New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-11-05
MARY RUSSELL MILFORD At HOME.

From. Wide-Auakc.
Many years a 20 some Americans who were travel
hug IN England took pOst-cnaIse, after the old
fashioned way, and had morning drive to pay
their respects TO IA old-ta,hloned woman VINO was
iyIng II poverty with her one servant IN cottage
not far nom the town Ot Reading. hat word ~ COT
tage' must have a little Xpldnat0u Tor VITA Us 10
Is 50 often made to mean quite caVacIoss mousse,
almost Il mansion, or u villa on moderate plan.
This cottage was tar enough from being ample 10
was small and poor TO be pam, the rooms III ~
were not much Bigger than closets, and were ciose
and stuIty, and Ia heavy rams the ROOF leased. A5
the mistress OF IL once wrote about II &c friend, 1t
was a tlght squeeze y; and she added, Indeed my
great objection 10 a small room always was It's e1
IRENE unbecOminguess 10 one OF NY enoGmty.
really seem 70 iii lt-ilke blackbIEd IN a gold
tnch's cage The paror looks az NE. Nevertheless,
the cabin CONVENIENT a. | SAID before Its
negative merits are very great"
She had managed TO make it--as some women can
make the poorest place. " very nest OF comfort
and this Is CHEEKY way she describes u III one OF
those sketches Of hers which 50 many thousands OF
persons have read
cottage-nO-a miniature house, With many add
TONS LITTLE odds aud ends Of places pantres, and what
not ; all angles, and OF charming iaond-Outuess;
little brick court before one har and LITTLE nOweryard
before the other the walls, Old aud weather stained,
covered with houybOcks, rosos, honey sucAes, and
great aprcotree the easement full OF geraGiums (ah,
thcml the closets Jour landlord mas lhe assurance 70
cal hen roons full OF cOntriyauces and cornercup.
boards and the little garden behind full OF common
flowers. tulips pln arkspur, peonies, stocks ana ear
nations, with arDor prlvet not unlike sentr-oo
where one lives IN delicious green lgnt, ana looks out
ON the zayest OF all gay nowerbeds. That house w0s
milf on purpose 10 show IN what exceedingly small
compass comfort may be packed.
And that description shows the poetic side, and
what a happy faculty she had. like Gudfrands
wife of making the best of everything. IL does not
look as If the place was poor but IL was; though
very picturesque with that old shed and granary
overrun like all the rest with untrlmmed ana un-
trained thlngs-as pretty subject as an artist
could desire.
The American visitors found her that morning III
the bit of front yard which kept her house from
shutting night ON the turnpike road She was
walking along a passage between two rows or
geranlums as tail as she was, snips
ping OFT the decaying leaves with pair
of shears. She wore a cap, and a snowy white mus.
lin handkerchief was pinned across the bosom %
her cheap black gown; and on her plump hands she
had mlts such our grandmothers used 10 wear
land they have como into fashion again. where the
fingers were all free while the thumb had httle
compartment By itself; IL seems 10 Inc that they
were of thick black Grape with rows OF yaite
feather stitch down the back, and they did look so
quaint like the anlquated gentlewoman VINO wory
them She was short and stout q " dumping OF
person ~ with a face round and good-natured q
Phebe Cary sand al she slowly walked ana shipPed
she was chirping like O canary to silSy -naifgd
spaniel W. no kept close by her gown, ana an on
house cat on the window ledge. Her voice was
sweet: her manners were charmip2s