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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Advocate, 1921-3-24, Page 3It scented to Margaret Ward, spend- • long breath of delight. Her kuow- ing two weeks in the country for the ledge of wild flowers was limited. but last time in her life, that ace coulee there was at leant a chance at her never get her ft11 of green growing finding a plant for her purpose. After things. holly Spencer, her cousin, a while, where the undergrowth thin - laughed woods, laughed at titan. 1lolly's inclinations nee at the north edge of the tended away front growing adage: ber faith was rewarded. :A little site hankered for town. colony of Blender -stemmed growths "We ought to change places, Meg," s► as huddled in a plot of moss. The she said one day. "Only, you'd mighty plants had stopped blooming, but their soon Lire of the monotony of farm clover -like leaves were still graceful life." and green. They might be "hardy planta" and theymight not; it would ;Margaret smiled. She was wonder- be worth while to snake the trial. ing bow scan Molly would tire of book- Site went conte with her- spoils. keeping, with a ledging house to're- warm a" tired' but ataumpha-t, and turn to at the end of the day. But she Look thein to her aunt for inspevtaon. 014 said. I wish I could take at pieta "Wood sorrel," Mrs. Spencer said. of Barnesfield buck with me," "1 don't know how it will behave when OM uncle Adrian Shaw, enotiter transplanted; but it might thrive in visitor at the farm, looked up from lits a warm room, I should thine." whittling. "That ain't a hard e fish to On her knees in the garden, busy grant your elf.' he observed, "Di with her trowel in the yielding brown up a hardy plant in the old south 1 earth, Margaret' made plane for the weeds and earn it baek ht pot." new po: e: sion. It should have a uncle Adrian spent his time in place of honor in the warnx corner of cheerful pilgrimages up and down the her window sill where in winter the land. When hlarfiaret sought hint sane sometimes shone. She sang to later for further information she herae!f as she bent above the mule. found that he bad drifted away au lie customed taste. Then, throwing th had dratted in, without a word of trowel •down; she :sank back on ber warulu . knees and wiped her lent face, What meat ploughing be 'like? The rest of the wort wea easier; are, her Anut Entity assured her. He but by the time the lust ounce of earth knows. You'll find an empty flower , had been pooped into the pot dusk was fillling. The gate (licked, and efolly came swinging down the walh. "Stili grub, beige" she challenged es elle paused beside her cousin, "Going to tette :Margaret. and that you'd share it with 1 that bevy thing bate; under one arm:" nue, so that 1 could accept Hilda Bunn- I WW1 that yen were going to take me let'''s invitation for Chestnuts. duet i iete,sd. Margaret tante haetily to eaaeugh for a hew hat and 1Ixluee her feet, ;1loily's lest words bad aye. peel I'd go 1i lel; to town with you'" called with a rush what in her ahem,- 4argaret was thinking of move prion she had utterly fergoten, 1'ueie eager words as on her lied golden of -1 Adrian's gide; Her hand flew to her tcarueou she set out fur the woodse roeI et; then she gave a lige gasp. basket and trowel in band. Her coos- The pie and the coin were' bath tome! in was still more or leap a Wenger ager to her. for the Spencers had only re- cently nestled from their Wes tern hr,mfe to the Uarnesiield place. But the tv;n girls were very cougeuial, though sometimes Margaret ':vas obliged to smile at ;dolly's funny lit- tle whims. "'She'd let clothes keep her from taking that trip." the city girl untisod. "But. If he told you there are hardy plants in the south woods, then there put in the old, pit. Margaret, and good rich soil in the garden." Molly: laughed again. "emelt at her —You'd think she was on the trail of buried treasure. 