xt7p5h7bsb1g https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7p5h7bsb1g/data/mets.xml Gaines, Miriam 1913  books b92-205-30908879 English J.P. Morton & Co., : Louisville, Ky. : Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Grandfather's love pie  / by Miriam Gaines ; illustrations by John Edward Whiting. text Grandfather's love pie  / by Miriam Gaines ; illustrations by John Edward Whiting. 1913 2002 true xt7p5h7bsb1g section xt7p5h7bsb1g 









































AUNTEE. I'LL THINK OF SOMETHING-I PROMISE
                YOUT I WIllTy"



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SECOND EDITION



GRANDFATHER'S


    LOVE PIE



            BY

     MIRIAM GAINES



            U



        ILLUSTRATIONS BY
    JOHN EDWARD WHITING



            E



            1913
  JOHN P. MORTON  COMPANY
         INCORPORATED
      LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY



J

 































COPYRIGHT, 1913,
        BY
MISS MIRIAM GAINES.

 



































TO THE MEMORY OF MY BELOVED FATHER,

       JOHN THOMAs GAINES,

  THIS LITTLE VOLUME IS DEDICATED.

 This page in the original text is blank.


 

  GRANDFATHER'S LOVE PIE


                 I.

"O, AUNTEE, what is it"
The awed young voice paused at the
threshold.
It was a sight the little girl had never
witnessed before-she had seen Auntee
sad at occasional intervals, and a few
times had looked upon tears in the
usually merry eyes of her beloved
chum, but never before had she beheld
Auntee sobbing in such an abandon-
ment of grief.
There was a very tender tie of love
between these two-Alsie, the dear
little twelve-year-old daughter of an
older sister of the family, and Alice,
the only remaining unmarried child of
a household of many sons and daugh-
ters.

 
GRA NDFATHER'S LOVE PIE



The family circle had never been
broken, however, and it was a house-
hold where love prevailed, for al-
though several members lived in far-
away homes, the flame of affection
burned as brightly and the cord of love
bound them together as strongly as did
ever the same ties bind their sturdy
Scotch ancestors into clans.
Auntee (for that was Alsie's baby
name for the aunt, with whom so many
happy hours had been spent) rose
half way up from the bed with a
somewhat startled movement, but the
sight of the stricken little face at her
side seemed to bring back afresh the
reminder of her pain, and she again
buried her face in the pillow with a
sob.
After a few moments, however, the
young woman put her arm tenderly
around the little namesake and tried
to explain.
"I did not intend to burden you,
Alsie dear, with my grief, but I feel so

 
GRANDFATHER'S LOVE PIE



sad and somehow I just couldn't keep
it shut in any longer-it had to come
out. But I thought you were playing
with your little friend Margaret, and
I knew mother had started for the drug
store on an errand which would surely
keep her an hour."
"Auntee, are you so sad because dear
Uncle James has gone away You
know grandma said he had been called
to his heavenly home, and there are
lots of us left to make you bright and
happy."
"So there are, Alsie, and I will try to
take courage in that thought, for
surely God wouldn't take another
loved one away from us so soon-so
soon." The last two words were spoken
pensively and as though she was un-
conscious of the presence of the child.
Little Alsie's face became white.
"O, Auntee, you don't mean that
dear grandfather"-her voice faltered
and she finished in a whisper-"is
worse"

 
GRA NDFATHER'S LOVE PIE



Auntee regained her self-possession in
a moment and said hastily, "No, dear
child, no worse. But sit down with
me and I will tell you all about it.
You must promise not to mention it to
grandmother, however, for we will have
to be brave together." Then, sitting
side by side in the pretty little blue
bedroom where only a few months
before so many joyous hours had been
spent in fixing everything up daintily
to meet the gaze of returned travelers,
Aunt Alice related to young Alice the
story of her trip to the doctor's that
very day, and how he had told her that
the chances were against the recovery
of the beloved father and grandfather,
lying so patiently on his bed of pain in
the south bedchamber.
His health had begun to fail in the
spring, but grandfather, with his broad
shoulders, military bearing, and six
feet of noble manhood, had never been
sick within the memory of either of
these two, and it was hard for them-
                  4

