My Grandmother lived along the highway during the depression. I cannot count the many lonely travelers she fed. Some were hitch hikers. Others were just down on their luck and had no money to buy food. She cooked extra food, in case she needed to share. The hungry people knocked at her back door, never the front one. Looking back, I guess they were showing humility. Many offered to do some work for a meal. Granny never required that. Helping someone less fortunate characterized her philosophy of life.

All the people who knocked on Granny's back door were men. All except one.

One late afternoon I heard a knock on the front door. I opened it to see the most beautiful lady I had ever seen. She smelled so good I just stood there taking it all in. Dressed in a lovely pink suit, her silk blouse caught my attention. It had pretty colored flowers and the ruffled collar framed her radiant face. She stood tall in high heels and hose. A pretty little hat sat on the back of her head. I stood motionless, as if frozen in time, gazing in wonder.

"Go call your grandmother," she said to me. She had an aura of beauty and I couldn't take my eyes off of her. "Grannyeeeee," I called, not moving an inch., but keeping my eyes glued on the lady. Granny came running and the lady said:

"I have no lodging for the night. Could you take me in?"

Granny seemed just as spellbound as I was. As she ushered the lady in, Granny told me to snap the beans and then to go catch a plump pullet for supper. After that I set the table with the "Sunday" dishes.

During supper the lady seemed at ease, but she didn't talk much. When Granny asked her about her destination, the lady simply replied: "I have been given a charge to minister."

Granny gave the lady her own room and put her best linens on the bed. It all seemed so mysterious, but later we said good-night and went to bed.

Granny got up before daylight every day. I usually slept late but not that morning! I wanted to be around this beautiful lady who smelled so pretty. Something about her made me know I didn't want to miss a thing.

Granny told me to go tell the lady to come to breakfast. I knocked gently on the bedroom door and it jarred open. I peeked inside. I saw an empty room and a bed that

had not been slept in. Only the sweet smell of her presence still lingered in the room.

Granny's front and back doors had venetian blinds attached only at the top. Whenever anyone came in or out the blinds shook, making a lot of noise. They could not be closed quietly, yet Granny nor I had heard a single sound all night.

"Granny, when I went to the door yesterday, the lady said "Go call your grandmother. How did she know that?"

"An angel came to visit us last night. You never know when you entertain angels unaware!"

It has been many years since that angel's visit. Granny is in that heavenly home she used to sing about. I have come to realize that because Granny reached out to hungry people, God blessed her with an angel's presence. Granny lived a long, full life. After ninety-two years, Granny just slipped away. Immediately before she died, I felt the presence of Granny's angel. An aroma filled the room with the sweet fragrance I had smelled so long ago the day she knocked on Granny's door.

I remained by Granny's bed for awhile. I felt a stillness, a majestic peace.