1 wish you were. Molly INGS moving toward the house, serenely unaware of di=:aster. She cashed over her shoulder that there ryas to be We eream for supper in honor c•f Margaret's last evc•nin~. Margaret stood stock-still in the twi- light. It. seemed incredible that Ruth a tire;tdful thing could have happened; yet the empty pocket was an unim- peachable witness. She tried to "Now. lid have come clown bare, if I Steady her thoughts and take account, had to, in a—grass hag!" of the Spatter. The eafety catch had She was smiling at her own: novel been in plate the first time: that was tiense as she paused at the little post c ertatu. Later en she must have un - (greet and received the one bettor drat fatterent it absent-tnindedly to get her was there for Iter, As she unfolded handxterebief and Melted the coin out. the single sheet of paper a coin slid on the soft ground. That seemed the into her hand. The letter, which bore only etpla:uatton, a strange postmark, was sighed Ad- Margaret groaned. She was not rian ;;haw and was very beef. It tool thinking of her o"avu lass, but of her her that Uncle Adrian was sending a Cousin's. To nave Herself a Iittie in - :little gift to :dolly and herself, --ad- tenvenience. elle teed taken the foolish dressed to herr, es the older. --and it risk; and: now poor entity's heart's de - ended abruptly, "No Menke." There sire was lying somewhere—anywhere was no return address. --out yonder in the ten acres or more The old man was given to doing • over which she bad been rambling, such thins: and to doing them in his With a faint hope that the tragedy own pt eullar way, but Margaret was might base occurred nearer hone she ac.tonishecl when she looked at the got down on Iter hands and knees and eoln. It was a twenty-dollair gold groped about in a half-hearted fashion. it" t3::`a By 44ancy Byrd Turner t, woods. But tier trail the clay before had led along a dozen winding patbs, through brier patches and across a swift stream, the search was really 1 hopeless from the start. A needle its a haystack would have been easy by comparison. The family welcomed her back with good-natured reproaches: "eon love the bines and bushes better than you 9 love your kin," said MG:Iy `s father. laughing. "Ire a pity you end Molly CIero can't han a placs for a little. e. She's aching to hear her shoe heels !click on the pavetut•sts, aren't: you. Mae 'Margaret caugrt the flash its Molly's blue eyes, and her heart sank. She was glad when it was time to go. The jouruey back to the city was dismal. Beside her on the seat, sheathed in protecting stiff paper. was the little green plant, the carne of all the trouble. ;tIargaret turned her beet: on it and watched the flying land- ' eeaae. Every time she caught sight of a gold autumn leaf lyieg solitary she gave a jump. ny the time the engine blew for the city stationshe wes positive that the gold piece was at the bottom ot the • swift woods brook. Sho remembered distinctly having plotted tip a muddy atone taut there; et course she had pulled out her handlterebief to 'wipe leer lingers. Ne ell, with the money SO utterly lost it would be sheer cruelty to tell el II.. teacI, elle would put by several dollars every week and send in the whole amount by Christ- mas. But the weeke moved swiftly toward Christmas, and trite sum grew slowly. Margaret found that the fuel: we itld be hander than she bad drought. Her One day in February Uncle Adrian! Shaw apeeared suddenly from no -1 where. iilxargaret was dismayed when i she fotend him, genial and travel-shab- t by, in tier root». The sight of hitaa airtight up hard easoeiatiorts but she teenaged to give elm a welcome. "Where's Molly?" he detuand'LL Uargaret bushed. "dolly''." xs`uele Mean ercplained. When be' had dropped in at Barnesdeid a fort- night before, Molly was about to come to town, "The child arae so droopy round Christmas tittle," he went, on, "that ,John Speueer said 'twpuid be worth the price of a calf to give ber change, and so tb,ey packed her qt(. gashe'll be hunting yoat up soon as ei,,ex he ,gets her bearit+gs,'" Margaret wassilent while ber vasi - 1 for talked on, elolly in the city with- eat letting leer know! Surely she would not earry Ler resentment so far. Still, Uncle Adrian had been ire exftrt v i E l certau. o hie f son z f ,, n r a, t. zn t. 0 She dict not want to question him en that subject, enyway. "You look bothered, 3taggie.' the old man said suddenly. He ruminated la while, regarding icer averted face. "Well, these are bard tittles," he of- fered r e dpresently. "But the o -d ston e. has rnanageal to gather :mule moss.' He was ?eaclhing for his pocket. but a ;t"aarl;caughtareeIsis : a arK the movement and 'w. "No, please donee' she begged. If he offered he money again IL would be the loot straw. Uncle Adrian, who had the wisdom that le