Page 12 - Contrast1964Spring
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BON VOYAGE, UNCLE MAC
_l:'he whole town turned out to see Mr. May- even standing room in the church. When the
berry off on the train that fourth of July.
couple said "I do" the ladies sighed deeply,
The small New England town of Huckle- and the gent"lemen shook their heads . W.Ith .ap-
berry Hollow has never seen a finer man than proval. As they started 1 down the ar.sIe, the
Mac Mayberry. He came to the Hollow when
the school was a one-roomer in need of a children couldn't control themselves for a
master. He was a fine looking young man with
black curly hair and friendly hazel eyes. minute longer. They let out a yell as loud as
loud as the cheering at a €hamplO. ns hirp bas-
Mac was an immediate success, He won ketball game whi.ch has been n.e d . The adults
the fath ers wi th his abili ty to hand! e their
children, and the mothers by looking them in joined in with clapping and carryings-~n that
the eye with sincere interest when they talked. could be heard all the way to the next v111a?e.
He joined in the tavern jokes with the men on Even the dogs seemed to wear h appy grInS
Saturday nights and complimented the ladies that day as the blushin.g bnid e an d gr~ am came
after church on Sundays. "Miss Jones, your out of the church through a storm of nc e.
flowers looked just lovely today," or "Jimmy's
solo was grand, Miss Gates," He never mis- Uncle Mac's and Mol I,y s bi19 whi1re houslke
sed the chance for a compliment. He also won
the hearts of the pretty young girls, but Mac became the gathering place for the town fad .
made it known rh at he was born a bach elor
and to be buried one. The children loved him You could hear hymn SI..ngIng t h ere on Sund. ay
too and called him Uncle Mac. 'All was well nights with Mrs. Mac at the pl.ano an d 1aleds
In the one room school of Huckleberry Hollow. tl.ttenng. over a qUI·1t on Mon d ay. The L.a ge
It wasn't until Mac was thirty-eight that met there on Tuesday, the band wedged In on
the prettiest young miss in town set his heart Wednesday, and the choir practi . ce d on Thurs-I-
fluttering. Molly Simson, the mayor's daughter, day. On Fnd.ay and Satur d ay th er e wer1e a s
was appointed to take his place in the school, ways some bi. g happening. s. Th ere w as a wahyer
when he became town judge. He had noticed plenty of ti.me for th e faarrnmil y to be toge.t be-
her before at church suppers and the like, but
felt sure all her leisure was accounted for by also. It grew and grew until the Mayberrys you
the other young men in the town. She was just
as pretty as a picture with her chestnut brown came the largest family in the hollow. h
curls nestling round her shoulders and her
sparkling blue eyes. She needed a great deal could see all twelve of them marc h·Into churc[e
of help in getting acquainted with her new job,
and Uncle Mac was just the one to gi veit to onSundaysspic and span asyou plea~e. Unc c-
her. He never missed a chance for a compli-
ment as he worked with her patiently. Soon Mac was always at the· end of the lIne ~r:he
after their new appointments, Mac Mayberry
and Molly Simpson became man and wife. tically bursting with pride. After churc ad-
Their wedding was the biggest event since town stood back and smiled with g.re.at 's
the railroad came through town. People stood rru.rano.n, as each chil.d shoo k. t h ~ mIntlhSeter big
in the open windows, because there wasn't
hand politely, and thenscurned into ere the
10
black touring car. Sunday afternoons ~. from
u.rne for si. ghrseeirig. an d VviISI..tIng. ,A VIsit
the Mayberrys was indeed an honor.
Molly Mayberry died I.n chiildbiirr h wit..h thdee
eleventh, leaving Mac deep 1y sorrow fuhle lOlaSd1ies ,
but carrying on superbly on the out. T ldest
contin. ue d to come on Mon d ay w ith the .a and
daughter as hostess. Th e ban,d choir k As
Sun d ay nI.g h·t sIngers di1d'n t rru. s s a wee .col-
the children grew older they all wen~ to grew
lege right down to the eleventh. T ey un:
I.nto fi.ne young adults and scattere. d the co
try over in eleven different profeSSIOns.
