The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-12
AUNT vIRGINIA's HOUR OF TRIAL

AUNT vIRGINIA'S HOUR OF TRIAL The letter from Aunt Virginia told me that my grandfather was dead and buried. It was a p.tifully pa- thetio letter.
 He died suddenly. Virginia" she wrote. He didn't have time even to bid me goodby. He didn't even have time to change his will if he had wanted to and I am very glad that he did not, for he left what he had iE life interest to me. and then after ward to you. And. Virginia, strange as 1t may seem, the will says that if your father be alive. he is to be one of the executors. Judge Montforth is the other.
 "You see. your grandfather still had the deep-seated feeling that no woman would know enough about at . fairs to execute will.
 T am very lonely, Virginia I feel like withered tree, uprooted and thrown out somewhere without the Il power or inclination to root again into any soil.
 Judge Montfortn has advised me to come out to you. He says that your grandfather has left me a com fortable income and that I will not be charge upon anyone and that l can travel if l want to. Oh, Virginia, I hope you will want mo to come to you. have seen in the papers that awful thing that happened to your | friend, Kitty. and I am worried that you are alone in place where such things can happen.
 I Don't you want me, virginia7 l won't be any trouble and I would like to see the great new country out there in the west. I would like to see the great new industry of which you are a part and perhaps I would be of some use to you In many ways.
 T am waiting impatiently to hear 1 because I do not want to come, dear child, if you think that I will impede your progress in any way. You will see that I am sending you the package that your father sent your grandfather. asking him to give to you when you were old enough to understand.
 I T think 1t contains message from I your mother as we'll as from your father.
 "Whatever 1t is. dear, don't let it sadden you. for again I repeat tc you, the words that. your mother wrote to me just before you were born
 "If anything should happen when my baby comes. Virginia, don't grleVe TOT me. For l would rather have had this one year of life with Ralph and end it now, than to have lived on to the allotted fourscore and ten without knowing him and his
 love-"
 It just seemed to me that I could not wait until I had written a tele- gram to Aunt Virginia and sent it.
 "Of course I want you. dear Aun, Virginia. Will be in San Francisco probably a week. but come just as soon as you can. Go directly to Los Angeles Nothing can make me un- happy as long as I am going to have you. Wire me here. st. Francis, when to meet you in Los Angeles.
 VIRGINIA"
 I thought I was telling the truth when I wrote this message to Aunt virginia-when l said nothing could make me unhappy as long as I am going to have her--and yet if I shall live to be very old, I never can be more unhappy than I was during the week following my message.
 For long while I sat holding the yellowing package which Aunt vir- ginia had sent.
 My fathers hands had sealed It, My father had written across 1t: ITO my daughter. virginia--the dearest thing on this earth to me-for her to