Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-11-07
MONA CARD AT HOME
A Visit to the Author OF the En-
Article on Marriage.

against his strict religious troinis1'
and later threw off all dogma. bees
ing an uncompromising free-thinto.
Mr.. alison was an inventor of -
note and superintendent many publ..
enterprises, such as the reclaiminO ~
Epping Forest.
Mrs. Cards parents met and wa..
married in Australia, but it was I'm ~
town Of Ryde, on the Isle Of WieS,
that she was%born. She remem5a.,
how she loved the big garden AZ bo'
country home at Reigate, and An ~.
animal and plant life it contains5
The death of little sister at this tim.
left Mona an only child, which il
sadder fate for a girl of the ricbe,
classes Of England than can be realizo5
by Americans. The more dotiug ~
parents, the mere pathetic the reSplt.
Twenty years ago the idea that ela,,
instruction had anything inspiring ~
commendabe about it would bays
been holly denied by staid BrjfisS
mothers. MOua's earnest entreatv =
be sent 10 school was refused. her MAJ
ents desiring to keep her under tbei,
own eve. Except for short tjma
when a small boy had lessons" With
her. the little girl trod the path ~
knowledge along with the ordinarr
English governess for guide.
'Oh! those text booksw exclaimed
Mrs. Card the other morning: "sbalI
ever forget them? Dull, dull, a dead
level Of dizziness. Then | some dar,
grew obstinate, and fatty refused 10
learn anythingT
"And was there nothing you likedp'
! asked.
Yes, there was one meagre lius
book written in the form Of question
and answer that became my friend. Il
touched a few points in elementarv
science, -contained a few facts of life.
And | almost literally 'chewed and
digested' it,
The house is red brick and in tba
style of Queen Anne's time. 1t stand,
on the high ground in the northwest
of London skirting breezy Hampstead
Heath.
The husband Of the famous lady.
like his father, Sir James Card. is in.
terested in agricultural matters He
is a member Of the counsel of tina
Royal Agricultural Society, and is well
tiJted for the post by the practical ex.
perience he has gained farming his
two thousand acres of land. Mr..
Card is a genial, level headed Scotch.
man, given to the conduct of everyday
affairs.
Mrs. Cards study is upstairs. and
has a large French window opening to
the south. The prevailing tone Of tie
decorations is robins egg blue On
two sides the walls are lined with low
bookcases. By the broad south win.
dow stands big plain writing table
and at the opposite end of the room is
an antique cabinet used as a manu-.
script cupboard. A typewriter. a letter
press and other concomitants OF auth.
orship stand about on convenient
tables and shelves. There are no bits
of bric-a-brac to catch dust, indeed no
eXtraneous objects. The room gives
an effect Of light and freedom, in sort,
Of an ideal workroom.
1t was here that Mrs Caird and sat
and chatted, and at the end of my visit
we started on pilgrimage over tho
house. As we approached the parlor,
my hostess laughingly warned me-
My new drawing room is frightening
every one; am told there's not a
yestige Of the quiet and ladylike about
K. 1t is bold, riotous. uncompromis.
ing yellow! like a daifodiI The alarm
it exctes is very amusing. So few
people know the splendors Vt the
oolors of the sun, the color of life aud
daylight, though it's the color that is
SO sadly lacking in our lives as well as
M our houses. And sue threw open
the door of the condemned room.
For a moment | felt convinced that
the sun had broken through tie clouds
and was shining into every window;
but a glance proved that there was
still a lowering, leaden sky outdoors
and that the Joyous light within was
wholly due to wise use Of paint and
upholstery. The walls and woodwork
were painted the color of the "perI'
anthn of the datfodil, and the cur
tains and cushions Of the window seats
were made OF material in the deeper
shade Of the Grown"
The exquisite effect of the whole was
heightened by the jet black wrought
iron gas brackets. This room has
given the title TO a short story thaI
Mrs. Card has recently published.
Tho agent of the publishing hrm oil
Lowell was calling upon her one day
and in the course of his visit expires
sed wish for short story from her
pen. Then the title was discussed
and as there mad been much talking
and laughing over the color OF ihs
walls, some one suggested "a the name
"1be Yellow Drawing groom.
Very well. cried Mrs. Card. Tine
Yellow Drawing-room it shall be
Such is the history then of tie oda
name Of the book which came recently
from the lady's pen. can only hope
that the Yellow Drawing-ro0m makes
as charming a background for hs'
story as it does for the writer herseil,
vita her little figure and dark hairsAl
eyes GliyHqut.