better than uualers tanding, rose and strolled to the w-indlow. Margaret, watching bis back, debated with her- self whether elle should mention his first gift or not. She w t., SO preueeu•" pied that she did net see ben bend laxver the sill and adjust leis glasses. "Alla, alleluia!" he said suddenly; and in spite of her woe she laughed aloud at the queer exclamation. } ,.That'`~ rigid, laugh." her visitor raid. turning to beam on her, "lt'•s a dark time of year, tbi . I•'ebruary, but by April you'll be as joyful as your flow et• see if y do't'e net; ' With that, he took bintself oaf. elargeret Srorderecl idly what he meant. But elle wee chiefly eeneern• led w hit trying to decide what to do nbont Molly. S'ae won:Fd have diked to walls :tonight up to the Bunny !poise arid ring the bete The ineiine, hieee. Then ehe took up her plant anti -Why, bless his beast!" she said ter- walked slowly bade to the house. She vently. "My half will pay my dentists wet not going to leave Ilairesfrelcl nu - bill. Anil ;Holly's ---little Molly can 111 tete afternoon of the next day; that have her hat and fixings, so she caul" would give her the whole morning in Turning tai go back to the house, which to seances far tere money, It she halted uncertainly. Melly ought would be a needle -and -haystack bust - to have the great news at once, but nesse but she would do her best, the sun was already sinking. After She made a big effort o appear gay a few moments of irresolution she and natural at supper, but all the time decided to keep an. She slipped the she was busy with her difficult prob- piece of money into the breast pocket lem. She would replace the money of her sweater and pinned the pocket from her own salary, pf course. Mean - carefully with a strong clasp pin from while, should she tell what lead hap- the neck of ber blouse. That same pened, or not? Surely Malty had a pocket and pin had often done similar right td know; and yet, the knowledge tervieee when she hurried rom her would only make her uultappv. room late Saturday afternoon to buy Thrnuea• the buttered nauftins and her Sunday supplies at the grocery broiled chicken Margaret wrestled round the corner. The action made with herself; by the time she had her think of town with a little pang choked down the ice cream her de - of distaste. cision was taken. She would keep her The south woods were sweet with own counsel for a while. - early autumn and Margaret took a She spent the next forenoon in the ra • r.c ri0 364' tete• •a.v:ivr.•t.felme.-c+?FAetek!"rinti arr7Ya^a�t7si room rent was raised the first of October; last year's shoes balked a further service; the dentist's hill was unexpectedly high. When she broke her glasses just after Tbanksgiving she was seized with panic, it was like trying to climb a greased pole, After a while the panic subsided to grinding worry. If site saved only a dollar a month, then it would be near- ly a year before the matter could be set right. That. was unthinkable. A. letter from Barnesfield soon after Christmas added to her unhappiness. Molly, writing with flourishes on new stationery, enumerated her gifts. Keeping the best for the last, like a child, she announced in a postscript that her godmother had sent her five dollars. "Think of it --the price of a ticket to A 'Russian Easter Service bramatic and awe inspiring was the midnight Easter mass at the cathed- ral of St. Isaac in Petrograd. There was in it even perhaps a touch of the barbaric. In his reminiscences Lord Frederic kiamil.ton, formerly of the British diplomatic service, gives a striking account of the splendid -spec- tacle We were always requestedto come in full uniform, and we stood -inside' the rails of the iconostasis, behind the choir. The time to arrive was about half past eleven at night, when the church was • wrapped in ` almost total darkness. Under the dome stood a catafalque bearing a gift coffin. The open lid showed a strip of silk on which was painted an effigy of the dead Christ, for it should be remembered that no Carved or graven linage is allowed in a church of the Eastern Rite. As the eye grew accustomed to the shadciws, tens of thousands of unlighted candles, outlining the arches; the cornices and the• other architectural €eatures of the cathedral 'were just visible.. The wick of each of these candles had been touched with kerosene and was sur- rounded with 'a thread