The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-03-09
heard Hattie Cole speak of the Ham

heard Hattie Cole speak of the Ham
monds."
"Speak of them Haven't I bowed
in spirit before Miss Leonie's picture,
and admired even to Hattie's content the
exquisite stories of Miss Lucy. And you
are really DR.. Hammond?"
''Really, and Mrs. Hammond is wait
ing in the parlor to add her invitation to
mine, and see that you have the proper
number of pillows in the carriage"
The reception and first impressions of
our hero, are best put in his own words
In pile of letters tied with a ribbon,
and tucked away in Mrs. Coles work
table drawer, there was one which read
thus:
P, Dec. 49,.
DEAR HATTIE:-You were very anx-
ious to have me write as goon as l had
seen your dear friend Leonie Hammond,
and tell you how she impressed me, so
here goes for long letter. First and
foremost, you must go to mother for the
details of lucky fall II had, and the SUBJ
sequent invitation to make DR.. Ham
mond's house my home; then, fancy me
fairly domesticated, in charming room,
with that dear old gentleman to pay me
daily visits, his stately wife to see that
have every comfort, and the young ladies
flying in and out, as the within takes
them. 1 have never been too sick to
come down stairs, but appear daily in o
charming crimson wrapper that suits my
Spanish complexion to a nicely, and
slippers that would make most anybody
lazy.
But all this time You are waiting to
hear of your friend. Hattie, she is be-
wildering; even your descriptions fall
short of the reality, and your vignette
portrait is miserable libel. Such eyes
now full of fire, now beaming with
mirth, now melting with pathos-such
queenly figure, such beautiful, rich
tresses, such sunny complexion-well,
words do her no justice. She is the
most wonderfully beautiful woman I
ever SOW.
Of Lucy, I see but little; she is alb
stracted and self-contained, spends whole
days shut up in the doctors library, and
seems to pass her whole time in dream
ing out her new stories or poems, which
are certainly worth the trouble.
But, Hattie, why did you never tell
me of the other one, Nettie, the house
hold fairy, the wee, witching, graceful
Cinderella to these lovely sisters? No,
not Cinderella, for the heroine was
abused and neglected, and Nettie just
wraps round her warm heart the love of
the whole family. While Leonie is rid
ing, driving, skating, or sleeping, and
and Lucy is shut up in the library be-
wailing the sorrows of Aramenta or Great
ing situation for Clementina, Nettie is
the home fairy. She appears in the sit
ting-room daily with delicious COM
pounds which she informs me she has
manufactured for my especial delight,
though I notice there is always a dupli
cate dieh for the doctors dinner or sup
per. She comes in demurelv to sit
down to great piles of white stuff which
she very gravely states to be the weeks
mending," and shoots tiny glittering
needle in ard out, reducing long ends of
thread to miserable inches in less time
than it takes to tell it, her tongue all the
while keeping up merry rattle, or trac-
ing out deeper thought as the within
takes her. The others are very gay, and
dazzle me night after night by coming in
to twist around before the pier glass as
they start for party, sometimes drag
ging Nettie off too, spite of her reluct-
duCc, W oCiuS uCr uoiiC AuAA Va PAo"S-
ure at the admiration lavished upon her
sisters.
But the most charming time of all is
the evening DIR. Hammond is generally
at home, or when he is out, one of his
sisters remains. On the latter occasions,
we have music and small talk; but when
the doctor presides, then Nettie let's all
her hidden inner self out. and charm
ing self it is, so womanly, so true. pure
and good. No deep thought to startle,
but the quiet, reliable intelligence of q
child, frank and questioning, yet full Of
beauty. She reads beautifully, and We
have all Lucy's stories, as she writes
them, varied by the articles in the Lam
Get, the news of the day, poetry, fiction,
history, anything that one OF the trio
will suggest. She seldom plays when
her sisters are present; but for the doc
tor and she will accompany herself to
simple ballads, which she sings with
taste, in clear, sweet, but not very
powerful voice, often giving me the use
Of her fingers to carry out the tenor you
are SO fond of. It is very beautiful to
see how they all love her. and rely upon
her. She can always produce the doc
tors lost spectacles or iustrument case,
knows exactly where her mother laid her
fan last evening, is always ready to trim
Leonie's dresses, and lend her finery, or
braid her magnificent hair, has time to
copy Lucy's articles, hunt up her quota