Love stories; World War, 1914-1918 -- Canada -- Fiction; Young women -- Fiction
"No," cried Christina, overcome with laughter, "she didn't tell me."
"She's just a wee bit shy about it yet," said Auntie Janet. "But when
she gets over it, you'll see them together in church."
"It's Piper Lauchie McDonald!" cried Auntie Flora, coming up to the
surface again; "he's been comin' here pretendin' he wanted to teach
Gavie the pipes, but we can see it's Elspie he's got in his eye."
Auntie Elspie's eyes were dancing. "They're both that jealous o' me,
there's no livin' with them," she confided.
They all joined Christina in a gale of laughter, none gayer than Elspie
herself.
Tea was all ready now, a perfect banquet set out with the blue dishes,
on the best white and blue tablecloth, with a tremendous glory of
asters and dahlias in a bronze jug in the middle of the table.
When everything was ready, Auntie Janet ran to the foot of the front
lawn and called a long clear "Hoo-hoo!" and from far away in the fields
a faint halloo answered.
"Gavie's coming," the three cried together joyously, and Auntie Elspie
hurried out to the wood-shed to place the blue china teapot on the
stove to warm.
"He won't be long, he always knows there's company when the dogs bark
and he'll hurry in."
While they waited Auntie Flora took Christina into the parlour to show
her a new song-book Gavin had brought home the Saturday previous.
Christina's fascinated gaze went around the wonderful framed wreaths on
the wall, one made of cotton-batting flowers, another of coloured
feathers and the most interesting one fashioned of flowers made from
hair. Auntie Flora went over each blossom tenderly. This rose at the
top was made of mother's hair. Wasn't her hair beautiful and soft and
shining? Nobody in the family had hair like mother's. And the one
just beside it of darker grey, was father's. Father's hair was rich
and beautiful too. The dark brown one was Janet's and the fair one
Elspie's.
"And ye can tell whose is the mouse-coloured one," said Auntie Janet
teasingly.
"Aye," said Auntie Flora. "They're never done talkin' about my
mouse-coloured hair; but they'll soon have to stop because it's gettin'
white!" she added gaily.
And the next flower that beautiful brown, was made from Duncan's, the
only brother who died when he was in his first year in college. He was
to have been a minister. Mother had saved his curls from the time he
was just a wee laddie. Duncan had died twenty years ago but his
sisters could not yet speak of him without tears.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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