The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-07-31
For the National Era.
NJ RS. H A D De N.
CHAPTER XII

CHAPTER XII
The Mechers and the Stetsons remained
with the The doctor mutters something, half
to himself. He has been sitting at one side of
nv table, this half hour; looking my manu-
script over, without once raising his eyes or
opening his lips.
He is gone and now the reader shall hear
what be had to say.
Let me see, child, how you are beginning
this chapter" he said, stretching his neck so
as to overlook my page. "'The Melchers and
the Stetsons remained with the'-with the
Haldens suppose, over night. The Stetsons
slept in the east chamber, where the French
things we're, have no doubt the Melchers in
the west, with the cottage articles. But don't
stop to write this, unless you are just writing
story for school girls. Are your"
In part for school girls, in part for you"
Gracious, then let my part go on like
thunder and smoked" again busying himself
with turning over the manuscript, as if he were
hunting for something. "Where's you hero
Whole pages, and his mama isn't once mention
ed. Don't you know you ought to bring him
forward oftener?"
"0ught r."
"0ught you, innocent? 1t is my opinion
you know you ought. Hear what have to say
now. Whenever you write for me, lead your
hero into the scenes at once. Keep him there.
Or, you may let him go out, now and then; but
be sure you let him come in again directly.
Put him in heroic attitudes. Make him say
heroic things. Oh, by the way, how did he get
out of that scrape with Susanna Baker? He
didn't fancy the girl, or anything of that sort?"
"Oh, no indeed, DIR. VI he could
hardly bear her within gun-shot of him. He
had the strongest of all his strong antipathies
against herr
81 should think so A red face, stiff shoul.
dsrs, long, why neck, squeaking voice.
don't know anybody so homely as Susanna
Baker, if she is the only heiress in town. She
wants to be married, too, they say; and shows
ii in all her face, that she wants to. How did
Fletcher get along with being pinned to her
What brought them, in the first place, so near
iOgether?"
"She came out where he was, by degrees,
playing with her fan as she came"
George! know just how mean she look
ed, as she came up. Had they met before2"
"Uh, yes. There at F.; and she went
over once and spent the day, when he was at
Col. CabOt's. She rode over on horseback what
DO you think of that?"
tie answered it in prolonged and most OBJ
'reperous laughter. He said he would as lief
see Windmill on horseback.
You are too bad, though, to laugh at her,
iJr being stiff and ugly. 1 am stiff and ugly
yoDa be laughing at me, some day."
You're ngly enough, for that matter, but
YOU aren't stiff"
Il am, if any one is about who don't like
NE. Now, a great many are about Susanna.
wherever she goes, who don't like her. And /
psesane she feels it. 1 think it is too bad"
She should be agreeable, then"
Perhaps she can't be, until her life is
sciiened little, and warmed up a little by
kindness; by feeling that people like her for
her grea; desire to please"
Oh, pOohl if it comes to that. People are
never such srrant, downright fools, as they are
WIEN they try hard to please. In her way, that
l. don't wonder she made Fletcher hate her,
Il she laid herself out to please him. What did
she say to him? for know she was the first to
speak, after she came up"
She SAID: How do you enjoy yourself this
evening, Mr.. Fletcher?'"
himl the unluckiest thing she could say,
al The same instant that she was poking all his
enjoyment out Of him."
he looked listlessly round on the company,
as IL he were for the first time considering how
1e was enjoying himself, and then said, list
.e'sly oh, very well, thank you Then be
waited little, as if for her to say something
"a sf'her, II there was anything she had to say
not to pass on. But, finding that she did
asI'ner the one nor the other, he added, pleas
ant evening'"
:; ia, yes; that is the way things 60 on some
une mes She said very pleasant Of course"
es; and then she asked him if he had
oesn well since his visit at S., six months
CHI don't see how he could stand that
suppose she wanted him to uncover certain
pans to her, that she might look sympathetic,
= 1Hu say And you had nobody to attend to your
suppose, if he had told her that he was
"Ouoied with pains in the top of his head,
, amongst the hair, she would have sad some
Ing about poultices on the spot-poultices Of
'!e meal and hax-seed."
:, rerhaps so. Mary Tiliotson was at his
sus; Sne had been contending with him. Slip
Pug caroline Gore up into her place, she took
SOG OF Jesnette's arm, and the two paced slowly
r raSA and forth, close by Fletcher. They walked
,Uaho him, Susanna, and Caroline, once or
,Sa he and on the way, when they were behind
Se,I aaroltly pinned Fletcher and Susanna to-
fo,a I I Then they paced back and forth be-
conl5 am N. again, swallowing what laughter they
it'll WlPIng away the rest with their dainty
''e &Y handkerchiefs.
bA,, gu SAID something about my putting my
of I ~ mo heroic attitudes what do you think
ssn-n S one? See him still standing with SUI
and lS worried and goaded by his dislike of her
las W everything she said, when, upon looking
To ,a ne mad already done dozen times before
sr M II the girls were not coming back, he
N, 'S.nem together in the crowd, peeping around
On' 3I'e'Son, who stood before them, to see him.
Ste, .n as thought he said, i must see Mr..
1Iers;a A minute, believe, and started. Now,
81 Oo,,, heroic attitude for you, DR.. VI
y Vouo have pulled his hair.n