of guncotton, which ran from candle to candle. Athalf past eleven the only light was from` the candles round the bier, were Priests . chant- ing the mournful Puisian ; office, £dr the dear.!: At about twenty minutes to twelve the blind was drawn over the dean .Christ, and the priests, feigning surprise, advanced to the rails of the feounet eie azar aas oui>need;to an at'cai mandrite that the coffin was empty. The archimandrite ordered them to search round the church, and the priests walked up and down with gilt lanterns; while they slid, so, the cata- falque, the bier and its accessories were removed. The priests announced to the archimandrite that their search had been unsuccessful; whereupon he ordered them to make a further search outside the church. They went out and so timed their return as to arrive before the loonostasisat three min Utes before midnight. Again they re- ported that they had been unsuccess- ful: As the first stroke of midnight pealed from the great clock, the Bistro- politan of Petrograd announced in a Loud voice, "Christ is risen!" At an electric signal given from the cathe- dial, the artillery. of the fortress boomed out in a salute of one hundred and and guns; ,the guncotton was torched off, and the swift flash kindled' the -tents of thousands of candles run- wing round the building. The :enor- mous congregation lighted. the taper's they carried the "royal doors" ofthe. iconostasis were thrown open, and as the choir burst into the beautiful Rus- sian 'Raster 'anthem the clergy ap peared in their festival vestments of cloth of gold. And so the Easter mass began. Nothing g more dramatic, more impres- sive, could possibly be imagined than' the almost instantaneous change from intense gloom to blazing light; from. the plaintive dirges of the fnni,oral ser vice to, the jubilant strains of the iia• ter mese. town and back! With a little more money, Meg, I could snap up Hilda Burnley's invitation—it's come again —and be S3alking in an you." That night Margaret wrote to Belly and made a clean breast of it all. She inclosed a five -dollar bill -alt she had been able to save up to that time. The little gray letter that came whirling back by return mail was al- most lmost childish in its petulant anger. Margaret could not restraina wry smile as she read. 'Why on earth," Molly wrote, in a hurry of indignant punctuation points, "didn't . you tele nie at first? :::eonid have found the money then; now it's deep in drifted leaves. Here's your five dollars; you musth't send nee your money. I'm not stupid enough to blame you for the accident, Margaret, but I do blame you :for treating me like a three-year-old child!" The signature was worst of ail—a hitter, siguificaart little blot, blurred by a tear. `"Ttowever, I deserve it," Margaret b said: tion took her two squares and toren her courage failed. 'Mrs. Spencer wrote after a while that she could not understand why the two ;girls seemed to be seeing to little of each other. A later letter brought the news that Molly had found work in the city. Margaret was troubled afresh. Thrown an her own resources, Molly would be needing money more than ever. illarcb passed slowly. With the first glimpse of green tassels on the park trees Margaret began to yearn for the country. It struck her that there was something almost funny about the way she had forfeited all of Barnesfieid for the sake of • a few quarts of it. With sudden distaste she caught up the little pot and set it oltt on the fire escape. The weather was warm and bright; it .could stay there, out of sight, unharmed. The day before Easter Was dark with rain and mist. Margaret came in et noon from her work, tired and listless, "It doesn't seem a bit like Easter, Mrs. Avery," she remarked to her landlady, who had conte upstairs to bring fresh towels. Mrs. Avery was putting back the curtains to get more light. "Here's something that does, though," she an- swered, pressing her face against the pane. "See, Miss Ward, your plant is in full bloom! Margaret looked. Sure enough, the plant, pushed close under the window sill, had come to perfection „without her knowing it..The' frail -petaled pink and white fiowers shone in . the dullness like delicate stars. "Sometimes the alleluia plant blos- soms exactly on true," the landiady said. Margai•et,.glaneed at her in surprise. ""'Wood sorrel," she corrected her. Easter ern Bloom on, brave wind tiowers in your sheltered nooks; Lift high your golden" crown, air daffodil; Sing, sing your maddest melody?, brook. but yerda ;, � wa' The worldest'`greya Sand chill. Narcissus nestling in the tent der gLa ss,° , And violets blue as are the skies above. i T Hark to' the rapturous song in winds that pass: "Two —.i and things there be immortal—Life':Love!" .. 