The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1939-12-02
Mother Builds On
By ANTHONY WADE
ASSOCIATED Newspapers.l
tWNU SerVicel

Blair's office regardless of the fact
that the balmy spring weather had
permitted him to let the fire go out.
A worn, tired-looking little woman
emerged from the inner office, Jake
following. A bright new spring bon
net failed to freshen the woman's
tired face.
Il want it built just as soon as you
can get to it. And you don't need
to spare expense" she said as she
left the office.
The men about the stove were in
terested. 81 believe that woman's
crazy" said Bill Smart.
81 can't see what she wants with
more room. There all by herself.
thought she would stop when Sam
died anyway" injected Lew Beggs.
''She doesn't need the room. But
she's building her dream house. And
she's justifying Sam, in a way" an
sWered Jake. 81 see some of you
fellows don't know the story. I'll
tell you how it was"
This was the story Jake Blair told
to the group of men in his office
that spring afternoon:
The Berry family had started life
in very humble circumstances, but,
as the years went by they added to
their little store and by the time
they reached middle age had ac-
cumulated a competence.
When he was married Sam had
no money to buy the furniture for
his house, but as a steady young
workman he had credit and, by
saving, the debt was soon paid. Then
they wanted home. AS usual they
began to plan modestly. Two more
years of saving paid for a 10-acre
plot.
II want 10-room house." Mrs.
Berry said. She had reason for
that. Her father had not approved
of Sam.
''What kind of a place will you
live in with him?" he had asked
her you've got 10 rooms here"
Sam will get me 10 rooms, too"
she had answered.
But the house Sam built her had
only one room. "We'n build on
next year." he told her.
But when the time came a baby
was coming and they had to put off
building.
The first three children were born
in that room.
After 10 years of waiting Mrs.
Berry became Respondent. The pref
ty rooms, which she had furnished
SO many times in her imagination,
were given up. When Bill Southern
sold his old house after he built the
new one Mother Berry was salts
fed when Sam bought the old sum-
mer kitchen and moved it up behind
their one room.
Two rooms now seemed a palace.
Years passed. The children were
growing up.
They were as healthy and appar-
emily happy, all six of them.
The girls entertained their sweet
hearts in the front room, the family
retiring tactfully to the lean-to. In
that front room the daughters were
married. The boys went away to
work, leaving the father and moth
er alone, their need for building
seemingly over.
But with the expense of the family
gone the bank account grew from
year to year. Mother Berry began
TO talk of building dining room.
The children were coming home now
and she needed room to set the ia
BILE for the new grandchildren.
Father Berry wanted to build
new house, but she would not hear
of it. "What does an old couple like
us want of new house?" she asked,
and he let her have her way.
The summer after the dining room
was built Mother Berry's father
came to visit her. His first ques-
ton after greetings were over was,
where's the 10-room house,"
Mrs. Berry did not answer, but in
her soul the old dream was re-
born. A new room became a yearly
event
Each new room was added to the
back of the house until it looked like
a string of apartments. When the
new room was opened for occupancy
the front room would be deserted
and after while closed. The bank
account was kept low by these ex-
penditures. The children complained
to the father about their mothers
extravaganza, but he would not heed
them.
''She gets a lot of pleasure out of
it," he would say. "I'u let her do
as she pleases."
When the house consisted of nine
rooms Sam Berry died. But Mrs.
Berry was building on. 81 came
out of 10-room house when l mar
ried Sam" she had said to Jake that
day. She was building her dream
house and through it justifying her
defiance of her father, even though
he was dead now.
When Jake Blair finished even the
men who had scoffed were silent.
They saw in the dream house of
Mrs Berry the symbol of their own
defeated hopes. The house had come