Mag 121,6/10/12 One Afternoon

                                                 Still Life, 1670, detail by Jean François de Le Motte


                                                 As they  insulated the attic and  put up fresh boards
                                         on the walls, the family found all kinds of old papers pasted
                                         up from when the farm was young. Newspaper
                                         advertisements, pages from account books, receipts
                                          and IOU's.
                                                 " Mom come check this out!" Lisa and Tim shouted
                                          in unison.Wiping away dust and cobwebs,
                                         "I think it is a love song!"
                                                 Their Mother came and leaned over to see " Now why
                                         do you suppose this is here ?" they carefully took it down.
                                          There was no date on it, but the papers were all from
                                           around 1915.
                                                 " Maybe it is to a lost love-" Lisa piped.
                                                  "Maybe he never succeeded-" Tim elbowed his sister.
                                               Their Mother started to hum- she put her finger out
                                           and followed the simple tune all the way through.
                                          " Here we are-" she began to sing, and gestured
                                          to her daughter- " By the river,-"
                                          and on they went Tim even joined in toward
                                          the half way point. By the time they were finished
                                          all were smiling and happy.