 
GRA NDFATHER'S LOVE PIE



or, indeed, any other-to conceive that
it was more than a passing ailment, and
would soon disappear. The family
became vaguely uneasy as the spring
merged into the summer, and a plan
was proposed for the plump little
five-foot "wifey" to take her big hus-
band, the Captain, on a long trip to
the seashore and mountains.
The trip had been taken, but Captain
Gordon's condition did not show the
improvement that the anxious mem-
bers of his family had so earnestly
hoped to see, and after the return the
busy little wife immediately set about
securing a couch for his office, for the
invalid insisted that he was able to
resume his duties. She explained that
"the Captain might rest a little now
and then from his labors," for the
sturdy old soldier would not for a
moment entertain the thought of giving
up his work-the loved, chosen pro-
fession which he had followed so faith-
fully and successfully since he came
                  5

 
GRA NDFATHER'S LOVE PIE



out-a gallant young officer of twenty-
three from the Civil War, the sole
survivor of the four members of his
household who had gone forth to fight
for what was to be the Lost Cause.
Everything at the office was made
especially comfortable, for how willingly
would every bne have spared the quiet,
kind professor, who combined so won-
derfullystrength and manlinesswith gen-
tleness and lovableness of disposition.
The experiment lasted one week-he
came home at the close of the sixth
day and said quietly, "I must get a
substitute until I am well enough to
attend to my work as it should be
done." So the substitute was secured
and a consultation of doctors followed,
with the result that a new line of treat-
ment had been adopted. A few weeks
failed to bring good results, so other
treatments had been tried, until, a few
weeks before, a skilled specialist had
ordered him off to the infirmary for a
period of several weeks.
                  6

 
GRANDFATHER'S LOVE PIE



The days spent here were days of
great suffering, but grandfather was a
man of monumental patience, and no
word of complaint passed his lips.
It was just at this time that a crushing
blow had been dealt the hopeful,
cheery little wifey, who had always
been laughingly termed "boss of the
ranch," "head of the house," and such-
like terms, but whose right to these
titles had never been disputed by the
indulgent husband or devoted sons and
daughters, for her ready hand always
carried with it relief, and her merry
laugh brought cheer and sunshine.
Her only brother had been stricken,
and died within a few days, but the
brave little wife and mother had hidden
her deep sorrow in her bosom, and
after a few days, only a smiling face
was presented about the house.
When the allotted time at the infirm-
ary had expired, the young doctor,
who had studied the case with such
zeal and attended his patient with the

 
GRANDFATHER'S LOVE PIE



tender care of a son, brought him back
to his home.
After having put her father to bed, to
rest from the weariness of the trip,
Alice turned around to the waiting
physician, a foreboding anxiety in her
heart, and tried to make her question
quite natural:
"Well, doctor, how soon can your
friend, the specialist, have father well
again"
After a pause Dr. Emerson replied,
"He will not continue on the case, Miss
Gordon."
"O, doctor, what do you mean He
has not given it up I can not relin-
quish hope I won't."
"And I do not wish you to, Miss
Gordon. Dr. Helm did not find your
father's condition to be what he had
expected, but we are going to begin at
once a treatment that has been prac-
ticed with great success in Germany, in
cases like his."
Nothing more was said at that time
                 s

 
GRANDFATHER'S LOVE PIE



between them, but the memory of that
conversation was indelibly printed on
Alice's mind, and a long night of the
keenest anguish she had ever experi-
enced, followed.
She thought, and thought, and
thought, until the sounds from the sick-
chamber near by, would bring a flood
of tender memories and her pillow
would be wet with tears.
It was thus that most of the night was
spent. Toward morning she sank into
a deep slumber, but, when she wakened,
a terrible leaden weight seemed to op-
press her, and it was several hours be-
fore the buoyant cheerfulness, with
which she was by nature endowed,
could again assert itself.
After several days and nights spent
thus, Alice came to the wise conclusion
that the situation must be faced, for
obvious reasons.
After this decision was reached, she
became more calm, and the next day,
without consulting any member of the
                 9

