The Kevin review., 1926-12-02

sticks and staves-or whatever it is-and
find them?"
"It isn't DONE" said our Uncle Hubert.
cts done in fairy stories" / said.
"But this isn't a fairy story" said our
Uncle Hubert
Isn't it?" l said.
| felt little surprised.
l looked at my brother Carol. My brother
Carol looked at me.
The room got darker and darker every
minute The fire log fell and busted 1tself
into sparks. A little mouse squeaked in the
cupboard. Nobody spoke again for quite
long time. My brother Carol never speaks
at all, of course, because he's dumb. But
can almost always tell just WHAT ne >
thinking about.
20 dear-O dear-O dear p 1 cried out.
"1f they've got to collect something, why
don't they collect postage stamps
My brother Carol gave little sign. he
seemed to feel at least relieved that the
question had been asked.
Somebody creaked.
There was the shadow of wing cnalr
There was the shadow of my mother: The
shadow of my mother came out or the
shadow of the wing chair suddenly ana ht
itself by freight into smilingness.
so, my dear-my dears, said my mOtnef
"You don't seem to understand.
My father gave a little snort
'sDo you mind telling u.s." he said, Just
what there is to understand about collect
ing time tables ~ The little snort ended
suddenly in a groan. He buried his race IN
his hands. "Forty years accumulation OF
time tables p he groaned. Every table ana
bookcase in the house piled hlgh anu
stuffed full of them Thirty years accum,
ulation of silly perfumes and lotions anu
liniments! Not a closet in the mouse thaI
you can open without an avalanche OF grass
or crOckery hurting down upon you
Twenty years accumulation of rudy
duddy bird houses Miniature villas, cas-
ties, tenements, standing round IN every
corner cluttering up every men Gt aloO Of
space Why, she's got a whole village oI
them-a township, county! hou can
even cross the piazza, step even INTO tne
hallway, without Stubbing your Toe on d
roof or a parapet! It's ABSURD! u ouI
rageousl It's" 81.
f7Dear Stiles ALL said my mother. IT
takes a lot more to outfit dream thah 1t
does to outfit reality e.4hor
30. don't you see? o. can't you under
stand?" cried my mother. That's VIII
they're doing-each separate one OF ti tHeni |
Miss Hortense, Miss Mary, Miss ADIgass
Linda, Outfitting a dreami o, the pity OF
it'll The wastel The futile, barren eXtrata- |
gance Miss Hortense, fuming 1ncessanIHly H |
about the pyramids and the Nile, tne Dees
way to cross the Andes, the shOrteSI foute fl |
from Singapore to Kamchatka II sue
could only have had one eager trip TO town Town |
while sight and sound were new! MSS
Mary, poised eternally ready to dlsapleadi lond
up the back stairs withered old crone ana
down the front stairs as rdui9 9
antly reconstructed as the queen OF SneDa
If she could only have had one glrIssn
fling at beauty anu IHSH4Ou VIM
bloom was still on her cheek! Poor MISS
Abigail Linda with her
U-m-m," said our Uncle Robert i
remember as plainly as though 1t was yeS,
terday that June twilight on the ConInGIn iiI.a
when first saw Abbie scuttling home nke
some half scared thing with three great
clumsy boxes hugged up tight in ne,
arms What in the world have you there |
/ asked her. Bird houses J she said, anu anu
burst right out crying. ran home luSs5S
as fast as l could, l remember, ana toid toid
nv father. Well, it's all over now,' l tOIu
him. 'Abbies got 'em, too It's going to De
bird houses with herr
'Pretty girl, too, she was" said my
mother.
''But faded early" said our Uncle Hubert.
Every early" admitted my father.
'Let me see," mused our Uncle HuDerI,
"that must have been just about the time
town. here were some of us remember
who used o think that perhaps-justt, per-
haps, you know-he and Abbie--
"Just about the time the old doctor 5
grandson went away from town, you mean,
don't you?" said my mother.
The question seemed to make our Uncle
Hubert feel just a little bit impatient.
30, suit yourself be said. "But gong
a handsome lad as well as 1lne
one"
.sBut had no brothers." said my mother.
Our Uncle Hubert Strengthened up SUD
QeuIY. anu I'LL Out JOEEtu US lIOL1 hA'
"What?" he said. What? You mean that
you think Abbie threw him down because
NV mother got up softly and crossed
the room to the fire. Just for an instant
as she passed she put her hand on my
fathers shoulder. l heard her voice eaten
1 little. a,,
20 lucky woman, l." she said. "The
variant round of hearth and home, the rat
.ering mirror of my loved ones eyes
roof four sheltering walls, posted gar
len? I've toured my world I've lived my
I've made my nestw