Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-28

standing around i'm here. with nothing
Ito do" :
Finally dinner was on the table, and
the family seated. Four seemed few.
There had been five, and six when
Walter came in, as ne had done fire.
quently. in the last two months. 1t
was nicer this way. Six at table make
lot of dishes to wash; one gets
pretty tired.
They spoke of the wedding; what
the minister had said; agreed he'd
spoken very nicely and not too long
about the trip and the weather stay
ing nice.
Grandma took courage She had to
g,hp bit to make the words come.
Then she said:
I Il think, if you don't mind, now that
Isabel--dont you think that l might
have-go into-Isabel's ROOM.
David and Mary looked at Grandma
She trembled and tried to pretend it
did not matter.
"Of course, Ma, if you prefer lisa
bells room. though your bed is newer
and every bit as good as the one Mary
and l sleep on.
IL think it would be nice" said
Grandma.
well. Ma might as we'll take it. -
Mary spoke as if it were a new
thought just occurring to her. "A
spare room don't mean. nothing but
company, and we don't need EN-. You
might clean up in there tomorrow"
II could fix IT up tonight said
Grandma. She was ashamed because
her voice quavered.
wait till tomorrow: We're all tired
out after the wedding" said Mary
You got place to sleep, you know"
Ralph pouted, but about something
else. He did not seem TO care about
the room. Tomorrow! 1t was Ger
tainty, then. She could have Isabel s
room, her own room, a room all TO
herself. -
Grandma cleared the table after
dinner, taking innumerable little steps
between the. kitchen and the dining
room She brushed up under the
table and put the chairs in order. She
washed the dishes then while Mary
helped with the drying. Mary's skin
was tender, it seemed hot dishwater
hurt it. Grandma 8 hands were thick
ened. and bent. with rheuma tism and
used to dishwa shing..
The dishes done, grandma sat
down in one Of the dining room chairs
WITH SOIIlt StNlI u walt, do Sic
always waited, for the evening to
pass. Tomorrow night she could go
to bed early. Grandma usually
found herself growing sleepy right
after dinner. and she was ashamed
of it; for one :of the family always
spied her if she closed her eyes for a
minute, and would say something
about, There's grandma asleep
again. or, wake. up, grandma. You
look so funny with your eyes closed
and your mouth open" Tonight some
company came to. see Ralph
Mr.. and Mrs. Martin played cards at
the dining room table, quarreling
peaceably over their hands. Grand
ma nodded a couple of times, woke
up again. This might was like nearly
every other night for the last twelve
years, and yet different, the last
| night of it's kind. Tomorrow night
she could go to bed at if she want
ed to.
At 10 O'Clock Mr.. and Mrs Martin
gathered together their cards. sale
Goodnight, ma" and retired In
the front part of the house Ralph and
two friends still talked. If grandma
went to bed, Ralph would complain.
1--WE came to get something to eat
and there was grandma stretched out
asleep on the davenport. This place
! looks like a tenement. Can't she
| wait until my company goes home?
Ora ndma Sewed as long as she could
but her eyes burned before she had
finished. So she folded her hands.
1t was uncomfortable, the dining
room chair. but of course Ralph did
not want her In the living room
where his friends We're. There was
low rocker with arms in Isabels
| room,
! Grandma woke up with a little
start. ashamed of having dozed. and
| picking up. the evening paper, read
for little while. Her eyes hurt and
she was dreadfully sleepy.
Finally, with a See you tomorrow
Ralph" the boys left and Ralph re
turned to the living room.
| Now grandma could go to bed. She
opened the davenport--it was rather
! heavy-then brought in, in three
! trips, her blanket, her sheets and
! her pillow from the hall closet. StOop
| ing over the bed-her back did not
really ache so much now - she
smoothed the sheets with her bent
| fingers. Tomorrow she could make
lp her bed in the morning, have II
all ready just for turning down at
0lCnI. vi COURSE lJdN III gnu Wal y
could not realize how hard it is to
make a bed at night. when one has
! to open it oneself, too. when one is
! old and. very tired. Still. they were
! good. Hadn't they both said she
could have Isabels room?
| 1t took grandma only a few min
utesc to get ready for bed. She al
ways hurried as fast as she could
She wore false gray switch to ek'
! out her very scanty hair. and she
! tucked this up into a roll and slipped
! 1t under the pillow. Once she haC
! been guilty of putting it on the buffet
/ and Mary had passed through the
dining room while grandma was still
asleep and had not liked it. False hail
on the buffet. One could not really
| blame Mary.
Grandma fell. asleep almost imme
diately despite the hard rod in the
middle of the springs. Some nights
that bothered her. though she had
I learned how to lie so as to avoid it.
/. x X \
CHE woke up with start the mex
~ morning. and then remembered
! 1t was the day she was going into
her own room 1t was still early
| she didn't hear any one stirring
| She was glad of that. She liked &c
1 be dressed before any one had tC
pass through the dining room. II