New Ulm review., 1921-06-15
AUNT WIN
BY LucRETlA M. GARDNER

''NAe w SSI Wy AOLAS ALAS 40 sfAS
tenth time you have brushed against
my dress. You ought to know better.
This isn't any time OF day to beg me
to take you up; dishes not washed,
nothing done. But come along" And
the frail little lady suited the action
to her words and lifted the sturdy
maltese into her lap. '
Il am just as blue as milestone,
Tom," she said, "and ought not to
be, for that was as good a serman as
ever heard preached. Just boiled
down common sense, and there ought
not to be any dregs left to worry my
soul. You can't say anything, can you,
Tom, but you're purring like music
box"
A sudden knock sounded at the
door, was followed by girls voice.
tits only Molly, Aunt Win" Then
when the frail little lady drew the
bolt, the young voice exclaimed !:
'Why, never knew you to bolt the
door at this time of day. Are you
sick?
Molly rushed across the threshold,
gave Aunt, Win hearty hug, then
looking at the table in the living room,
with its barely touched food, said:
"You must be sick. for you have not
eaten q mite for dinner"
"Sit down, child," Aunt Win an
swered quietly, 81 was just talking
with Tom and wondering what the
matter was with me-"
"That was tip-top sermon, wasn't
1t, Aunt Win? 1t just made me sit up
and take notice, but you didn't need to
take 1t to heart" Molly said, patting
her listeners cheek.
"Dear child, that's just It'll OF
course" Aunt Win explained, when it
comes to making a loaf Of cake or
knitting, to help my church do my
mite, but" pause emphasized by
the solemn ticking Of the tall clock,
and then, "but, Molly, when It's a case
of dollars and cents haven't any to
give, and yet I love my church and
what it stands for as dearly as any
one in this place Why shouldn't I?
1t has helped me when everything was
swept from me, and isn't that test?
I have found my faith fit to live by
and expect to die by it when my call
comes" III
Perhaps this dreary dark day has
upset you," suggested the girl, "but
you aren't ever blue. Let's pile on the
wood. Oh, these beauty andirons You
polished them yesterday, know"
A sudden CLEAN fitted across the
shining tops and seemed to bring an
illuminating thought to Aunt Wini-
fred. She choked back a sigh and half
sob, then sank into the nearest chair
while Molly put on fresh logs. In
trembling voice the little lady said: (
"These are very precious andirons,
they are more than 100 years old and
were given to my great-grandmothe
in payment for teaching Maria Hus-
sey's children at Cent school.
"Cent school?" repeated Molly IN
surprise. ''What on earth was Cent
schoolY'
'That was long before your genera
ton, dear, when little children were
taught the three Rs by dear old ladies
and carried their cents in corners of
their handkerchiefs to pay. / set my
eyes by these andirons." She MUIR
INJURED as if alone in the room, "Can /
do it? Can make up my mind to do
it?"
Molly glanced up suddenly at Aunt
Winifred. 4 Was she just right in her
mind? she wondered.
"Oh, don't worry, I'm not out Of my
head, 4.child, but these andirons have
preached me a sermon, too. Do you
know Mrs. James has been wild to
buy them, and now I've made up my
mind I'll sell them for $15-would you,
sayY
Fifteen nothing Of the kind.
Why" exclaimed Molly, "you're not a
bit of a trader. They are worth $50.
But, oh, dear, how can you part with
them? What will. you do without
them? How keep warm?"
"Have a fire in the air-tight and
forget them. Fifty, do you say? Then"
Aunt Win added breathlessly, "I'n give
$50 to my church and 500 to the Red
Cross in memory Of our Will, dear,
dear boy!"
Then fell the first tears as Aunt
Wins thoughts sped across the seas
to a lonely grave in the Argonne.
II just hate, dear Aunt Win, to have
you give them up,'' murmured Molly
once more.
"Sh-not d word! I'll just go to
work and rid up these dishes"
'Yes,' interrupted Molly, "and If
you really mean it I'll have John take
them over to Mrs. James this after
noon or tomorrow"
"No, no, the quicker the better!"
Aunt Winifred hustled around so brisk
ly that Molly felt the spirit Of the
hour and said:
"I'll slip away now, before John goes
for the afternoon.
She appreciated the situation, and
by o'clock the andirons Of blessed
memories no longer shone on the
hearth,but in Aunt Wins hand at the
close Of the day lay check for $50,
and wiping away the ,unbidden tears
she murmured:
''More precious than my andirons is