The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1921-05-05
AUNT WIN
BY LucaET,A N. GARDNER

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.
II am just as blue as milestone,
Tom," she said, land / ought not to
be, for that was as good serman as
l ever heard prea ched. 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 a girls voice.
ITS 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 a hearty hug, then
looking at the table in the living room,
with it's barely touched food, said:
"You must be sick for you have not
eaten a mite for dinner"
"Sit down, child" Aunt Win an
swered quietly, u was just talking
matter was with me-"
THAT was tip-top sermon, wasn't
it, Aunt Win? It just made me sit up
and take notice, but you didn't need to
take it to heart" Molly said, patting
her listeners cheek.
"Dear child, that's just it! OF
course" Aunt Win explained, when it
comes to making loaf of cake or
knitting, to help my church I do my
mite, but" a pause emphasized by
the solemn ticking of the tall clock,
and then, but, Molly, when it's case
of dollars and cents I haven't any to
give, and yet love my church and
what It stands for as dearly as any
one in this place. Why shouldn't I?
It has helped me when everything was
swept from me, and isn't that test?
l have found my faith fit to live by
and expect to die by it when my call
comes"
"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 sigh and half
sob, then sank into the nearest chair
while Molly put on fresh logs. In a
trembling voice the little lady said:
"These are very precious andirons,
they are more than 100 years old and
were given to my great-grandmo other
in payment for teaching Maria Hus.
sey's children at Cent school.
Scent school?" repeated Molly in
surprise. "What ION earth was a Cent
schOOl?"
'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 dc
| it?"
Molly glanced up suddenly at Aunt
;~if cho j,1cf ri oh in, hoy
mind? she wondered.
ooh, don't worry, I'm not out of my
head, child, but these andirons have
preached me sermon, too. Do you
know Mrs. James has been wild tt
buy them, and now I've made up m!
mind I'll sell them for $15-would you
say?" ~
Fifteen?-nothing of the kind
Why!" exclaimed Molly, ''you're not {
bit of trader. They are worth $50
But, oh, dear, how can you part witt
them? What will you do withou
them? How keep warm?"
"Have a fire in the alright ant
forget them. Fifty, do you say? Then,
Aunt Win added breathlessly, ''I'll Civ
$50 to my church and $40 to the Re-
Cross in memory of our Will, dear
dear boy!"
Then fell the first tears as Aun
Wins thoughts sped across the sea
to lonely grave in the Argonne.
II just hate, dear Aunt Win, to hav
you give them up" murmured Mol
once more.
"Sh-not a word! I'll just go t
work and rid up these Dishes"
EYES," interrupted Molly, "and
you really mean it I'll have John tax
them over to Mrs. James this aftel
noon or tomorrow"
mo, no, the quicker the better
Aunt Wfnifred hustled around so brisl
~ that Molly felt the spirit Of th
hour and said:
"I'll slip away now, before John goe
for the afternoon"
She appreciated the situation, an
by 4 o'clock the andirons Of blesse
memories no longer shone on til
hearth, but in Aunt Wins hand at tn
close of the day lay check for $5
and wiping away the unbidden teal
she murmured:
"More precious than my andirons
my Faith, and all that it has meaz
to me and NINE"