National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1871-10-13

NJ thc uooT, nut battleu WIN III tlll sne
conquered it,"
Bob Flnt's quick feelings were touched.
81 should like to see such a woman" he
said (which is she 2 ! don't see any
one who looks like an authoress"
"Mv dear boy, they're not all made
after the same pattern. There she is, rest
ing her head on the mantle"
Bob looked eagerly, and saw sweet,
fair face, not classically beautiful, but ire
sistibly attractive in sh2'of the irregu-
arity of feature. -
Laughingly Mr.. Durand approached her
i" If YOU are not in very critical mood, to-
night, Miss Blake, | want to present my
friend, Mr.. Flint, to you. He's not so
hard as his name would suggest SO deal
with him gently, pray YOU"
Bob's dread of the authoress soon van
shed, and it seemed to him that he was
on enchanted ground, till he was aroused
by general signal of departure.
% Miss Blake" said Mr.. Durand, "I'm
here to redeem my promise to see you
home; but if you'll accept poor substi-
tute, will offer Mr.. Flint in my place.
"Provided Mr.. Flint be willing" re-
lOlneu Miss blake.
Mr. Flint was only too happy. 1t was a
clear, starlight night, and Ellie Blake was
even lovelier, with a background OF nature,
than she was in the parlor.
She and Mr. Flint walked unburriedly
till they came to little cottage, almost
covered with vines. Roses, woodbine and
pale morning-glor twined over it till
bapa ua lii flo nf thn p,,t fac IN bn
save the windows, and in these hung deli
cate moss baskets; while the delicious fra
GRANGE of heliotrope, roses, geranlums and
mlgnonnette filed the air
"W hose little nest is this p asked Bob.
" Mine, was the reply.
IL thought So" be replied. Houses
reflect the character of their inmates. You
may Judge every living creature by his
permanent surroundings"
w Judgment do you pronounce,
then, on the owner Of this little nest, as
You call it ?"
~ should say that she possessed exqul-
site refinement and ideal;ty that her ar
tistlc senses were fully developed"
Thanks. You iiatter me, Come and
see il by daylight. You have the password
the open sesame. Good night"
May come tomorrow q
yes, ,ou may come tomorrow"
Then good night, and pleasant dreams"
No boy in his teens was ever more com
petely betwitched by dazzling woman
than was Bob Flint by this much-dreaded
authoress. He was awake all night wish
ing it was the next day, that he might see
her again And when he did see her again
the charm decpened. Everything in and
about the house had for him the attraction
of novelty.
A diminutive colored girl opened the
door for him. and bowed him into tiny
parlor. Here he saw every evidence of
culture. A cabinet organ occupied the
space be, ~een the windows; beautifully
carved writing-desk stood in me corner of
the room; on each side the mantel were
book shelves filled with valuable books,
while over the mantle-pece there hung
soft chrome, representing scene In the
Alps fine steel engraylngs were hung on
the wall, also innumerable little straw
frames containing photographs OF eminent
painters, musical composers and authors.
Delicate white muslin curtains, with iluted
IuIllt>, uullS at tut NluhpNos iN'hi,
tinted autumn leave. filled parian vase
on a bracket of carved wood, while an ex-
ollisite marble bust stood on pedestal by
itself: three or four easy chairs and
lounge completed the furniture of this
room, with the exception of a centre-table
on which was a students lamp, vase of
fresh flowers, and standing globe of the
Earth. A light, delicate carpet covered
the floor. 1t was the abode Of refinement,
though not OF wealth. Unfortunately the
two are not always combined, Bob Flint
felt the influence of the room at once. 1t
was soothing, tranquilizing, harmonious.
He found himself drawn to it repeatedly.
Am | not stealing your time y he
asked one day. "Don't | interrupt your
writing
NO" replied Ellie Blake; ! always
write in the morning from nine till eleven.
That is a self-made rule that rig'dly ad
here to. After eleven can do as | please
with my time; and if you are close OBJ
server. YOU will find that am never idle
even when YOU are here"
81 have remarked that fact" Bob re-
piled. ''lt seems that your hands are
never uIcHllloN cu
alt is an old habit" she answered, with
half sigh. There was time when
had to work constantly; when could not
afford TO keep even such dot OF servant
as have now, and my own fingers had to
do all the work for myself and young
brother who is now away at school. am
far from rich now, but have bought this
little home ont Of my own savings, and |
have many comforts, ana little work com
pared with what had then"
You cannot mean that you did all your
work vourSelf?" asked Bob.
Yes; every bit of it-sweeping, dust
ing, cooking, making fires, scrubbing even,
she answered with a merry laugh.
- But to a person Of your refinement
IL never lost one iota of self-respect
thereby, Mr.. Flint, if that is what you
mean. | should do the same thing over
again tomorrow il it were necessary
"Of course it could not lessen your self
respect. nor could it lessen YOU in the esti- |
matien OF any one man or woman of sense.
1t is greatly to our credit. but do not
und, rstand how you found time TO write"
al always made time for that as well as
for reading. | think those two things are
as necessary to me as sleeping or eating.
The difficulty at first was to get publisher
for what | wrote A novice in literature
must have patience and perseverance in
unlimited quantities in order to succeed
But when you get fair start, literature
pays well, and it is delightful profession,
one that has nothing repusive in it, nor
iarring to ones sensibility."
"Still, as you say, there are difficulties
At the start, and it must be fearfully dis
couraging to beginners
al believe that it is to many; but ]
have always possessed such an amount Of