Evening star., 1926-05-30

The apple orchard across the way,
Jen thought. would have been more
fit place for prayer.
AS she stepped into the vestibule,
she heard a voice raised appealingly.
It was Mr.. Marrow himself and Jen
was aware, in a moment, Of a strange
quality in his voice-not his regular
Sunday tones at all.
"You know, Lord" he was saying.
! what tits to be alone! Why can't I
get them to come? I've been failing
Thee, Lord! Most 30 years and not
one in Thy house on Thursday night!
give me-and they're going to turn
me out! I've tried, Lord; I've tried
with all there is in me, but I can't
keep the young ones, they stray away
out into the world. They laugh at me
and my message! Mary-oh, Lord
Mary thinks they're right; she thinks
I've failed, too! And I have-I'm all
alone-oh, Lord, stay Thou with mel!
Through the doorway 'Jen Culliton
saw the bowed white head above the
old red plush chair by the leaders ta-
BILE. There was no one else in the big.
bare room. She went out as quietly
as she could, and up the road toward
home. The great mass of apple bios
SONS across from the church was a
misty gray and sometimes she stum-
bled, because she could not quite see
the path.
She found she couldn't eat much
supper. When she was in bed. she
didn't pretend to sleep. She tried to
think the thing out. She felt, though
she did not know just why. a curious
responsibility in the matter. She
shrank, with reluctance unlike her,
from the responsibility. 1t was busi-
ness so filed with emotion and senti-
ment that she was afraid OF It. Jen
was as full of sentiment as milk
weed pod is full of seeds, but she fled
from expression Of 1t, as though she
realized 1t was hopelessly out of place
In her big, awkward homely self.
But she couldn't put the thought
of old Mr.. Marrow away from her.
Probably. in a few days. they'd ask
the other minister to come. Who'd
tell MIR. Marrow? Was there really
one among them so hard Of heart as
to be able to do It? They couldn't
an old man like him! Why. he was
SO feeble he'd only last little while,
anyway. And they begrudged him
his peace for that little while! And
he'd been so good to them all!
.
IN the morning she called UP Allie
Parsons.
"Hello. Allie! This is Jen. You
folks pretty busy plantin'? ;. Say.
Allie. I've got 1t in my head I want a
little party tonight. I just made a
couple gallons of ice cream; can't you
folks come over and help me eat it?
Oh, any time, soon as you get
your supper work out of the way! I'm
lonesome, with all the children gone.
All right, Allie"
After that she called up the Fra
ziers and Laraways and Bartons and
Joneses-all the neighbors on the
hills close at hand. She made it a
point that the young folks come, in
spite of Caroline and the others not
being there.
1--WE got birthday coming in a
couple days-guess I have a right to
a birthday party!' she told herself.
She went into the kitchen, and broke
eggs recklessly for angel food and
golden cake and solid chocolate. Sho
ground up meat for sandwiches, and
made the house bright and dustleSa.
She had a little fright in her heart
all day long as to what she was 60
ing to do. and she grew confused
when she tried to find words for her
task.
After farm chores were done, the
neighbors began to come. A few
years back they'd had such gather
ings often, and they all seemed glad