The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-10-28
REMiNlSCENCE
Chapter 10

One afternoon in early May, Sat
urday that had been as blue and as
cloudless as the best of the June
weather, We were sitting out on the
farmhouse porch. We had all worked
hard that day, and this was a little
interlude between the days cleaning,
the prepara ton for the gigantic din
ner that always took place Sunday,
the preparation of that evenings meal,
and the milking
Esther was resting; she had been at
1t hard since early morning. Laura
was peeling potatoes. l was doing
some of the drawn-work for Vis dress.
And vi herself was out on the lawn
IN the sun, her hair hanging about
her, studying. The light caught her
gold hair, shampooed that day, and
made it shine like polished metal.
From time to time I glanced at her,
my eyes drawn by the sheer pleasure
of looking at the brilliant mass of
hair.
Esther, lying back in a rocker, fol-
lowed by eyes.
'She has nice hair, hasn't sile?"
she asked Looks we'll after it's
been washed. Now l never can make
mine do anything l want for weeks,
and Laura's hair is too limp to look
well, either. But vi can do hers up
as nice right after washing as before
She observed her da lighter pensively.
81 don't know where vi got her
yellow hair she went on. 1.-THE
was black, yours was dark, too,
once"-a casual glance at my mouse
colored head followed. "My mother
had sort of nice hair, but it was
brown too. vi doesn't look like eth
er family; guess she was sort of
slipped in"
These elementary studies in hered-
ity are common among mothers, and
are a hopeful sign. The only trouble
seems to be that the mothers specu
late as to where the children obtained
certain characteristics. If they would
only go further and study the traits
of the families, in order to combat in
herited weaknesses. But Esther, Of
course, never went in for anything SO
profound.
Some times I think vi looks like
me, some times like jim" she went
on. your Pa used to say she looked
like you, when she was baby. But
Lord, you don't look no more alike!"
She laughed comfortably, swaying
back and forth in the rocker.
Aunt Ends a brunette" Laura
supplied.
"You was-were-a pretty kid
Enid, as l remember you Plainly
Esther was in reminiscent mood
You used to have some curl to your
hair and it was fuzzy and shiny, like
Wis. Only yours was dark, of course.
You had a nice little nose, too. Re
member how l used to admire it be-
cause it was Small?"
ma, it's a sign of age when you
start talking about your childhood
Laura said.
"Well. I never denied l was Old
Something in Esther's tone made me
feel had denied the act that | was
o1d-it held notes of accusation.
remembered the white dress and blue
sash incident, and my face felt hot.
I'm middle-aged, and I've got
MY job in life is mostly done; it will
be when you all get married. OF
course, I've got to keep Jim comfort
able"
Was there nothing in life but that,
wondered? To grow up, to bear
children to keep a family comforta BILE
and then-to die! What of the women
like myself, denied love and hus-
band and children? Should we not
have died in the very beginning? Sure
ly there was something else
Esther's voice went on:
Enid was pretty, and she was aw-
full romantic. Her mother had senti-
mental ideas, and named her out of a
book. When we waS-I mean, when
We were both kids, we used to play
real lively games, and Enid would
shin up trees and go over fences
remember the day we tried to ride