The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-11-11

through my mothers graphic reading. But, on the contrary, our Harper's Weekly and Harper's Monthly were fascinating in them- selves quite apart from the read- ing and what child could ever forget the old front cover of Har- per's Monthly-where the little boys with scant clothing sat up on top of delightfully."- impossible towering towers-blowing bubbles9
 The best contemporary litera- ture was coming regularly to grandma's house In the Monthly; and the Weekly was bringing us what would be for posterity the best pictorial history of the Civil War.
 The fact that Horace Oreeley's newspaper fooled grandma once And no one enjoyed the joke on herself more than she did)-does not imply that she was in the habit of being fooled. It is rath- CT curious, too, because she was so generous and kind to very- body. She never turned anyone hungry away. Sine never preached. But she was always doing things, in her own natural way, that gave people more faith In humanity and more faith In themselves.
 To illustrate: There was In our village an unfortunate elderly man who went on pretty frequent drinking sprees, disgracing him- self and mortifying his family; till the villagers finally lost all patience and would hardly speak Q civil word to him. But 1t was not 50 with grandma. She always spoke to him with her usual court esy whenever he passed our house sober or tipsy.
 I remember one day-for I hap pened to be with her in her flow CT garden that day--when this man came staggering along near our gate. He looked ashamed and tried to get by without any recog- hilton. Grandma was carrying Q handsome bouquet that she had just picked. She didn't act as though she noticed the condition he was in; but said, "Why, good- iiorningl I'm 50 glad you came along, for I want to send these flowers to your wife. Tell her that my little grandson and l are go- inr over to cali on her in c few days. And then I want you to come with her to return the call" The effect of what grandma said. the sincerity with which she said it-ard the flowers, appeared to sober him up. He took the nou- quet very carefully and held 1t as though 1t were sornethinng sacred. and. removing his hat, said: "Thank you-I will go right home with these beautiful flowers, and tell my wife what you have said," And he turned and walked bare- headed toward his home-with Q steady step.
 Tn his case 1t proved to be the right jolt at the right time. I went with my lovely ladies to call on his wife, as grandma had promised; and he accompanied His wife on the return call.
 And the sequel was = that he who was an old timber expert, went away for several months to the great virgin white pine for- csts of northern Michigan. He wrote regularly and sent money to his wife, When he came back, he looked and acted like Q winner l: and the day of his return he and his wife spent the evening at grandmas house. He brought with him maps and surveys of the re zion he had explored, These ne spread out and explained to his wife and my lovely ladies. Of course I was Q wide-awake and eager listener.
 I remember now how eloquently he pictured the wonders of those forests that no white man had ever seen before. "No cleaner, finer white plue ever grewID no aald. and pointing to q survey iraFksa