Winchester School - Oui Dire Yearbook (Pittsburgh, PA)

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ting DIRE She ushered them into the front parlor. They sat down on the edge of the horsehair sofa and on the stiff-hacked chairs. The other children :soon came. When they had heen there for a few minutes their company manners wore off and they clamored for a story. Of course it was a Ilihle story with a little moral from time to time thrown in. hut done so gently that the children did not mind. After the story they went out to the garden and had tea. It is re- inarkahle how much ten unconstrained children can devour in ten tninutes. Having had tea the children played in the grass and went to see let, and Tammany, thehig tiger cat. .Xhout half past live they went home, all having very much enjoyed their afternoon. its Miss glulia cleared that tahle and washed the dishes hy the last rays of the setting sun, she felt extremely happy. for she had given pleasure to others which was the greatest joy her un- sellish heart desired. II. Ii, 'i7. o t,t.vkovi.if. P1..vt il., If'r11snticoH, PA., Septemher 4. 1914. Xlv Ili-axis Ihoisornvzf In your last letter you asked me how I enjoyed myself at Iiernice I.ivingston's house-party. Itell, I never had. or expect to have again, such a pleasant time. I certainly was not disappointed in Oak Manor. I had heard from people who had visited there that it was one of the most heautiful estates in all Iingland. It came up to my expectations in every way. It is complete in every detail. Although the house is immense, it is very cheerful and home-like. The wild fore ests with the heautiful deer scampering away at the slightest noise and the well-kept gardens with their heds of old-fashioned flowers and oddly tiimmed hedges, are magnificent. Behind the gardens are the well-lilled stahles. IXIr. Iaivinge ston has always heen fond of horses and he still keeps manv handsome thoroughhreds. The most heautiful thing in all the estate is llernice herself. I think she is an ideal girl. .Xt her mother's death five years ago, although she was very young, she look full charge of the house. Of course thev have servants to do everything, hut overseeing a large estate like theirs is a great responsihility. IIer father and hrothers idolize her and if she were like most girls she would have been spoilt long ago and would he nothing now hut a light. Ilippant girl. I do not mean she is not fond of pretty clothes and enjoying life generally with the young people, for nothing pleases herihetter. She FIIIT lieill ITMJ!-Ll of llle lfnfnys Qt tgmiigg, and at golf I never saw a girl play as she does. The best of all is to watch her starting out to hunt with all her friends, and later when they come home, to see her carrying the largest amount of game strapped to her saddle! lVe all spent two very happy weeks there. I stayed in London for a few days and then sailed for home. Soon after war was declared, I got a long in- teresting letter from Bernice. She said that Reginald and Malcolm, her brothers, had left for the front. They had gone to military school for a few years, Bernice said her father and she were very lonely without them and a little worried, for they had not heard from the boys since they left. .Xll through the letter I could see that she wished that she could go to the front and serve her country. XYhile she was at school she took a short course in nursing, Yesterday I was very much surprised to get a letter from Ilernice from northeastern France where she is helping as a Red Cross nurse. She said we have no idea of the suffering and hard- ships among the soldiers. She also said, 'AI can do very little, hut I am glad I came for there are harely enough nurses to do all the work. I have only a couple of hours a day to myself for there are wounded being brought in all the time. Cne trouhle that is worrying us now is where we are going to put them if they keep on coming. Of course she tried to make light of how hard she is working, hut she is the kind of girl that will keep on as long as her strength lasts. They are all hoping that this awful war will end before the cold weather sets in. Ile sure and write soon and tell me all about my friends in Ifoston. Your loving Janet. R. R. '17, THE OLD CHAPEL. Up the rickety wooden steps the hent form of old Mrs. Stephens could he seen as she made her way to the little chapel. At the door she was niet hy the kind old minister and his son. .Ns she walked to her pew with her feehle and treinhling gait, she felt chilled and lonely, as many curious glances were directed towards her. .Xs she sank into the corner of her pew her eyes filled with tears, as she realized that this was to he the last service held in this little chapel so dear to her, as a beautiful new church was about to he completed. It had been a very great undertaking for her to attend this twilight service. 5

