The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-04-29
THE SANDS OF COLD

l Marietta MunS0n aWOke fWltn HC' tie headache--she did that great deal Headachy mornings had come to be an established fact. She lay quite still in her white bed with it's old-fashioned pa tchwork covers. She picked at the bits of calico shown there end remem, bered that piece of pink was her dress It had been made with low neck and little puff sleeves and she had had a little cape to match. She smiled ,as she thought how funny che must have looked. She remembered how she had wanted hoops like those her mother and her aunts wore, but she had been l denied thme! Then slowly the roseate dream of youth faded and she remem. bered
 This was the morning of her Goth birthday. The light went out of her 1 face, but after few moments of dark l thought she rose, as she was to have birthday party and she herself was to prepare the refreshments. An old llady's party! Probably there wouldn't be many more and her thoughts ran on breeding gloomily over the past year and the thought of the number who h&l "been called" during that time. Her face looked pinched and worn as she looked in the glass to arrange her hair, which was white and abundant. though as she lifted 1t from her fore head she thought she could see place l that looked almost bald By the time she was dressed she was in a state of almost mental collapse, and when she opened the morning paper she felt still worse, for there, recorded in black and white, with pictures, was club celebra ton. marked Sunset club cele- Fbrafes {heir own funerals. PallbeafeTs are waiters!a She read the dismal tale about how the club of women over 90 years of age had met and arranged their own funerals, in funeral parlor, with pallbearers for their walters. Evident. | iy they called themselves the Sunset club because they considered their suns of life about at the horizons western rim.
 For at least fifteen minutes Mari cite MnnSon sat absorbed in thought growing deeper and darker as that 1 thought progressed or retrograded, for there is no progress in the grave. She didn't want to select any rosewood box-or aluminium or broadcloth one either--slo matter how softly lined with satin and spread with roses. Noi she, When she was in the deepest de. 1 spondency oyer the thought there 1 flashed past her window a vision in pink dress. It was her niece, Jane whom she always called Rosie" be. cause she seemed . be the embodiment of the name. at,
 I've come,' Rose announced, al though any one could have been in doubt of that enliyenine Act. It seemed tt Marietta that new breath of life hda been breathed into her nostrils. 'I ran across this in an old paper. It isn't by any standard authro, but 1t sounds good to me-" and Rose read some stan. gas of the verse ending:
 Tor life grows rich as it growth old And life's latest sands are it's sands of gold. 2 ~
 Aunt Marietta looked at the earn. est face bending near ner. Do you be. lieye that:% she asked asidly, almost sharply,
 "Why notz don't see ho wit can help being true. Its like one gatherina up treasures from day to day and week to week and month to nionth and year to year. Think what load of treas ures one might colleet--say in sixty years" She bent and kissed the white face beneath her. Now let's make this q perfect pink day." Rose went on joy ously. "A rose feast. Begin to pour out the treasures"
 "We'lI brign out all your festive things, You keep them put away too much. She went to the linen chest and began overhauling it. exclaimins delightedly. Why here's that rose de sign set that Helen made for you two years ago. You're never even used 1t | ta aAAA .f1Y Al Z. starter and will work everything else up to it. She laid out other thinks she thought she might need and then she heated an iron and pressed the rose design pieces till they looked as though made of satin with the flowers bloom ing upon them.
 II felt like making everything black with lieoriee or anise beans for side dishes, black coffee, black tea, black cake, everything black, as q sor tof funeral decoration. just read of a par. ty where they had pallbearers for wait. CTS" Aunt Marietta spoke shudder. tngly.
 "Whoo-oo!" Breathed Rose. They're insane. Did you read that Lufbery verse about that great aviator? mem orized it.
 ,,sia,ngu
 :. Lure of ali the countries called him.
 Seas enticed arc skies enthralled him. Knowing neither fold nor fAstnsss
 Breaking futile bonds that galled him
 Only venture led him captive with her
 ' But the wonderiands that drew him.
 And the vepturing that slew him. l Pale beside the golden Yastness or the realms htat opened to him
 In the little Towering gardens where he
 The golden vastness' that open, led to him Y breathed Rose. Can you picture 1t? He isn't thinking oi pallbearers and funerals, but is marching on in spIendor and glory and wonder. That's the way it's all going 10 be. Simply advance, pro- Eress golden vastness' opening to us here and--there. And, now while we're here, we may as well start our golden vastness.' 1t isn't as if we lost our lives when we died, because we all believe we don't. We live on, only we're afraid 0 little change''
 Rose You little preacher, you little magician, you have waved a wand that is opening life up to me- .Xes, Mst 1t has to hegin opening