Evening star., 1925-11-08

himself.
He seems content, however, WITT
his garden and his music; does MS
own housekeeping with an efficiency
born of sacrifice, and must, in a meas
ure, be satisfied with his loneliness
since he goes out only once In sc
often, TO take a bunch of flowers to
some old-time neighbor who knew
him in the long ago, when he aimed
TO hold the world in his sling.
The cyniC, looking back at history
sacred and profane. has asserted tha'
the hermit is q Stacker. the wise man
knows better. since Buddha. for one,
tells his disciple to Hide thyseii
from the customs of the croWu
which concerns the gentleman, III
one way, anyhow. so far as one
custom goes. When a dear one
leaves the world. convention pays It's
last tribute in the shape of that heart
breaking thing we call tombstone
But the man who lives IN the mouse
of memories wanted something more
expressive Of his loss than mere con-
VentiOnal stone.
Instead of going 70 a marble yard,
he went TO a church and leased pew
for 90 wears. 1t was to be free 10 any
who came to pray, with no sign OF
ownership except Il silver tabIet sd
cred to the memory of his mother
Perhaps he hoped that III the near,
century of prayers to come MS moth
er might receive some glean1ngS from
the harvest of spiritual petitions, ana
bread is better than stone-then.
again
Living alone may, indeed, make us
different from other people. And
sometimes, better-aS in the case of
the owner of the quaint old home
stead set on a bluff of greenery and
bloom.
x x x
THIS little story was sent in by a
friend of the column.
The HoneymoOners, after a week 5
visit to Washington, have returned to
their home, not century run from
Baltimore.
1t was the silver wedding honey
moon for - years ago the young
Washington man went to the unin-
CorpOated town, with its mile-long,
struggling street, dotted with quaint
old homes and attractive farms, to be
married to the Maryland girl at Ger
tain Episcopal stone church that looks
as if it had enChantinSiy emerged
from a picture.
And there, within d stones throw
of that stone church, following the
first few years in Washington, the
ever since.
When the twenty-fifth anniversary
Of their marriage smiled at them from
the calendar they agreed to observe
1t quietly at home rather than have a
big blowout and have each guest feel
In duty bound to step across their
threshold with a present.
AS the sequel shows, their friends.
especially those of the little stone
church. thought otherwise. for as the
date approached the Honeymooners
found themselves most earnestly be
sought by friends TO dine with them
on that occasion. Finally the invita-
tion of an especially dear old friend
was accepted, and the dinner, with its
gayly lighted wedding cake for the
bride to cut, went off merrily. Then,
the son of the house proposing that
an early start home be made, off the
car went with them. The way led
past the little stone church. which, as
they approached, blaZed with light
likewise the rectory-likewise the
parish hall. Their host of the eve
ming driving rapidly within the
grounds, they found some 80 or more
cars parked, as if some great event
With curiosity keenly alive and still
wholly unsuspecting anything of
personal significance in the illumina-
ton, HoneymOoners aGghted for a
swift peep within the slightly open
door of the church. AS they did so.
out from the organ crashed the we'd
ding march to which, a quarter Of q
century before. they had walked
down that aisle-and gently propelled
by friendly hands, they felt them
selves once again walking arm in arm