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GUI DIRE or self had only been in the city for a short time and who had called to see how her friend, just recently arrived from the south, was getting along at Mrs. Smiths Fine, I thank ye, how's yu gittin' along at Mrs. vIones'? answered her friend. Oh, pretty good, hut dem chillun am saucy. I was talkin' to de madam and happen to say 'ain't,' an' dat little mite of a Helen, jist eight years old, come runnin' up ter me an' tole me not ter say 'ain't' but ter say 'aren't,' an' I jist tole her I knew how ter talk an' I wasn't gwine ter lose all my suthin accent needer. Dat's right, said Jennie, don' yu let 'em boss yu aroun'. An' den yisterday mawnin', continued Lizzie, de Missus sont me ter town ter git some goods, and dey hah dem funny kind o' doors in de store, an' I jist got in one o' dem little holes like, an' kep' gwine aroun' and aroun', an' I didn' know how to git out, cause when I kep' walkin' faster de ting was gwine so fas' dat I got so dizzy I couldn' hardly stan' up. An' den a lady came along an' got in, too, but it wus gwine so fas' she couldn' git out eeder, and she an' I was jist llyin' aroun' in dat ting like birds, hut afterwards it slow'd down a bit an' de lady got out so I jist followed her. But I'd a hin thar still ef dat lady hadn' a showed me how ter git out. Hal I-Ia! laughed Iennie, dat sure is a good joke on yu, yer ain't on ter de city ways yit. Are ye? No, I guiss not, folk gits up so late in o'clock 'fo' dey git up. XVall, yer know de here, said Jennie. I guess I'll git used ter it some day. NVall, I mus' he gwine cause it's gittin' late, it's mos' seben thirty now, an' I like ter be in bed by eight thirty. Wfall, good night, Jennie. Good night, Lizzie, guiss I'll see ye to-mor- r0w, L. XM. 'I7. Lizzie replied. Han' dem de mawnin', it's mos' six people don' git up 'fo' day MISS JULIA. It was a little gray stone house with a large chimney. This chimney was the principal fea- ture of the house. It determined the early date of the structure for it was the sort that had been built first and when it was found to draw, the rest of the building had been completed. On the front there were four bay-windows with dia- mond-panes and a paneled door with a great brass knocker. The front lawn was entirely surrounded by a hedge except for a wicket gate in the center which opened on the lane. Behind the house on the right was a low cow-shed, and on the left a high stone wall which enclosed a fairyland of an old-fashioned garden where hol- lyhocks, goldenglow, bachelor-liuttons, lavender and larkspur ran riot, The garden boasted the only trees on the place, three lofty elms and an apple tree, gnarled and twisted with age. The owner was a little old maid, Miss julia by name, an aristocrat by birth, who, through financial dilliculties, had been forced to retire to this lit- tle country town and live in genteel poverty. Un a certain hot july afternoon about four o'clock, Miss .lulia stood at the garden gate and took a last look at the table spread under the old apple tree. She wore a Howered dimity with a white kerchief at the neck fastened with a large brooch. To look at her one would think that one had, somehow by accident, met Miss Matty of Cranford lt looked very cool and comfortable under the apple tree. The long old spindle-legged table with its snowy cloth looked very dainty. Miss .lulia checked off points on her fingers. The heavy silver, the fragile china. and the bowl of white dog-tooth violets in the center? Yes. lfverything is ready. Hut who were the euests for whom Miss julia was making such elaborate preparations? They must be very noted personages who necessitated the getting out of the old family silver and her grandmoth- cr's china. She heard the thump-thump of the knocker and hurried through the house to the front door. .Xs we peer out from behind her, at first we see nothing, hut on looking down we see a little girl and boy, their faces shining like mirrors, holding hands tightly to give each other courage in their trying moment of attempting to remem- ber mother's instructions in company man- ners. Are these, then, the guests for whom Miss Iulia has given so much time? Yes. Here, down the lane, come some more children clad in their Sunday best. The fact is, Miss -lulia is having her Sunday school class to tea, I suppose I should say to milk, for it is the prin- cipal part of the refreshments. Miss julia had planned this party for weeks. Milk would be inexpensive for she had her own cow, .let,' whom she loved as a daughter, and she could have bread and butter and hard candy. Cheap and 0'enteel, she had said to herself. PI The children trooped into the hall and hung their hats on the pegs. Miss julia counted heads. Another red and two more blacks, she men- tally stated.

