's. go to that
concert"
Mary whitened trif1e. She bit
soft lip Then forced smile broke
over her careworn countenance.
eyes," she said, "let's- go to that
concert. Let's go and hear Nib sing
in public"
And we went.
We secured five tickets from side
walk brokers. I think we paid five
dollars apiece for them. Sam made a
grimace as he gave up the money.
Mary was careworn and a tribe
shabby as of old, though not from
preference the good Lord knows in
His heart. She had matured into
mellow matronhood; the gray was be-
ginning to be more and more notice
able now in her hair; her face was
trife sallow; her hands were grow
ing gnarled, alas like her mothers.
The five of us made somewhat of q
shoddy appearance in that patrlcian
Bostonese audience.
AS we sat there, from the corner
Of an eye I saw Mary watching those
Boston folks. Then, poor soul, knew
by the expression on her face that
she was comparing herself with them
and finding poor consolation in the
comparison. She pulled at her
sleeves, fixed her hair, arranged
frail little bit of ribbon at her throat.
But it was all poor excuse at best
for the lack of finery-real fine1y-
which the starved womanheart of her
| craved. A feeling of sadness came
! over me and a sympathy for Mary u
| that moment such as I had not felt
before. verify not even the afternoon
of Jack Purses burial. And as that
evening went on that sympathy for
her ncreased-increased in lust that
proportion that Mibb was beautiful
where Mary was shabby and shoddy
| For Mibb was beautiful, at least
| from where our usher had seated us
Distance may have lent enchantment
| or it NAV have been Mibb's war-pairt
| in her battle with life. Perhaps il
was her purple and fine linen. ANY.
way. when she finally came onto the
platform Sam at my side emitted 9
low whistle.
| "Oh for Uncle Joe FODDER the
editor declared. "I wonder what re.
| ~4crk he. would make tn look upor
Mibb Henderson now?"
! Mibb had grown stouter. She al
i so had mellowed, at least in her Fl.