The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1941-11-06

planned and achieved, that Rose
wood should be what it was now.
Furniture and books had not been
all brought at once by one person.
They had been acquired by diff
ferent people of different genera
tons, and the place breathed now
through that variety of tastes,
harmonious in it's completeness.
There were ledgers in an old
desk in the "office"-a one-story
room that formed an ell to one
side of the house-that told how
these men had planted and built.
The rose garden, which occu-
pied the space that was formed by
the angle between the house and
the office, had always been the
pride of the women of the Horton
family. The beds were filled with
plants that ranged from the SIM
pie old-fashioned roses to a few
rare and costly ones. Each mis-
tress of Rosewood had added her
own individuality by making
some minor changes which had
enriched the friendliness, without
detracting from the formal out
lines of the garden. The first Mrs.
Elliott Horton had planted the
low box-hedge around three sides,
thus insuring greater privacy for
herself and family. Then Grams
mother-in-law had built a latticed
summer house against the center
of the hedge at the far end, with
a path leading from it to the
open end of the garden, near the
house. 1t was Gran who had an
opening cut in each side of the
hedge, a path crossing from one
opening to the other. In this way
the garden was used more fire.
quently than it would otherwise
have been.
AS children, Peggy and Maxine
had run through the garden in
stead of through the house, and
they had played hide-and-seek
behind the hedge, so tall and
thick was it now. Through the lat
tice of the summer house the en-
trance of Rosewood could be
seen, and Peggy had often looked
up from her school books when
she studied there to imagine a
knight on a white horse coming
through the gates and up the
sloping road that led to the house.
That had been years ago, of
course. Peggy smiled now at her
youthful dreams.
She could not help loving this
place that was home.
AS Peggy ran UP the steps she
saw through the open doorway a
small but very spry old lady COM
ing towards her down the hall.
Her brown eyes were keen and
she wore no glasses. She said she
had her second sight. The face
was lined, but they were lines Of
laughter, of understanding, and of
character that had developed in
eighty years. Her skin was pale
but of a delicate texture, like a
lovely piece of old china. She
wore, as always, a black silk
dress made with a basque and a
full gathered skirt. Over this she
wore a dainty embroidered apron.
Her soft white hair was parted in
the middle and drawn over her
ears to a small knot at the back
of her neck, and she wore fra
gile lace cap on her head.
Dinner is ready, Margaret"
she said as Peggy entered. "What
have you been doing? You are as
mussed as you used to be at ten
years old"
"1'm sorry, darling. I shan't be
a minute. I was just working off
lot of energy"
Peggy leaned over to kiss the
Wrinkled cheek.
She rushed up the wide spiral
stairway pulling off her sweater
as she entered her own room.
Clothes were never dropped on
the floor nor on a handy chair or
bed by any member of the Horton
family. They were put in their
proper places when they were
taken off. It had become second
nature to Peggy. Hastily she
opened lower drawer and
stuffed in the discarded sweater,
pushing the drawer shut with her
knee. while she unfastened the
skirt. The drawer stuck and she
gave it vigorous push. In a few
minutes she descended to the din
ing room in cool, crisp frock of
yellow linen, the braids, freshly
plated, once more neatly coiled
and in place.
The thick walls of the old house
insured GOODNESS in every room
even on the hottest day, just as
Aunt Jenny's delicious cooking
insured a hearty appetite from
everyone who are at the old ma
hooanv table.