Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-04
THE EVENING STORY

, and everybody who knew and loved her
| was doing or bringing or making some
little thing for her comfort which
should also remind her Of the friend
ship she was leaving behind. Nobody
loved Mrs. Powell any better than
Amelia and nobody had less to give,
especially now that the young couple
had got into slight difficulty and had
paid no rent in two months And 1t
was Amelia's honest but old-fashioned
way to pay as she went.
eff I had anything in the way OF
trinket to give her." she thought
for. i could 60 in debt for q gift even,
but no knowing when I would be able
| to pay, and / can't do anything like
that. No, don't see as there Is any
thing can do for her."
After her futile shopping excursion
Amelia returned home terribly down.
hearted. Mrs. Powell was going next
day and IL she did anything at all she
must do 1t at once.
She began to rummage through her
belongings. but she found nothing Of
value enough for a gift, and she was
closing q bureau drawer deSpairingly
when she saw a strip of yellow paper
that had fallen upon the floor.
She picked up the paper. 1t was her
own mothers famous recipe for spice
cake Amelia could remember that 1t
was delicious and economical.
"I1l make one for my supper" she
thought. Maybe it will chirk me up"
Fortunately she found all the neces-
sary ingredients. First she baked tiny
! cake and tased it. How good 1t was!
She poured the rest of the batter into
an old-fashioned scalloped tin, funnel
In the center. Thirty minutes later 1t
emerged perfect from the oven. With
her last egg, her last cupful Of sugar,
It was q beautiful cake, quite too
nice for one to eat up alone" Amelia
said to herself. I'D like to share it
with somebody" Inspiration came.
I'm give it to Mrs. Powell to take with
her"
It was a humble offering, but the
best she had.
Mrs. Powell was very busy with last
minute jobs, but she laid everything
aside to receive Amelia.
i've brought you cake" Amelia
said, lone Of mothers spice cakes. I
found the recipe today"
why, you dear woman!" said Mrs.
| Powell. What nice thing for you
to do! knew. Amelia, that you would
think of something that nobody else
| would"
She sent Amelia home comforted and
quite happy.
At the sewing circle next day Mrs.
Powell's journey was much discussed
and every woman told what she had
given. But Amelia kept quiet.
Two weeks later Amelia actually found
some mail in her letter box-a thick
letter and a bundle Of newspapers.
Both, she saw, were from Mrs. Powell.
She opened the letter first, read a
page and then began to read over again,
for she scarcely believed what she saw.
II want to tell you the fate of your
kept 1t until we got to Tuscon. Then
young married pair came aboard.
He was a hunger and she was go
ing with him into the desert In the hope
Of helping him reclaim his lost health.
Such a gentle pathetic pair Of children
you never saw. Well we made a party
for them then and there and your cake
served as the brides cake. I got q
mere crumb of it and that crumb tasted
delicious AS for the little bride-she
was happy for once If she would never
be again. Afterward we took up col
lection for them. This morning found
and that all the city papers had got
4. ten hold Of 1t. So am sending them
/: to you"
Amelia's name was in the headlines
| of one of the articles She looked at
/ 1t wonderingly. It was some time be-
| fore she could go and read how the
humble cake, after travelling 1000 miles,
had brought joy to one she had never
I, dreamed Of Mrs. Groves pillow. Mrs.
Pixies expensive travelling kit. Mrs.
Bates kimono, all the other things that
had been bestowed upon the traveller
had been unnamed. but her cake, the
one possible gift of a loving heart, had
received honorable mention.
We'll" said Amelia summing 1t all
up and wiping away a tear, III never
again feel that ! can't give something.
no matter how insignificant 1t Is, as a
present"
(THE END)
(CopyriIht, 1927