The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1936-09-18
A LOVELY OLD LADY FINDS
THAT LIFELONG HABITS,
EVEN. IN NEW SURROUND
INGS, ARE DIFFICULT TO
BREAK

1NGS, ARE DIFFICULT TO
BREAK.
~ RANDMA waved until the auto
mobile was out Of sight. Then
she wiped her eyes. "A wedding
~ especially when it's one Of my
own getting married" She was
too good q hostess to dwell long on her
own emotions. Besides, there was too
much to do, eve with the children and
grandchildren eager to help. She was
so tired her bones ached. Well, soon
now. she heaved q great sigh Of relief,
free. Absolutely. Without a RESPONSE
bility in the world!
She helped Mrs. Radburn to more
punch. Mrs. Radburn wasn't as old as
grandma but she was 50 large it seemed
hard for her to get around. Grandma
had to pay special attention to the
jackson girls. They were always get
ting their feelings hurt, especially at
weddings. It was a shame two girls
so plain. Grandma was glad her chill
dren-and grandchildren, too-were
good looking.
She watched to see that the grand
children didn't eat too much and that
Sara spoke to Mrs. Chalmers and that
Edgar's cold was better. He looked too
She had something to say to every
one, little things that people want to
know at weddings.
eyes, it Is fine, Ralphs being married
again. Lucille is such a lovely girl. Be-
ing an orphan must have made Lucille
right here at home, where Lucille will
come after the honeymoon. Ralph's
children adore Lucille and she is so
fond Of them. She'll make a fine
mother, I'm sure. They're going to
Gresham Springs for two weeks, Lucille
needs a rest after teaching school all
winter. When they. come back" grand
sS4 ! Of a esSned 9n r. 3 holiday I feel I've
Grandma knew she had earned her
holiday. But the miracle was that she
was actually able to take it..
Grandma rather. pretended she wa
going away for only a short time. She
knew better than that. She planned to
stay for years. She said to herself,
I'm never going to do a bit of work
again as long as I live"
She thought of her holiday again
after everyone had gone: She had urged
her children to go to their homes.
There isn't a thing you can do
here" she said. I'm going right to bed
directly after supper. I'll talk to you all
She helped Anna Belle, the colored
who had come in to assist Anna Belle,
and Joe, the colored gardener and
chauffeur, to put the living o to
She said, Leave those flowers right
there, Lucy" and "pile those folding
chairs in a corner, Joe. They'll call for
them in the morning." and mo, Anna
Of tea, but I'll sit with the children or
they won't eat a bite" All the time
she was thinking. In two weeks I
won't have to bother about Bobby and
Sally. Or anything at all. In two
She thought of it while she sat with
Bobby and Sally at supper and tried to
make them eat cereal and drink milk
in spite Of their excitement and the
gobbling all afternoon. But she thought
Of it most of all after she'd got into bed,
through at last for the day.
What a day it had been! A hundred
things to do! Not much harder, at
that, than a thousand other days.
Pleasanter days can make you tired,
too.
In two weeks Ralph and Lucille would
be back. And grandma would be free!
She thought 1t all out, the way she
had SO many times. She loved her fam
lily. And she was lucky to have them.
She knew that. But she was tired.
You get tired when you are past sixty,
wen when you are with those you
love and are having pleasant times.
times.
Grandma's memory went back to the
time when she and grandpa had q
ried. Grandpa, who had been dead SO
many years! What a handsome fel-
low he had been! Tall, like Ralph. But
They had taken the little house on
Oak street. Those had been the happiest
days Of all. But they had been busy,
too, with Edgar coming when they'd
been married a year and Ruth less
than two years afterwards and then
Sara and Ralph. Good children, too.
But even good children need a lot Of
attention.
Grandma smiled. lying so still in
bed, and wondered il any one ever
drink at night or bruises his knee.
Grandpa had done well in business.
There was q horse and carriage. And
a pony and bicycles and toys. When
the children were all in school there
were little breathing spaces. But even
then there was a hearty breakfast to
get. And dinner at noon And bread n
sugar and cookies and apples when
school was out. And supper soon after
wards. How did women find time to
play bridge? Why, when she was young
er, grandma hac had barely time for
mending and darning-and no spare
time for running around. There weren't
SO many places to run to. No movies.
When a play came to the opera house
folks spoke of it for days. No electric
lights, even, until they moved into the
big house.
It had been nice when they moved
into the big house-this house, which
didn't seem SO big now. It would be just
right for Ralph and his family.
The years slid by in grandma's mem
ory. Ruth marrying when she was only
eighteen. And Sara a few years later.
And then Edgar. And Ralph last of
all. They'd all married well. She was
sorry Sara had no children and lived
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