OUR MOTHER'S ROOM. 45 



possessed of an inquiring mind, was usually the one 

 to set the example of " putting a poser." 



On one occasion, when all were breathlessly listening 

 to a graphic description of the overthrow of the cities 

 of the plain and the fate of Lot's wife, there came 

 suddenly from the bolster of her bed, where the small 

 boy was perched like a very wide-awake imp, the 

 question, " Is the pillar of salt there now ? " 



When told " no " he persisted, " Who took it away ? " 

 and I am afraid he was not satisfied when the preacher 

 frankly admitted she knew no more of the story than 

 Scripture told. " Gauds " ventured to suggest that it 

 had been broken up for culinary purposes, and I think 

 some of the youthful congregation accepted that theory, 

 although our mother gravely explained that the salt in 

 those regions is not the salt of domestic use. 



The instinct of our mother's bright elastic nature 

 was to cast from it all depressing influences. She 

 loved to look at the hopeful side of everything. 



Some such feelings may have prompted her, after 

 additions had been made to the house — to remove 

 herself and her belongings into another room than the 

 one where she had suffered much. But she never 

 seemed so domesticated (as one may term it) in the 

 other room, and frequently removed back to the old 

 apartment until its memories became too much for 

 her weakened powers to endure. 



Thus it happened that our mother's room was used 

 by others, and there was born her first grandson. 



There too, on our father's birthday, our mother gave 