 
GRANDFATHER'S LOVE PIE



family, slipped away to the doctor's
downtown office, and waited patiently
until he was at leisure to see her.
Dr. Emerson seemed a little surprised
at her appearance, but said, "What is
it, Miss Gordon-what can I do for
you"
"I only came, Dr. Emerson, to say to
you that I am now ready to hear what
you have to tell about my father. I
want to know just how much we may
hope for-or how little." Her voice
faltered, but she continued, "I could
not listen a few days ago when you
suggested that Dr. Helm was not able
to relieve him, but tell me all now."
Perhaps it was because the kind
physician felt sorry for the sorrowing
daughter, or perhaps it was because,
personally, he cherished a deep affec-
tion for the scholarly old gentleman on
whom he was expending his most
earnest efforts, but whatever the reason,
he told her in the gentlest, kindest
manner, enough to make her under-
                 10

 
GRANDFATHER'S LOVE PIE



stand that the chances were against
her father's recovery. His concluding
remarks, however, were reassuring.
"Please do not understand for a mo-
ment, Miss Gordon, that I have given
up hope. I do not agree altogether
with Dr. Helm, and I feel that we have
good ground for expecting favorable
results from the treatment that we
have recently begun."
After hearing the news, Alice returned
home, to find a letter in which was a
small check from one of the loving
family circle, to be spent in a Christmas
present for the dear sick one.
It had come to be a sort of habit in
the family for a few of the far-away
members to send little sums to Alice
at Christmas time, in order that the
presents should be such as would give
service as well as pleasure.
The carrying out of these commissions
had always been a source of delight to
both big and little Alice, for did they not
know best of all the individual needs
                  11

 
GRA NDFATHER'S LOVE PIE



and hopes of each member of the
household Who, then, could so well
plan and shop for the merry Christmas,
which was always a success in the
Gordon household
Yes, a merry, happy season it had
always been for, while all the comforts
of a refined home had ever been theirs,
the provision of these comforts had
required constant economy and man-
agement on the part of the busy
little "wifey" of the house. As the
former children had grown up and
flitted away from the home nest to
establish families for themselves, they
had gradually come to realize that it was
because of not having so many things
that they were enabled to get such a
degree of pleasure from those gifts
which just fitted the need, or perhaps
those gifts, for which the ordinary
craving might be counted an extrava-
gance.
It had always been the custom for
each one of the family to hang up his
                 1 2

 
GRANDFATHER'S LOVE PIE



or her stocking, and when the grand-
children began to appear upon the
scene, grandfather's big sock always
held a conspicuous place among the
stockings of all sizes.
It was the remembrance of all these es-
tablished customs that had caused the
entire breakdown of Alice's walls of self-
control (which she thought had been so
well built), and when little Alsie found
her there, alone in her chamber, in
such deep distress, it was not surpris-
ing that the little maid was fright-
ened.
This was the first time that Alice had
ever confided to the child anything that
was, even, in a remote degree, depress-
ing, but her heart was so overwrought
that she had poured out the whole sad
story to the little girl before time could
be taken for consideration of the wis-
dom of such a course. A flicker of
doubt, however, came to her as she
saw the troubled look of the child
deepen into an expression of pain and
                  13

 
GRA NDFATHER'S LOVE PIE



perplexity, and she continued, half
apologetically,
"I ought not to feel so discouraged,
dearie, I know. I ought to be brave,
but when I tried to think what I could
get for dear father with the checks that
will surely be coming in to me, within
the next two or three weeks, I felt
so utterly broken-hearted that I could
do nothing but cry." The child put her
arms tenderly around the neck of her
beloved aunt, and gave her message of
sympathy in mute kisses.
"I am completely at a loss to know
what to do," said Alice, with emphasis.
"Here is Christmas, only a month
distant-I have made no preparation,
for I have had no heart for it; we can
not hang up the stockings after the
usual merry fashion, for it would be
only a farce; we should cry instead of
laugh when we see them, so I feel almost
desperate to know what to do. 0, Alsie,
can't we think of some plan by which
we may give dear grandfather a merry
                 14

 
GRANDFATHER'S LOVE PIE



Christmas, especially if it is to be his
last with us"
"Auntee, I'll think of something-I
promise you I will-and it will be soon,
too-perhaps by to-morrow-but any-
how by the day after, so trust to me
and let us both hope that grandfather
will get better."
"I will, dear-I will. There! I feel
more hopeful already. Don't you re-
member, when you were a wee tot,
and would come in and ask me for
a piece of cake When I would say,
'Well, now, I wonder where grandma
has put that cake' you would reply, so
eagerly, 'Fink hard, Auntee-fink hard.'
You knew well that a real hard think
would bring results. Now we must both
'think hard' and see if we can't pro-
duce a little genuine Christmas cheer."
They parted with this compact, and
when Alice, half an hour later, walked
into Captain Gordon's sick-chamber,
a pleasant smile was on her lips and her
voice had regained its usual composure.
                 15


 
II.