0 lily, lifting up your fragrant breath Where snowflakes pthemselves' s spreadbutyesterday, IOU softly cry: "Where is thy sting, 0 death? 0 grave, where is thy boasted victory ?" The Easter Lily HIS is the tale of a lily bud that would j not bloom as a lily should. The tittle girl gave' it her kindest care, she waned it so for;' Easter Day; tut ever the flower seemed t4 stay stiffly wrapped in its little green hood. On Easter Eve not a sign of white. The little girl looked, then turned away, She didn't have even a word to say, but she cried herself softly to sleep that night At twelve o'clock,: or a quarter of, fairy Raindrop and fairy Light and fairy Beauty and fairy Love (the f xur good fairies that set things right) came and worked in thedark of the night. They 3 Climbed the stalk and the tall green stern and dusted to leaves and polished them; they slowly opened the tight green bud, and smoothed out its petals creamy white; two of thein carefully sifted up the falx frail bellonthe lily cup, filled it th swee t- - nest, all it would hold, then powdered it deep with shining gold. The little girt stirred in her sleep to say, "I wanted my flower for Easter Day," Then her eyelids moved, for she dreamed she heard tinkling laughter alyd whispered word, flutter of wings and silver cries,• "Quick, be quick, or she'll open her eyes!" And deep in her dreams again she stirred, The fairies fluttered around the room, and hie themselves in the fireplace, and clung in the gauzy curtain's lace, waiting for dawn of day to conte; and the little girl slept with a smile on her face, and the tall white flower was fair in the gloom, At peep of daylight she wakened wide. "Easter is here,"' I think," she said, She sat up straight in her little bed and thought of the lily plant, and sighed. Then day broke over the edge of the wood, and a ray of sunshine calve peeping through and ?hone on the spot where the lily stood. "Oil, Most beautiful—look:" she cried. She could t arcel r• believe that it wan; true, yet there wee the' lily, brave and new. "Everyone come," she cried, "and see what a wonderful thing has happened to mei" The flower nodded away in the .bun. The fairies folded their tired wings --dear little helpful, happy thinge and silently, softly stole nee ay. And the little girl sang all Buster Day! "We call it alleluia in rngl;rntl, , where I conte from," Mrs. Avery answered, "It blooms at Raster there." When site had lett the roota Mar - gavot put the plant back in the win- dow anal .stood gazing at it for a while. Somehow its brave beauty made her glad in spite of herself. Site sat down to her weeltly darning with a lighter Inert, AIleiuia: that was 'Mutt Unele Ad - 'tan had meant. After all, it was springtime, and Laster. As site sent ber needle swiftly in and out she de- eided to stop her useless worrying. At length she folded up ber work and put on her raincoat and rubbers. Then she cros:'ed the: room and picked up the rosy plant. "You belong down at the c•hurele" elan said. "There'll be nothing love- lier in the whole chancel to -morrow, I know there won't," }ler hand was on the knob when there came a sound of light steps run- ning up the stairs. The next instant the door flew open. The shocic of con- tact sent Margaret's burden spinning out of her arms to the floor. "Oh, what have I done?" the in- truder cried. It was Molly Spencer, brought up short in alarm. Margaret thrust out two eager hands, and drawing her across the threshold, thrust her into a chair. 