New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-04-17

THE HANrMONDs' UGLY DUCKLNG.

THE HAAfMONDS' UGLY DUCKLlNG.
Tbcre are various ways of being distinguished.
There is the tght-rope, there are the huelIhsS'
there is the dock. Lord Mayor Is conspicuous
,ersonage-at any rate for one year. a gifted
actress popular novelist, professional beauty
can command the suffrages and the starcs OF tne
crowd. But every one OF these hosl'11hs IsueS ~
The occupant some energy in we'll or lldoing, some
character or some talent out OF the common, or, al
least some quality IN excess
Rut the Hammonds who lived In Crofton mad a
ray of being distinguished which gave them no
fronble whatsoever. They simply were. Ana no
Doubt ever troubled their minds but that the woru
wac the better for their existence. In TACT, they
did not think of the world at ALL except as roomy
place for them To live in but thls want OF reject
iyeness regarding the universe did not arIe from
any morbid contemplation of themselves: we may
presume that the great lumnary OF the day II sud-
denly endowed with self-consclonsness ana qucSS-
toned as to his mission. would emit the wei
founded opinion that il was an important one 10
tbe HammOnds They were not self-conscious. and
never Thought much about themselves but II IN
terrogaed on the point 1t is quite certain that the!r
innermost if unspoken reply would nave t1nhu-
lated the conviction that they were Indispensable.
AS il was the only outward sign OF this intimate
persuasion in them was a good humored contempt
people, heroic people found no favor IN the Ham
n,opd ewes hut on the other hand they never dis
turbed the Hammond serenity. they nso r AN
ideal. il was that of strong common sense Inc
head of the family, the Rev. George. had taken
honOrs at college, not because he hked books, put
because las he frankly SAID he Goqla not anoW
clergyman by no means rich, his natural indlfier-
ence to intellectual preeminence IN ltSli had en-
Abled him without any CONSCIENTIOUS nangs 10
launch his sons early in life in business They had
married were fathers of healthy normal families,
and play no part in our story -, -.
TO concern ourselves are the daughters These were
three in number-Gertrude. Edith and Joan, Ger
trude, the eldest, governed the motheriess mouse
hold. She was a typical llammond-bounclng,
good tempered sensible; not gOOd-loOking, of
course Edith, who had more leisure TO cultivate
her appearance, reloced IN PINK anh "hte
beauty Of first youth that was never likely 70 dis
turb the family routine, and was regarded as the
right thing in the right place-llke an alabaster
Joan. Edith's junior by six years was the foreign
element To begin with. she was as everybody
noticed. singulary plain. When was anything
Eyes and lanky legs and arms' Then. as Gertrude
ALWAYS remarked Joan is so unlike other people
She was not stupid. it was allowed, but neyerihe,,
less, when she had reached the end Of the limited
curriculum which the Rev. George considered neces-
Bary for a woman she could neither sing nor sketch,
nor dance while for needlework OF all sorts she had
m adherence.
She would play for hours, il INDUCED, but Mr..
Hammond hated the sound OF practising, and as he
always early, sat up late had piles OF CORE
spondence, and the house was small, he invariably
beard the piano whenever it was played, and as in
5ariably stopped it. lie only liked music OF An
evening, as soothing accompaniment 70 digestion,
and conducive To al agreeable doze. Then Edith
would please him by waltz or two, or Annie
Laurie and that done, wond by his orders cease.
Joan was always wanting to try, over queer OLD
music Of that Objectionable sort winch has no tune
such fugues Of Bach, toccatas OF Scarlatti, and
% on.
Once when she was quite a child, in unguarded
0utburst of childish arrogance she had SAID that she
was born for things above the common. AS might
be expected, this announcement was greeted with a
howl Of truly fraternal derision 10y her incrednous
brothers and sisters They instantly nicknamed her
Pope Joan, and the speech was never forgotten
Against her 1t her first attempt 10 talk about
herself in her family, and ii remained her last.
tyyo
ecribed by Gertrude as PECULIAR One was
Charles Payne. a born Bohemian whom some odd
freak had induced to marry Miss Bertha Hcrycy
Gertrude HanmoDds greatest friend, and bOnny
commonplace young woman, AZ unlike himself
possible. When he proposed for her the family had
given their consent because as was universally re-
marked, although Charles Payne had no money, he
was so clever and commanded much influence
that he was sure TO get on.
And so he had got on. lie ran every day deeper
and more cheerfully into debt; and every week
abandoned some fresh chance Of using his Versatile
talents afforded him by the inexhaustible patience
OF his friends. The only person whom this state Of
things did not distress was-himslf. While others
fnmed, he was always serenely busy about some
thng-which nobody wanted. For energy be had
cniy it was perverse imp of energy that preferred
70 DO the thing which it was not required 10 do
For the rest he was charming that men, like
was cordially welcomed; in bad health he was
tehderly nursed starving he was fed naked. he
vas clothed; idle. he was forgiven His converse
non was brilliant his manners were delightful: his
yew OF life was perpetual application, in the most
cnudlike good faith. Of the cynical maxim: What's
yegn Is mine and what's mine is my own
ms elusive and enchanting being had drifted
eorn to Crofton for Bertha, who ont of health.
DC nursed for a few months by her family and
2aghtway he had become a great friend of Joans.
Ihe two used to have endless talks on every subject
nnder heaven, and Mr. Payne expressed the opinion
mat Joan was clever.
. :. Poor dear Joan 1t does not much matter what
CnsSies Payne says on any subject was Gertrudc's
SSeservation and JOAN on the whole, rather lost
saan gained IN public favor by her new alliance.
3 rncf other friend was pOct-cOusin-Only son 10
IN Meredith of the Hall, the great lady Of the
s7&nborhood, and Mr. Hammond's half-sister.
Anb Lady was q clever manager, and her indul-
Ss1t rich and studious left his affairs, farming
Suo the rest of it, a good deal in her hands, while
unveiled and wo0ed the muses.. He had not dis
s@eunhed himself at college, which had been
Ssst disappointment to her, and lowered him con-
ioertbly IN her eyes. But il his mother snubbed
~ no was much petted, in an undemonstrative
aaon, by JOAN The girl liked oil dumb. suffering
s.hgs. and as o child bad had q rare collection Of
SSsmed pets Perhaps il was on something Of the
80 principle that she sympathized with her shy
= ~ saent cousin Ned.
yne other and very perplexing person there was
~ played an important part in the lives Of the
E.monds and was regarded by them somewhat
4 : - v W. light OF fairy godpother.
& - ~ was an elderly maiden, extremely rich keen
~ Mf-slghted. who was cousin to the late Mrs.
s ssnncnd. Miss Priscilla UptOn-for that was her
long years before had come to stay with her
Amy, and been devotedly nursed by her
Z dangerous illness. My dear she said In