A DAY or two passed with little change
in the condition of affairs, in the
Gordon household, but on the third
afternoon, following the conversation
between the two Alices, the younger
one came in rather suddenly, and
announced, in a whisper, that she had
an idea.
In a little while Aunt Alice had sug-
gested a walk "for a breath of fresh
air," with the result that they were
soon out together, alone, wralking in the
lovely park which was close by.
"You see, Auntee," began Alsie, "it
was this way-I tried and tried to
think of some celebration, which would
make us all cheerful and happy at
Christmas, but the more I thought, the
harder the problem seemed to get. We
couldn't have plays, for that would
tire grandfather; a Christmas tree
would remind us all of last Christmas,
                  16

 
GRA NDFATHER'S LOVE PIE



when dear Uncle James had such a
beautiful one at his country place. It
would make grandma cry-and perhaps
the rest of us, too-to remember that
that home had been broken up by the
loss of the father and husband. Alto-
gether, I was beginning to feel real
discouraged. Mamma took me down
town to lunch with her to-day, and
the waiter brought in such a big,
luscious piece of pie. You know,
Auntee, I have always loved pie 'most
as much as grandfather. I began to
think how long it had been since he had
had a single taste of pie, and yet he
has never complained. I began to
wish-O, so much-that grandfather
could enjoy that delicious bit of pie.
The tears came into my eyes, Auntee,
and I said to mamma, 'If grandfather
could just eat this one piece of pie,
mamma, I would be willing to do with-
out pie for the rest of my life.'
"It was then, Auntee, that the idea
came to me. Couldn't we have a
                 17

 

GRANDFATHER'S LOVE PIE



Christmas pie for grandfather which,
instead of having a filling of rich cus-
tards or fruits, would contain all the
cunning little presents that we grand-
children could make for him"
"Why, Alsie, what an idea! I've heard
of the Jack Horner pie and other
varieties, perhaps, but who would have
thought of the idea of a Christmas pie
of that kind! We'll certainly carry it
out, for your pretty idea was the off-
spring of an unselfish impulse, and a
sympathetic tear, and it surely will
thrive and bear fruit."
"Let's see, Auntee a pie must al-
ways be round, mus'n't it"
"And this one will have to be big,
too," replied Alice, "for there are lots
of us who want to have a finger in it.
Those dear co-workers with father,
who have kept his sick-room so fragrant
and beautiful with flowers, must each
be allowed a little space for a card of
greeting. In fact, Alsie, I think it
would be a good idea to invite all his
                 1i

 

GRA NDFATHER'S LOVE PIE



most beloved circle of friends to send
a little message of love, for only the
other day he said to me, 'There is
nothing so acceptable to a man lying
on a bed of sickness as an offering of
love be it a message, a flower, a visit,
or a delicacy-it is delightful to be
remembered.'"
"Well, Auntee, I'll see all the cousins
within reach and write to the others,
and you do the same with the grown
folks of the family, and the rule must
be that each is to put into the pie some-
thing that will please grandfather or
make him laugh."
"Fine, Alsie, fine. It's a good rule to
make, for it's a 'Merry Christmas' we
are striving for, and I don't believe
our efforts will fail if we put into them
all the love and energy which the family
say you and I possess, in a like degree."
"We haven't much time to lose,
either, Auntee, for we have lots to do
in the three weeks that remain to us.
Now, as to business, what are we going
                  19

 

