Christian fiction; Families -- Fiction; Love stories
"Are you ready for callers?" asked Graham, taking off his hat in
greeting. "Elizabeth and I took a spin out this way, and we sighted
the light, and thought we'd stop and see if we could help any. My, how
homelike you've made it look! Say, this is great!"
Sidney Graham stood in the centre of the big room, looking about him
with pleasure.
The young people had put things in apple-pie order as far as they had
gone. A fire was laid in the big stone fireplace, all ready for
touching off, and gave a homelike, cleared-up look to the whole place
as if it were getting ready for some event. On each side of the
chimney stood a simple set of bookshelves filled with well-worn volumes
that had a look of being beloved and in daily intimate association with
the family. On the top of the shelves Carol had placed some bits of
bric-â-brac, and in the centre of each a tall vase. Beside them were a
few photographs in simple frames, a strong-faced man with eyes that
reminded one of Shirley and a brow like George's; a delicate-featured,
refined woman with sweet, sensitive mouth and eyes like Carol's; a
lovely little child with a cloud of fair curls.
The old couch was at one side of the fireplace, at a convenient angle
to watch the firelight, and yet not hiding the bookshelves. On the
other side, with its back toward the first landing of the rude
staircase, stood an old upright piano with a pile of shabby music on
the top and a book of songs open on the rack. On the floor in the
space between was spread a worn and faded ingrain rug, its original
colors and pattern long since blended into neutral grays and browns,
which strangely harmonized with the rustic surroundings. A few
comfortable but shabby chairs were scattered about in a homelike way,
and a few pictures in plain frames were hung on the clean new
partitions. Under one stood a small oak desk and a few
writing-materials. A little further on a plain library table held a
few magazines and papers and a cherished book or two. There had been
no attempt to cover the wide bare floor spaces, save by a small dingy
rug or two or a strip of carpet carefully brushed and flung here and
there in front of a chair. There was no pretension and therefore no
incongruity. The only luxurious thing in the place was the bright
electric light, and yet it all looked pleasant and inviting.
"Say, now, this is great!" reiterated the young owner of the place,
sinking into the nearest chair and looking about him with admiration.
"Who would ever have imagined you could make a barn look like this?
Why, you're a genius, Miss Hollister. You're a real artist."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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