FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83  
84   85   86   87   >>  
ed," and the Oldest Trustee prodded her yarn ball with a disquieting needle, "but I certainly miss the usual gratification of a day well spent." She closed her eyes, hoping thereby to lose herself for the space of a moment, but instead-- She was startled to hear voices at her very elbow; a number of persons must have entered the room, but how they could have done so without her knowing it she could not understand. Of course they thought her asleep; it was just as well to let them think so. She really felt too tired to talk. "Mother's undoubtedly growing old. Have you noticed how much she naps in the evening, now?" It was the voice of her youngest daughter. "I heard her telling some one the other day she was five years younger than she is. That's a sure sign," and her son laughed an amused little chuckle. "I can tell you a surer one." This time it was her oldest daughter--her first-born. "Haven't you noticed how all mother's little peculiarities are growing on her? She is getting so much more dictatorial and preachy. Of course, we know that mother means to be kind and helpful, but she has always been so--tactless--and blunt; and it's growing worse and worse." "I have often wondered how all her charity people take her; it must come tough on them, sometimes. Gee! Can't you see her raising those lorgnettes of hers and saying, 'My good boy, do you read your Bible?' or, 'My little girl, I hope you remember to be grateful for all you receive.' Say, wouldn't you hate to have charity stuffed down your throat that way?" and the oldest and favorite grandson groaned out his feelings. "That isn't what I should mind the most." It was the youngest daughter speaking again. "I've been with mother when she has made remarks about the patients in the hospital, loud enough for them to hear, and I was so mortified I wanted to sink through the floor, And you simply can't shut mother up. Of course she doesn't realize how it sounds; she doesn't believe they hear her, but I know they do. I wonder how mother would like to have us stand around her--and we know her and love her--and have us say she was getting deaf, or her hair was coming out, or her memory was beginning to fail, or--" The Oldest Trustee smiled grimly. "Oh, don't stop, my dear. If there is any other failing you can think of--" She opened her eyes with a start. "Goodness gracious!" she exclaimed. "My grandson is in college five hundred miles awa
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83  
84   85   86   87   >>  



Top keywords:
mother
 

daughter

 

growing

 
grandson
 

noticed

 

oldest

 

charity

 

Oldest

 

Trustee

 

youngest


speaking

 
feelings
 

stuffed

 
remember
 
lorgnettes
 

grateful

 

receive

 

throat

 

favorite

 

groaned


wouldn

 

grimly

 

smiled

 

coming

 

memory

 
beginning
 

college

 

exclaimed

 

hundred

 

gracious


Goodness

 

failing

 
opened
 

wanted

 

mortified

 

remarks

 

patients

 

hospital

 

simply

 

realize


sounds
 
knowing
 

understand

 

number

 

persons

 
entered
 

thought

 
asleep
 
Mother
 

undoubtedly