GRANDFATHER'S LOVE PIE



to make the pie-crust of-I mean what
material will take the place of the pie-
crust, which you know is what holds
the goodies"
"It must be considerably stronger
than the crisp, brittle crust which
Aunt Bettie brings to our table," re-
plied Aunt Alice with a laugh.
After a moment she continued, "I
wonder if we couldn't get hold of one
of those hat-boxes which are made to
hold the enormous 'creations' we see
every day in the milliners' shops, and
on the heads of so many pretty girls.
We can make the effort, anyhow, and
if we don't succeed in finding just what
we want, needles and cardboard are
plentiful and we can make a box to
suit ourselves, for it must be at least
twenty-five or thirty inches in diameter
and six inches high to hold the filling."
They walked slowly homeward, dis-
cussing various little points which
occurred to them along the way, until,
when Alice walked back into the front
                 20

 

GRA NDFATHER'S LOVE PIE



door of her home, what was her sur-
prise and delight to feel that the weight
of the sorrow, which had so oppressed
her, was lightened. She felt almost
buoyant in her eagerness for Christmas
to come.
And now a busy season began. It
was hard to think of anything suitable
for the invalid, for had not the loving
hands of his wife and children provided
everything that might add to the com-
fort of the beloved head of the house-
hold
There was one little feature that had
been overlooked, however-grandfather
possessed no foot-warmers. So Alsie's
energies were at once set to work on
these articles, which were destined to
be "real comforts" in the weeks which
followed Christmas.
The story of grandfather's pie was
soon spread, not only through the
family, but also to a large circle of
friends.  Everybody was cautioned,
however, to keep the secret from Mrs.
                 21

 

GRA NDFATHER'S LOVE PIE



Gordon, for it was decreed that the
faithful little "wifey" (no one had ever
heard the Captain address his wife by
any other name than that, which he
had bestowed upon her during their
honeymoon) should share the surprise
and pleasure with her husband.
"Mr. Doctor, what are you going to
put in the Christmas pie" exclaimed
Alice merrily one morning, after telling
the physician of the plan.
"I think I'll contribute the turkey,"
he answered with a smile. "A turkey,
of course, which won't take up too
much space, and the dressing I'll put
in that turkey will be calculated to
make any sick man well. Do you un-
derstand"
Alice didn't quite understand, but was
willing to leave the matter in his hands.
Little Jack was quite worried that he
could think of nothing to make grand-
father laugh, and one day when he was
in the sick-chamber he blurted out,
"Grandfather, what would you rather
                 22

 

GRANDFATHER'S LOVE PIE



have me give you for Christmas than
anything else"
The laugh came then-before time
for it explained to grandfather the
uneasy, doubtful expression which had
enveloped the little lad's face just
previous to the asking of the question.
"Well, I'll tell you, Jack, what would
please me more than anything else a
perfect report from your teacher. If
you could bring me this, on Christmas
Day, I would know that it meant hard
work for a boy, who is as fond of play
and mischief as you."
Nothing more was said on the subject,
but little Jack passed out of the room
with a stern resolution that that report
should be forthcoming, and when Aunt
Alice was told of it she exclaimed en-
thusiastically, "O, Jacky boy, you
must get that perfect report, even if it
does mean hard work, and we'll lay it
in the very center of the pie, sealed up
in the prettiest Christmas envelope
that I can paint."
                 Z3


 

III.



"AUNT BETTIE, what are you going to
put in the pie For you know every-
body must put in something to please
grandfather or make him laugh," asked
Alsie, after detailing the plan to the
dear old black mammy, who had been
grandmother's maid when she was a
young lady in the long years ago.
Aunt Bettie was considerably beyond
sixty, but not many young "niggers"
could get around as lively as she, and
no one, who had ever dined in that
household, could doubt her ability to
cook the best meal ever brought to a
table.
"Nevah you min', honey-Aunt Bet-
tie'll have somethin' fur de occasion-
it's a shame dat doctah won't let Cap-
tain Gordon hab no pie nor nuthin',
but makes him eat jest dem beat
biscuits, when he likes de soft ones so
                24

 

GRA NDFATHER'S LOVE PIE



much de best. I'll be ready, chile, on
de day 'fore Christmas, so don' you
worry yourse'f 'bout me."
"But you mus'n't make him anything
that is bad for him, Aunt Bettie. He
can't eat the plum pudding, and other
rich goodies like the rest of us, you
know, because he is too ill and the
doctor won't allow it," answered Alsie
anxiously.
"I'll 'member all dat," laughed Aunt
Bettie reassuringly, as the child de-
parted from the kitchen, but a feeling
of sadness came to the faithful old
soul as she recalled the festivities of
the year before, when Christmas dinner
had been prepared for the whole family
of children and grandchildren, and the
thought of how the dear head of the
family had enjoyed that occasion
brought tears to her eyes.


