Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-12-13
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back from IN street, appeared 10
have walked nobody. The houses
slept. their stiff muslin curtains fiut-
tcring out from the second story win
Gows.
The long, wide street. lined with
great oaks. naples and clms, ran
straight out from the business sec
ton 10 the acre Of green where the
Hamiitous lived, In an old, cream
brick house, under naples, oaks and
a few white pines.
Byrd's heels rang out On the side
walk. rcverberatiRg like the echoes
Of an alarm clock, as she tripped *
citcdly mp tho broad vcranda and 70
the front door. The door was open,
ard she walked through the long
hall. through the dining room, q
large, low. brown room, with its an
cient OAK furniture, into the kitchen,
Here she found her mother, with
her hands in the Saturday mornin.
baking.
Il declare TO goodness. if it amt
our Byrd" she cried, raising her
hands, strinry with sour-smelling
dough, from the soft mass. Land
sakes. what brings you here? j.
something wrong?'
Byrd kissed her mothers check.
Just got homcsick and thought Iii
run down for a few days. LHrry's
out Of town on business. Didn't have
time to let you know. Where's dad =
asked Byrd.
Hes been down at the bank since
eight o'clock. as you might know
u.utm--nl NJ nn.sNHw ~-v.ru-
the dough from her fingers with a
kitchen knife.
Finish your baking, MONS said
Byrd, iii just take a look around
Byrd ran upstairs TO say hello to
Minnie. the hired girl, and answered
4 hundred questions. cvndinE the
repetition II the question. well. how
do you like married life. anyway
Byrd had the feelings, ~ she wan
dercd around down stairs. rs II she
was looking through one photo
graphic plate 10 another, taken q long
time go. Things looked familiar.
and yet strange. She was suddenly
conscious Of the amount of useless
furniture most or these ola houses
in Jacksonville contained, and the
endless effort that was necessary 20
preserve 10"
The "big" parlor and the "%littlc"
parlor on either side Of the hall. was
filled with plush furniture. old dHvcn-
ports covered with horsehair, large.
resisting chairs done in leather,
w%hat-nots filed with Anticipated bric-
a-brac, tables containing waved flow
crs under glass and framed pictures
-r tVrskmNram Nw - go N.m-
hair. faded and enlarged photographs
in carved or plus frames covered
the walls, relieved occasionally hy an
oil or pastel done BY some oyer-zeal-
Gus member OF the family.
Byrd went into her fathers study.
n little room back of the little par
Tor. She locked around the uncom-
Portable room M the old ~roll-topped
desk, at the books M the shelves.
bound in worn calf. the "FncycIope-
dia OF Universal knowledge" that
had rome into every bookcase in
Jacksonville during a summers epi-
demic Of book agents. az the terrible
groups Of the presidents engraved
between stiff curtains. On the desk
were the framed photographs of the
three 1nlluiNH III VARIOUS HAdE'H OF
growth.
IN spite Of her mothers truly re-
markablo gifts as a housekeeper. she
had never made her family comfort
able or happy.
Her mother Joined her on the
vcranda. Byrd drew up q couple o.
chairs. but not before her mother
had remembered to whip out a news
paper and spread il carefully over
the seats.
Paint she explained. briefly.
"Ycur father did them ? few days
ago
Although they had a hired hand
most Of TO time. Henrietta managed
70 dix up odd jobs for her father 70
do. Just. Byrd decided, to keep him
uncomfortable.
Her mother directed every single
activity that went on in the house
or around IL. She interrupted their
| conversation with constant instrnc-
tiors 70 Minnie. given in = high.
nasal. piercing voice
She related the major events IL
the summer 10 Byrd. The births.
| the deaths. the marriages.
The rolls and cNtfeecsic must 70
into The oven" She rose hastily
Were expecting thirteen for dinH~r
| tcmurrov. Becky and Herb and The