The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1937-01-28
The Stranger at the Gate
B, MABEL osGooD WRIGHT
i cpyrhA - MaAA oss~A wisA wNU Service

the houSe-motner n 1aunef uat
was inseparable from themselves
and was tinctured through and
through with their dual tastes and
personality. On the other hand
though the apartment owned and
occupied by the Vances was luxuri-
Gus in size. fittings and modern con-
veniences, its baroness Of meaning.
the lack Of personal things that are
as intimate as ones best friends,
was the first thought that came to
Eleanor, when the maid brought the
tea tray to the living room. and
placed it upon the carved teakwood
stand without word or comment Of
any sort.
She drew near to the fire, gazed
at it fxedly. holding her cup Of
tea upon her knees. Eleanor had
not been much given to formulating
comparisons, but the difference was
forced in upon her between the log
fire blazing in the well-smoked
chimney Of the House in The Glen,
sending floods of the stored SUM-
warmth into the room, and this
poor counterfeit with its unvarying
flicker framed in a Mexican onyx
fireplace. Were not these two firss
the symbols of the old and the new
homemaking? Personal labor, per-
sonal service, and for a reward
keen personal satisfa ction. as
against a mere press the button
glancing touch of things. no labor,
no responsibility and no real sat
isfaction?
How charmingly Ira Vance had
told the story Of his hearth fire,
as he fed it with the Juicy white
pine cones that he held ir the long
iron tongs lest the hame-tongues
should eat them too greedily. Every
log held its own meaning for him
and possessed a different tempera-
ment, so that he spoke Of them as
Of people.
Eleanor had never before realized
that the man could take an equal
interest with the woman in the de-
tails of his home, and by the quiet
steady force of his approval fill his
wife's most prosaic tasks with
warm-blooded interest. 1t seemed
to her that there was nothing that
Elizabeth did or liked that escaped
her husbands notice, M service toe
small to merit. if not spoken words,
at least the recognition of a loving
glance. But then there were few
women like Elizabeth.
If my mother had lived I should
have understood these things bet
ter" Eleanor whispered, the silence
becoming too oppressive. Yet these
were Emery's parents toward whom
she was leaning, could he love as
his father loved Elizabeth? There
were so many things that she did
not understand, chief among them
being herself as she was
today, in comparison with what she
had been FIVE years ago.
Eleanor did not realize that as
the soil in which her love was rooted
had gradually grown shallow so had
her ideals. The untouched tea grew
quite cold, and the maid, who came
to take away the tray, gave a re-
proachful glance at her mistress, as
one who had put her to unnecessary
trouble.
Presently Eleanor, starting up,
looked at the clock, which began
to chime five. 'In try it," she said
as she went to her room. Going
to a chest Of drawers, after much
elaboration she selected a gown
from among some things that had
been long put away and smelled OF
camphor. 1t was a sort of tea gown
of pale blue. draped skillfully and
caught in with ribbons-a graceful
garment, its art not discounted by
time. Adjusting this, she picked Up
a photograph case that stood on her
bureau, In it were two pictures,
4 nan and a wonan-sunery and
ersalt. Carefully noting the few
( ornaments that she had worn. she
s~e3oeteG slei2 couaterparts from her
drawer.
WA tcar beating wildly. she re-
.usaea T. the iy.ag room and with
1agers that would tremble drew a
bit OF embroidery from her work
bag and waited for Emery's return.