The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-10-21
MORE ABOUT THE FAMILY.
Chant ar

Jim looked up and grunted a greet
ing as l sat down. Esther HANDED us
each a plate with the meat ALREADY
cut and placed on it, and we reached
for the vegetables. There were boiled
potatoes-there were always pollea
potatoes, We had them at all three
meals-and there were beans, ana
canned tomatoes. And we had steWed
fruit, also canned, and cake for des-
sert-
I remember because all our meals
ran so, except on special OCCASIONS.
And then we had two sorts Of meat
instead of one, and some OF Esther
special preserves. and cake with ICING
instead of the plain sort that did no.
take so many eggs.
Esther wiped her face on her apron
and looked fretfully over at James.
Put your book down, James, she
reprimanded her son. TO see you
bury your nose in book every chance,
you'd think you was a regular DOCK
worm"
81 like to read, and don't get time,
James replied, putting his book away
reluctantly.
If you like to read so, why aren't
you ahead in your lessons?' Esther
went on. Here's vi younger than
you, and in your class at school, ana
gets higher marks
The red of shame spread over
James face The red Of anger, too, for
his gray eyes flashed as he spoke
up.
Maybe if you hadn't taken me out
of school a year to help build the
new barn, I might get better marks.
Maybe if you hadn't kept me away
from school so much three years ago
to mend the north field fence, and in
the spring to do the plowlng-
None of your sass Jim spoke up
angrily.
Il might have been ahead where
belong" James finished his sentence
! in spite of everything.
You're at the table, have some
manners!" Jim fairly roared 1T out,
and having reproved his sons bad
manners, he went head down again
attacking his supper with more noise
| than grace.
Violet moved restlessly. These fire.
uuent family quarrels upset her; If
| they were too prolonged, she lost her
appetite. But l was the only one OF
| the family who saw that
\
| began looking at my family crit
| ically. There was Jim--thick set, sun
| burned, his face full of lines, not lines
! Of character but lines Of work, his
stiff black hair full of gray, the begin
ming of a bald spot showing at the
| top. His dark eyes, that once used tc
| be rather fine, seemed smaller to me
perhaps because the skin around them
was little puffy.
There was Esther, getting very IA,
! indeed, shapeless, careless, her skin
hot and red from bending over the
stove, her once yellow hair dirty
mouse color, her once blue eyes fadeG
and blank.
| There was the son, James, with {
high forehead like his father, and vel
low hair like his mother. The upper
half of his face was that of the dream
er-there he looked as Jim looked II
the old days. The lower half of his
face was thick set very much like hi:
mothers. From the eyes and forehead
orha would think James could be any
| thing; from his mouth and chin anC
thick cheeks, one would fear he Nigh
do nothing at all.
And lastly, there was Vi-the young
est, the baby, my pet. They had al
lowed me to name her and chose
Violet because Of her deep blue, almos
purple-blue eyes.
Violet grew up as slender and grace
full as reed. Her hair kept the golt
of sunlight, her eyes stayed always
that lovely, deep, deep blue. Her skin
was quite white, and her cheeks al
most too bright pink. Her face was
long and slender too, with high fore
head, a thin and somewhat irregular
nose, and a pointed chin. Indeed, he
face might have been thought thin
except for the fact that her cheek:
were full towards the eyes, so tina
when she smiled. the line of the cheel
on a three-quarter face view, made ;
marvelously graceful curve.
| wondered where, from these two
families, she had inherited the man!
wonderful qualities she possessed. Sht
was like a bright bird staying rest
lessly among us.
Jim spoke suddenly, breaking the
silence that fell upon us when he hat
scolded James.
| "Where'S Laura"
'To Dryers" Esther answered
Mrs. Dwyer is showing her som,
fancy embroidery Stitches"
"One sensible girl, anyway" Jim ap
proved, n deep growl in his voice