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OUT DIRE 63 She let her thoughts stray back to the first time that she had attended a service in this chapel. Ifler white hair had then hung in golden curls, She saw herself nodding and chatting with her many friends in the small congregation. This picture grew dim and a more vivid scene took its place. The chapel this time was gorgeously decorated with beautiful spring flowers, It was the eve- ning of her marriage. How clearly she could see the smiling and happy faces of her family and friends! There she stood, arrayed in soft white satin, beside john Stephens. She could almost hear the faint strains of music, so vivid was the happy scene. Then had followed many years of happiness. Again she thought of this apparently cold and unfeeling congregation which now surrounded 'her and contrasted it with the one she had known at the time of her husband's death. Everyone had been so very kind and sympathetic. This was the one sad and unhappy picture which presented itself to her and it seemed to thrust all others from her mind. On the day of the funeral, the little chapel, usual- ly so cheerful and pretty, seemed to have been changed into a cold and impressive cave. All she could see was the big black cofnn in which all her happiness had been buried. Blrs. Stephens had then spent many years, in order to regain her lost strength. with some relatives. On her return she saw very few familiar faces in the congregation Indeed, her only friend seemed to be the old minister. Ile had become so feeble that his son had taken over all the ac- tive work of the parish. Everything had changed! Even the church in which services had been held year after year was being replaced by a modern place of worship. This thought sud- denly brought Mrs. Stephens back to her present surroundings. The choir was marching out and the voices of the young boys sounded very far away. As the minister was leaving the church he noticed Mrs. Stephens still sitting in her pew. Her face was so white that he thought she must have fainted. On reaching her he found that still another link with his past life had been broken. Mrs, Stephen's soul had Hoated up to heaven with the sweet strains of the last hymn. B. B. 'l7. COUNTRY LIFE. CPlay1et in Three Acts.j Place: Back XN1oods Time: Present Samuel, tthe hushandj f Ill-11, -tthc wifcl 1 L ,mlm,l.L,H lnnmei jones 1 Iiarmer Brown 1 ivcr 1 St'L'IIC'.' Old Country llouse, 5111111101 lllltl illiriti .vitliizij by 1110 13115111111 .vf11t'1'. 111' is 5111111111111 tl lvU1'11 coli fiifc 111111 slit' ix 1111171- 11111 ll 1'e11 Xtfflllfllffff. Sui titer.-XX'l1at are you thinking about, Kliria? BIIRIA--Iilll good and ashamed Samuel, but I was thinking of the I was wishing we could see life on of myself. city world. our twenty- tifth wedding day: that will he here next month. I have never left this farm, and I love every tree and each blade of grass, my pet chickens, the pigs, our old cow with her little white calf and faithful old Roger, we have had him almost as long as we have had each other, I am not complaining, husband, but what wouldn't I give for a sight of one of those automobiles. That city-chap who was selling tin-ware told me that automobiles run alone, flo you believe it, Samuel? S.va11'1i1.fKliria, are you well, dear? You are all out of breath: that is more than you have talked in the twenty-live yearsl Tutl Tutl we are too old! l-et's hurry to bed, it is seven o'clock and I must be up at the cock's crow. KIIRIA--XYOLI know that old stocking under the mattress1 it is almost full of silver bitsl Suppose we take it and go for a whole day! vacation on our wedding day. S.vx1t11i1.JCo1ne, get the lamp. I'll see. I'll dream over it. ,vcr ll Scclle: Same as .Xct I-1 lne month later. Rlllllk-liljl up, Samuel, I have never closed my eyes all night: I am so Hustered and it is dawn. You have been to Beatte's Corners three times lately: I can hardly dress l am so worked up. SAKIUEI.--Illll'1'y, Kliria, I have your break- fast laid out on the oil cloth on the edge of the stove. Eat some pie, and doughnuts and drink a lot of milk: we want to feel good all day. .Xnd Mirial IJon't forget to put a package of dough- nuts in my coat pocket. BIIRI.-Xl,X whole day from this house. I.ook at that motto, Home, sweet home. I wonder if we are doing right. tXYiping her eyes with her apron, she singsi, l'll wear my best little bonnet with the bit of lace upon it. tlhl and I'll add my prize chicken feather.