Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 60, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 March 1912 — SPIRIT THAT COUNTS [ARTICLE]

SPIRIT THAT COUNTS

YOUNG GIRL LEARNED LESSON AS TO TRUE HOSPITALITY. Sparsity of Far* Need Never Be • Deterrent to a Cordial Invitation to Sit at Table With the Family, It was Monday noon. Old Martha, grumbling, was banging the last of the wash on the line. She really enjoyed washing, and would have been insulted had her mistress suggested sending it out; but being of a pessimistic temperament, she grumbled upon principle. In the house, Miss Elizabeth and her niece Muriel, who was visiting her, were setting the luncheon on the toble. It wag a “pickup” luncheon Monlays, Miss Elizabeth explained, as she set two pieces of custard pie and a saucer of snow pudding on the sideboard. Muriel nodded. The family to which she belonged knew all about “pickup” meals. But suddenly a look of consternation swept across her face. • . ; _ ----- -a “Aunt Elizabeth!" she cried, “if here isn’t a visitor—getting out of a carriage!” Miss Elizabeth looked over Muriel’s shoulder. “It’s Mrs. Stacey Heed!” she declared. “But the tea on the table, child. Fll bring her right out” “Bring her out?” Muriel repeated! but her aunt was already opening the door, and Muriel, in an agony of embarrassment, knew that she had not even taken off iter green-checked apron. She gave a hasty glance over the table. A little warmed-over fricasseed chicken, left from Sunday’s dinner, and some quince preserve from supper, bread and butter and dried beef, radishes and tea —and the two pieces of custard pie and one portion of snow pudding! It could not be that Aunt Elizabeth would bring a visitor out! But she was interrupted by Aunt Elizabeth’s voice, cordial and full of pleasure: “Come right out, Mrs, Heed. We were Just fitting down to luncheon. This is my niece, Muriel Hastings. Muriel, will you get Mrs. Reed A plate?” Muriel set a plate for Mrs. Reed. She could not talk, it all seemed so embarrassing. At home they would have put off luncheon forever rather than ask anyone out —so. She waited in a torture of anxiety for her aunt’s excuses. Then slowly she began to realize not only that there 7 were no excuses, hut that both ladies seemed to be enjoying themselves. Aunt Elizabeth only laughed when she offered the guest her choice of custard pie or snow pudding. That evening Muriel suddenly said: “Aunt Elizabeth, I never knew one could have company like that. We never do at home.” ' Miss Elizabeth’s eyes dwelt kindly upon the young face, which already had its tired lines of worry. “Do you like to ‘put folks out,’ Muriel?" •Why, no, of course not,” the young girl answered. “Well, then,” Miss Elizabeth answered, smiling. “But it would work only with real ladles,” Muriel persisted. , “Well, then,” Miss Elizabeth answered again.—Youth’s Companion.