The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1921-04-08
SUNSHINE. LADY
BY AGNES q. BRYAN.
,SSSSSeSe9eSeSeSeseses

street, crowded with traffic had once
been a wide avenue where long ago
ladies' drove In carriages, and where
white stepping stones marked the
names OF those living in homes of
fashion. Almost, 1t seemed, that the
Drown house had become imbued with
the signs Of its departed, for many go
ing new ways had looked back on the
old home longingly.
The house now bore a sign, neat, but
eloquent, Rooms and Board" and
Rooms for Light Housekeeping" The
young girl coming fresh from the coun-
try, found that the humblest room Of
the old stone house would cost her
more rent than cottage at home.
SO Lily, entering her small stuffy
appointed place, tried to persuade her
self that she ought to be grateful for
warmth and roof to shelter.
The sad-faced old lady in the adjoin-
ing room was obliged to lean on a
crutch as she walked, and made COM
fortables to order, Lily learned, and
knitted things for the charitable.
While the brisk woman, who Travelled
for a business concern and was sep
arated from the young family she sup
ported. sang mOurnfully about her
strange room in the big unfriendly
city.
Desperately, the country girl tried
to relieve the oppression Of dingy car
pets and wall paper, by the placing Of
her few accessories, but the result was
discOuraging.
Then Lily came upon the sun ROOM
Always after she called it that in
thought. The door of a certain room
leading into the desolate hall had been
left open; from it came the apparent
light and cheer Of sunshine. That the
sun was not actually shining through
its windows Lily afterward realized.
What first impressed her was the COM
fOrting yellOwness Of it all. Windows
draped in folds of thin golden silk, u
big cozily shaded yellow lamp on a
soft leather draped table, palely
yellow rug on vanished shining
floor; delicate yellow-tinted paper,
too, with the tiniest pink roses for a
border. Lily, drawing curiOusly near
er, saw glowing gas stove, and there,
smiling at her invitingly, stood the
Sunshine Lady. Lily called her that,
in her heart.
"HOw do you do?" greeted the Sun
shine Lady, in happy friendly voice.
Wont you come in to callT
The manner of the Sunshine Lady
was sweet and gracious. The visit
was SO comforting to her loneliness
that Lily was amazed to find how the
hours had passed; and when she went
back to her dingy quarters, she car
ried a gay magazine and knot of
fresh violets from the sun lady's own
bouquet, to brighten it. Lily thought
Of the sun room and its CHEEKY
restfulness, as she bent over her
typewriter in a high, narrow office.
And as weeks passed Lily grew to
think Of it with happy thrill of ex-
pectancy, as the happier ending Of her
drudging day. For there was the pi-
ano to play upon. One early Satur-
day afternoon, when Lily had hurried
home in anticipation Of care-free
hours in the golden room, she disap-
pOintedly found another before her.
1t was the sad-faced old lady OF the
room adjoining, who In perplexity
opened Miss TabOrs dOor-for Mill
cent Tabor was the true name of the
Sunshine Lady.
II usually come in," she explained,
"for cup of tea and to look over
the knitting patterns Miss Tabor leaves
in the chair by the fire."
Lily, ashamed Of her own selfish dis
appointment, smiled and slipped away.
But soon she came back.
'T wonder" she asked her old neigh
Dor, "if you would knit a shawl scarf
for me? l would like to give you an
order"
When accidentally one Sunday
morning she discovered the business
woman in the sun room, Lily laughed.
"Do we all come here? she asked
the weary mother, who sat at the hos
pitable desk penning letters, when
the Sunshine Lady is away?"
81 think So" the woman responded.
"She is so cordial in her welcome.
What beautiful name you have given
her. Miss Tabor's little kindnesses
have been the one bit Of sunshine l
have found along my hard way" Lily
sat with her friend that evening. The
fire burned red and cheerily, but 1t
was not the reflection Of freight alone
which touched the sun lady's face.
Dear girl" she confided, II am go
ing to leave my room here tomorrow,
and shall never come back to 1t to
stay. You have known little about
my daily duty. Well, shall be mar
rIed tomorrow to the physician whose
secretary / have been, since two years
ago. when / left my own desOlate
home to earn my living. i hope that
! may be able to make that good man
happy, for his life is spent for others.
But this dear little ROOM" smlingly
viewing It," I should like to Think"
the sun lady said, "of it still as an
asylum for others-a bright spot In
the lives of the lonely. And so, ask
that Won will carry on this little work,