r face shielded_) You went to school two winters.

SILAS: Yes. Yes, mother. So I did. And I'm glad I did.

GRANDMOTHER: (_with the determination of one who will not have her own
pain looked at_) Mrs Fejevary's pansy bed doing well this summer?

FEJEVARY: It's beautiful this summer. She was so pleased with the new
purple kind you gave her. I do wish you could get over to see them.

GRANDMOTHER: Yes. Well, I've seen lots of pansies. Suppose it was pretty
fine-sounding speeches they had in town?

FEJEVARY: Too fine-sounding to seem much like the war.

SILAS: I'd like to go to a war celebration where they never mentioned
war. There'd be a way to celebrate victory, (_hearing a step, looking
out_) Mother, here's Felix.

(FELIX, _a well-dressed young man, comes in_.)

GRANDMOTHER: How do, Felix?

FELIX: And how do you do, Grandmother Morton?

GRANDMOTHER: Well, I'm still here.

FELIX: Of course you are. It wouldn't be coming home if you weren't.

GRANDMOTHER: I've got some cookies for you, Felix. I set 'em out, so you
wouldn't have to steal them. John and Felix was hard on the cookie jar.

FELIX: Where is John?

SILAS: (_who is pouring a glass of wine for_ FELIX) You've not seen John
yet? He was in town for the exercises. I bet those young devils ran off
to the race-track. I heard whisperin' goin' round. But everybody'll be
home some time. Mary and the girls--don't ask me where they are. They'll
drive old Bess all over the country before they drive her to the bam.
Your father and I come on home 'cause I wanted to have a talk with him.

FELIX: Getting into the old uniforms makes you want to talk it all over
again?

SILAS: The war? Well, we did do that. But all that makes me want to talk
about what's to come, about--what 'twas all for. Great things are to
come, Felix. And before you are through.

FELIX: I've been thinking about them myself--walking around the town
to-day. It's grown so much this year, and in a way that means more
growing--that big glucose plant going up down the river, the new lumber
mill--all that means many more people.

FEJEVARY: And they've even bought ground for a steel works.

SILAS: Yes, a city will rise from these cornfields--a big rich
place--that's bound to be. It's written in the lay o' the land and the
way the river flows. But first tell us about Harvard College, Felix.
Ain't it a fine thing for us all to have Felix coming home from that
wonderful place!

FELIX: You make it se