The National tribune., 1881-11-26

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the letter in my pocket and did not read it until
| was safely at home. Thus the msSve ran:
"DEAR Miss BELL: Your piquant letter
prompts me to write you a reply, not as an as
sstant editor but as a woman like yourself, who
is toilng up the steep path that leads to Par
nassus. ] might have known you were woman
and a young one at that, because, although there
is a touch of masculine strength in your essays
and pOems still there is, too, sweetness that Is
only feminine. / think that women more often
have this flavor of Inasculinity than men have
anything of that tenderness which Is essentially
and purely feminine. Were [ in position Of
authority, I should very soon dismiss the cut
and-dred Underwriters whose contributions, al
though smooth and polished, lack the freshness
the spOntaneity, which is Characteristic of the
contributions we sometimes receive from I'M
known writers, and notably from you. But, you
see am merely an assistant editor and per-
son Of no consequence at all except as | am use
full to do the work, all the glory Of which goes
to the distinguished individuals whose names
are emblaz0ned at the head of the paper There!
that sounds bitter, I am afraid; but, my dear
Miss Bell the fates have not been SO kind to me
as to you, and it is not for fame | write, but for
the Wherewithal to keep me fed and clothed.
What makes it perhaps harder is that | have
known what it is to have my bread and butter
fresh and sweet,-ay, and honey with it, tOO,-
and therefore the thin slices that are dOled out
to me now taste the dryer by comparison.
Forgive me for boring you with so much
about myself. Pray write to me again. Your
luxurious stationery, with the faint, delicate per-
f1r,a ic i,,i
Sincerely yours,
Miss FRANCES BERTRAM SCREYEN."
As read this letter 1 felt myself a scoundrel
My first impulse was to write letter of con-
fession to Miss !Screven but the desire to keep
up the correspondence and try my hand at COM
posing letters that shou Y feminine
overcame my scruples, a, the follow
ing reply
DEAR Miss SCREvEN: Insteau - boring me-
the glimpse you gave me of your life interested
me more than 1 can tell but, at the same time,
the contrast between your life and mine made me
envious Perhaps your lot is hard one, but it
is at least brave and independent Here am I,
an only daughter, petted and spoiled TO d shame
ful degree, and bound by fetters Of luxury. Yes,
I envy you. Sitting here this morning in my
silly pink-curtained boudOir, with a Dresden
shepherdess simpering at me from the top of my
escritOre, l feel my idle, luxurious life hemming
me in and overpowerng NE, as the perfume of
tuber0ses makes heavy and scIlening the at
mOsphere Of a room that should be flung open
to the fresh air and sunshine. l would change
places with you to-day if 1 could"
When | reached this point of my letter. I read
over approyingly what l had written. Arrived
at the lines descriptive of my imaginary boudoir
I smiled as ny glance fell upon q boot-jacll in
one corner and the shaving apparatus iii another
Glancing at the place where the Dresden shep-
herdess ought to have been, my eye fell instead
upon pipe, which 1 took down and filed and
then resumed my writing with considerable
cOmplacency:
"This may sound to you rather school-girlish,
and l may as well confess that it is not many
years-perhaps months would be more accu-
rate-since I left the precincts of a finishing
school. Finishing-school, indeed Much l
learned there besides the art of doing up my
hair! However, the defects of my education |
must remedy myself, and I try every day to de-
vote few hours to serious study. But it is very
hard to seclude myself long enough to accom-
plish anything. People call; | must go to gar
den-parties; l must drive out with my mother;
| must hold solemn conclave with the milliner
and dress-maker; in short, I have constant de
mands Of a most frivolous nature upon my time.
''All this you viii probably laugh at and,
lest 1 write YET more foolishly, [ will bring this
letter to close. If you are not quite disguised
with me, do write again soon.
Faithfully yours, JANE BELL"
may as we'll confess that thought this letter
successful imitation of some of the epistes
that | had myself received from feminine hands. |
1t sounded enthusiastic and very "missish," ;" and
sent it off that afternoon with a bold heart.
Jack" quoth my uncle, who met me as |
came from the post-ofice, Il verify believe you
are making an ass Of yourself over some girl. /
don't believe it is the muses. you are cOurting;
it is no muse; it is miss" And with this he |
passed on chuckling at his own wit.
AS the days went on, however, nly uncle's /
words seemed in q fair way to prove true l +
thought only of Miss Screyen. My novel l left /
untouched, and my rhyming dictionary accumu-
lated dust slowly, bat surely. Fled We're my
visions Of astonishing the world with my genius
I lived only for the mail from Boston.
AS | re-read the letters l received from Miss |
Screyen, can make some excuse for my intatua-
ton They were frank and outspol>en, and some
times, indeed, tinged with cyniciSm; but through |
them there breathed q SyHpathv Il tenderness /