Such conversations were being held
every day, and the days were passing,
                  25

 

GRANDFATHER'S LOVE PIE



too, with astonishing rapidity, just as
they always do when one is deeply
interested in some absorbing project.
Aunt Alice had been receiving, daily,
numerous letters-several containing
checks-and little Alsie's correspond-
ence had suddenly grown to enormous
proportions.
Uncle Dick came in one evening, and
slipping a gold piece into his sister's
hand remarked, "I can't think of a
thing for that pie, Alice. I'm sorry
to be so stupid, but I'll have to ask
you to take this and see what your
clever brain can do with it."
"O, Dick, it will make a grand 'plum'
for the pie. I'll put it in, just in this
form, for I want all the money en-
trusted to me, as agent, to go toward
providing for father, comforts and lux-
uries, such as we might not be able to
afford under ordinary circumstances.
And yet, it's almost impossible to know
exactly how to spend it just now," re-
plied Alice. After a little pause she
                  26

 

GRANDFATHER'S LOVE PIE



added, "I believe I'll just put the gold
pieces and checks into a little box and
label it, 'Fruit for the Pie.' My biggest
check may truly be termed a peach, and
I can convert one or two others into
plums and raisins."
"I think I know of several plums that
will be forthcoming if that's your idea,
sis-it's a capital one, too," answered
Dick. "I confess I'm getting quite in-
terested in the contents myself, and two
or three times I've come near asking
about the progress of the pie, before
mother, forgetting that she's to share
in the great surprise."
"O, Dick, do be careful, for we have
arranged it all so nicely, and in another
week we'll be making up that pie, so
don't spoil our plans now, for how
much more father will enjoy it if his
dear little 'wifey' shares the pleasure
also. And, by the way, Dick, that
reminds me of something that must go
in for mother. A few days ago, when I
was sitting with father, he directed me
                 27

 

GRANDFATHER'S LOVE PIE



to get a trifling gift for mother, but
with his old-time humor he said, 'I be-
lieve the most acceptable gift that I
could make Wifey would be all the re-
ceipts of the bills that have come in, for
the little woman has worried consider-
ably over the number and amounts. I
got in a pretty good check several days
ago, but I'll not give any gifts this year
-the money must go to pay these ex-
tra expenses that have been inevi-
table. I wish you'd see to it that Wifey
has as big a bunch as possible of
receipted bills. It's the best I can do
this year, and you all understand."'
"Wasn't it dear of him, Dick, and
who but father would have thought of
making a joke of something, which
might seem to some, only a trying
duty"
"It just shows us again the sort of
manly man father has always been; but
Alice, I had an idea that it would be a
nice thing to take that little poem
father wrote to mother last Christmas-
                 28

 

GRANDFATHER'S LOVE PIE



the one he presented with his gift-and
have an illuminated copy made of it
for mother's gift this Christmas. It
pleased her so much at the time, and,
in this form, it could be framed pret-
tily and hung over her bed. You re-
member the lines-I have them in my
pocket now."
He unfolded the sheet of paper, and
handed it to Alice, who read aloud:

      MY BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT.

Some two score years, and more ago,
  A father gave his child away:
It was a Christmas gift, you know,
  Because 'twas done on Christmas
      Day.
That little maid was given to me;
  I took her then for weal or woe.
The years have passed so happily
  It does not seem so long ago.
No other gift in any year
  Has e'er excelled, or equaled this;
The others evanescent were
  While this has shed perennial bliss.



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GRA NDFATHER'S LOVE PIE



For it has multiplied with time
  And added blessings, year by year;
She came to me in youthful prime
  And still remains, though in the sere.
Her children, and their children, too,
  In number, just about a score,-
I count, as blessings, to her due:
  May God repeat His gift once more.
My little wifey, always dear,
  When Christmas comes, I think
      back then
And greet you with increasing cheer,
  1\Iy Christmas Gift, returned again.