'You've come to see me!" she cried. "That's what you've done!" brolly's dark head dipped. "I had to conte," she declared, "though I was ashamed to, and that's the truth. Margaret, I rushed into writing that hateful letter just the way I rushed into your room a moment ago. What are you going to do about your plant?" Margaret stooped to pick up tate broken pot. "The corner florist will help me out," she said. "Look, isn't it beautiful?" As she lifted the plant something fell to°the floor with a sharp click—a small bright object that rolled swiftly under the sofa. Margaret made a dive, but it wheeled out again, spinning to- ward the fireplace and making gold circles in the little gray room. It was Molly who captured the thing. She held it out shamefacedly. "I suppose it's that everlasting gold piece," she said. Margaret blinked at the thing, frankly bewildered. Molly had a theory to offer. "You flipped it out with your handkerchief that evening; then you shoveled. it in with the earth." • "And all these months," 1'llargaret said slowly, "it was right here at my elbow." She looked at the yellow disk , glimmering in her palm. Then she looked at Molly, her face shining. Molly read the look of relief; for the first time she realized what Mar. garet had endured. .Site laid an eager' hand on her cousin's -arm. "I know -how we'll - Invest part .of it," she said. "To Barnesne]d for Easter, Meg!" Margaret shook her head. "No, she said. "I want -you to have it all. You must be needing it, now"that you aro living in town. iilolly's.eyes began to dance. "Oho, but len na longer living in town," she said. "The city was fine in February,, but when spring came back I knew where .I belonged. Hurry! Where's your suit case;, Meg? Mine's down at the door. We .can take the five-o.clock train and walk out to the farm. Look; the sun's shining for our special bene- fit.!" She was -folding blouses and col- o• lect_ue� pins,•"The smith woods are one mass of anemones," site hung over her shoulder to Margaret, who stood wavering in a shaft; of sunlight. Margaret hesitated no longer. l �acl� a noon as Imend� r tel 5 coti alleluia- , � eluia. plant," she said.. "Your what?" Molly echoed hal,ow- ly from the depths of the clothes cic;et. Istat Margaret did not hear t: e gtte-.tlr:t. She wits ailreatly halfway down the Mudrs. hoe had ono haul firms under the little nrc,uld of fragrant,. ernmbiing earth, auto with the other 8110 w..s a ft.'; dy ng the etarry pink petals of ber flower. Spring, Joyousness. Spring 1' cotuias, yes I ttetbw, For the birdies tell me so, They are singing in the trees, aiy unlighted beast tel etc -ease. All of nature. everywhere, In their joyouseess will share. Nodding', blooming fioarere say, Spring is coming baelc our way. They will make the world so gay, In her floral, spring array. All my heart is singing, toe,. In this joyous time to woo. Love is creeping in our hearts, As old winter now departs, And the warmer days will seem Making us so sweetly dream. Thrilling spring is in the air, Making life all seem so fair That oar hearts all long to sing Will the joyousness of spring. Easter Eggs in the Making. Probably not one Terson in a thous- and who buys Easter eggs knows how they are made. Most of the eggs are made by ma- chinery. First a soft, jelly-like mass of sugar and other ingredients is boll• ed in :cauldrons, and then, when still soft, it is cut into oblong or brick shaped pieces of many different sizes by machinery. These pieces are thrown into huge copper cauldrons with wide-open, gaping, mouths. When the soft sugar bricks ars thrown in, the kettles begin to revolve, and th.e pieces., „Tolling , around and, around' slape"theinselves into ' eggs, and grow harder and harder, although the inside still is soft. And. after the', "shell" is formed it is colored to suit the taste. The great fancy eggs are .made of sugar crystals. The cryeta,lized-sugar is moulded into egg shape, in moulds the size of just half the egg, and then the two halves are sealed together, and the , delicate sugar ilowens and pictures are put on and colored by hand. The fluffy little Easter chicks are made ot real feathers, which are glued to a body generally made of papier- mache, although sometimes of wool, cotton or wood. The Putting on of the feathers• is a delicate task, and is mostly done by girls who stand all day "pasting little soft feathers an the forms, as the bodies aro called. eThen, the bodies are; turned over to aha men who Color thein after the glue is dried-. These inee are excellent workmen and sit with .their brushes and paint. chickens all day, sometimes Pring an air -brush to color the delicate;little feathers.y After they are colored they look o ,actly idle a crowd of fluffy little chicks: TIien the,, are driedagain and placed- in long rows on shelve , after I wb.1Ch thev.haSe little'ch.ocoxute eyes' poton • th eit.