Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-07-29

wardly land many times not SO very
inwardly) against the necessity Of
doing it Mt all, and crying out bitterly
with many fits of hysterical tears that
she was killing herself for her family,
and nobody gave her bit Of credit
for It.
Oh. yes. everybody lodged when Aunt
Emily hove in view, Father MS much as
the rest. in spite of all his extcnu-
ations. Whenever we did have to 60
Shcrc, on unavoidable crrands. we chill
drcn would stand in the doorway and
assure her volubly that we wouldn't t
come in, because our feet were muddy.
This brought about the desired result oil
being told severely to hurry along then,
and not get the whole house cold, with
that door standing open.
Then came the climax in their ms
.'ortunes, as if they were not already
sufficiently singled out for misery. Cnc.c
Charles fell on the stairs, and hurt
himself terribly--threw several verte-
brae out of position, believe, so that
he lay almost wholly paralyzed from tho
waist down. And not n penny Of saw
ings to pay the doctor, not even the
sroccr's bill at the end Of the month.
1t was disaster, absolute black, irrcp-
arabic disaster. Aunt Emily was
stunned into silence, dreadful gray
silence, as Of some one whose grudGe
against fate is rising to mania. re-
member hearing Father say to Mother,
after he came back from his turn at
spending night Of care for Uncle
Charles, I'm afraid Of the woman,
positively am. She looks as though
she'd 20 mad" Well, IFS not out
Of sympathy for her poor husband,
that's sure" Mother answered acidly.
MIHAT do you suppose was the result
w Of that terrific accumulation OF
emotion in Aunt Emily? What was
the momcntous, tremendous decision to
reach which, In 1885. It was necessary
for her TO rise to that pitch Of frenzy ?
Why nothing more nor less than this
and in those days it was decision beth
momentous and tremendous for any
married woman with children-she
put on her bornet-yes. bonnet, 1t was
in the last days of bonnets, when only
young girls wore hats-nnd marched
down town to ask for work in Emery's
Emporium.
She got It. Of course. Even II Il
had not been Aunt Emily, the humane
head of the firm would have felt under
some obligation to the wife of n faith
full cmploye Of such long standing. Ant
in addition to this, 1t was Aunt Emil,
of course she got what she wen
after.
She was put--well don't know
that I ever heard just in what smal
corner she was put at first, as al
experiment: something easy and simpl
to suit her supposed incxperience o
business and her supposed feminine In
capacity for it. The life at home wa
organized somehow, anyhow, as bes
they could with different cousins takinl
turns to 90 in and help out with tn
any pain, and was quite himself q
far as his head was concerned, hi
body like a log In the bed. but hi
eyes bright, his fine sensitive face pale
but calm md philosophic as always
He was quite able to direct the chill
dren as they dressed and undrcsSd them
selves and studied their lessons an
learned 10 do the housework.
As Uncle Charles got better so tha
he could sit up In bed, things ran NOR
smoothly. His bed was moved dow,
to n corner Of the dining-room, where h
could look into the kitchen. He coul,