  "It's a beautiful idea, Dick, but it
won't do now. There's too much
pathos in it for this occasion. When
I read the lines myself, I am blinded
with tears, for I realize all too keenly
that we may not have him another
Christmas. Some time, it may be a
great comfort to mother to have it.
Keep the idea in mind and work it out
some day."
So the little poem was folded up and
laid away for another year.
                 30


 

IV.



SEVERAL days passed and grandfather
seemed to improve. The spirit of
Christmas pervaded everything, and
even the invalid playfully asked Alsie
if she could give him a hint as to what
he might find in his sock on the event-
ful morning. Uncle Dick had been
instructed to bring home all the Santa
Claus posters that might be found in
the newspaper office or bookshop, and
there was already quite a stack of col-
ored pictures on hand, showing Santa
Claus in every stage of his wonderful
yearly trip round the earth. Both
Alices had spent some time selecting the
little white Santa and sleigh for the top
of the pie. The reindeer were hitched,
tandem style, to the sleigh, harnessed
and reined with the gayest red ribbon.
The packages and letters began to
                  31

 

GRANDFATHER'S LOVE PIE



come, in considerable numbers, during
the next few days, and several more
"plums" were given into Alice's care,
not to mention the dates, raisins, cur-
rants, and the like, for every check or
coin was classified with the fruit, for
the filling of the pie. It began to look
as if that pie was to be a very rich one
after all.
One morning, several days before
Christmas, Mrs. Gordon came out of
the sick-chamber, to the breakfast
table, with a beaming face, saying:
"Captain Gordon spent the best night
he has had in months, and he feels so
bright and well that he wants to be
brought into the library and rest
awhile on the couch there."
What joy this announcement brought
to them all! The rolling chair was
drawn forth, and little Alsie led the
way from one room to another with feet
that fairly danced.
No ill effects followed the experiment,
and it was repeated the next day with



32

 

GRA NDFATHER'S LOVE PIE



even greater success. It really appear-
ed that some of the most persistent fea-
tures of Captain Gordon's illness were
yielding, perhaps, to the treatment-
at any rate, the beloved invalid was
better, and the leaden weight of ap-
prehension, which had so burdened the
hearts of each one of them, was disap-
pearing and a wonderful joy was tak-
ing its place.
A white-winged, invisible guest had
arrived, before time, to spend the
Christmastide with them. It was the
Angel of Hope, sent by the pitying
hand of the Father in Heaven, and with
it came peace, joy, love, and merriment.
What a host of Christmas cards came
in, on the morning mail, just preceding
Christmas Day. Little Alsie was almost
wild to begin work on the pie. After
breakfast, Aunt Alice said calmly,
"Alsie, come with me, for I have an
important errand, and would like to
have company."
"O, Auntee, how can you be so com-
                 as

 

GRANDFATHER'S LOVE PIE



posed when there's such a big pile of
bundles in your bedroom closet, and
have you seen the lovely palm sent to
grandfather by the members of his lit-
erary club It's a beauty, and so big
that it looks almost like a small tree!"
They wended their way to Alice's
room, and locked the door. Going to
the closet, Alice brought forth the larg-
est round hat-box that any of them had
ever seen. It must have been two
feet or more in diameter, but it was
only seven or eight inches high.
The Christmas paper was next brought
out, and what a wonderful variety there
was-Santa Claus, in all phases of his
yearly trip, was pictured on some rolls,
while festoons of holly and ribbon were
outlined against a background of white
on others.
After considerable discussion and com-
paring of effects, it was finally decided
that the outside crust of the pie
should be of white paper, decorated in
holly and ribbon, so the needles and
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GRA NDFATHER'S LOVE PIE



pastepot were both used in preparing
the lower portion of the box. The top
was treated in an entirely different
fashion. It was covered over with the
whitest of white cotton batting, and the
glistening little sleigh was securely fas-
tened to the center of the top. Frag-
ments of the cotton fell over the edges,
and when Alice sprinkled over this, the
"diamond dust," it looked as if real
icicles were dropping from a bank of
glistening snow.
"Auntee, it's the prettiest thing I've
ever seen!" exclaimed Alsie enthusiasti-
cally, after the lining had been neatly
pasted in.
Then began t