Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-03-10
THE FULL PARTICULARS.

To THINK that you should really be
here, Irene, after all these years, and
that things generally should be just as
they aren't, is all so strangei And yet,
at the same time it is not strange at all,
for how could anything else have been
my very own life? az AHaE
I know must have written you good
deal about people and things when l first
came home from school, And I dare
say l wrote you about the neighbors, of
John Powers and the Gardeners, and the
church (Jim used to sing in the boy
choir), and most likely wrote you a
good deal about-well, about the music
and the organist. Did / say great
deal, Irene, and did you believe it alp
What did you really think when it
turned out SOP Honestly, you know, it
was as much the music as anything, for he
could play-he could seem to put a liv-
ing soul into those organ-pipes. And
then he was handsome, too; not in a
sturdy, fesh-and- blood fashion like Jim,
but slender and pale, with slim, white
hands and fine-cut mouth. used to
imagine he was just little like the pic
lures of Frederick Roberts0n-he had
something of that refined, spiritual look
when I saw him first. And Arthur
Lawrie is good name you know, and
always had my fancies about names.
Just imagine q girl in the full possession
of her senses becoming Mrs, U1'iGh Hold.
skin! That's what my cousin did.
You never lived in the house with an
other family, Irene. Well, there are
disadvantages in it, of course; you are
more than ever at the mercy of Fate in
the way of neighbors, and you fee
Obliged to hush up the boys fraterna
disagreements for the sakeof the family
reputation; but then there are advan.
tapes in It too. I shall always count Il
among my mercies that the Steeles lived
in the other half of the house, and thai
Arthur Lawrie came to board with them
You remember his picture that | sent
youp / was really more than half of
Tended when you said you ddn It like il
that YOU thought he was selfish.
used to keep that. picture in q box In my
bureau drawer, under all my ribbons
and one day when the Jaffrey girls were
here and ii sent Jim upstairs for
handkerchief, what on earth did thu
child do but come down and say, |" VIII
this one do! It's got q hole in it--anc
say, Winnie, where ID You get that pic
ture of Mr.. LawrieP Did he give i =
you?'' And there sat Helen JaHrey
and didn't long to shake him! saw
a great deal of Arthur Lawrie that win
ter; there were good many young PEG
nle at St. Marks, and we had fairs ant
tableauxs and all sorts of good times
Yes. I did have delightful time, to
Won know it IS pleasant to be in you
teens, and not so very plain, and hav'
people like you pretty well. Honestly
Irene, never knew vainer girl than
was; not conceited, you understand, bu
Just hungry for every word and lool
that should show that anybody cared =
think it wasn't very strange that
should have drifted IS | did, yo'
wouldn,twonder if you could have hear
him talk-perhaps l should say see
him talk, for BIZ. manner was as muc
as anything, All the girls were more Q
less Interested himi everybody az
anired his talent. What could FOOLS
girl like Winifred Guest do but fall i
love with him herselfp Qsn't it horribl
to be telling this all over nowP Bu