The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1889-04-20
OUR ROBIN.
CHAPTER /.

uluullnS bHc Gnu VI Iuy peHHOluef, anu
answer energetically-
Decidedly not. The sooner it goes
the better. shall have no rest until
/ get Robins answer"
''But, my love, the letter seems to
be such an uncommonly difficult one
to WRITE" ,pursues my aunt, with most
provoking honesty. "You have been
| sitting in front of that davenport for
! the last half hour"-consulting her
watch-'.and l don't think you have
begun it yet"
"You are right, most observant of
aunts, Il answer, slightly coloring as
dip my pen for about the twentieth
time into the ink Il was only think
ing what a change it would make in
our lives if l could induce Robin to
come"
'.You are too much given to dream
ing, my love- rejoins aunt Louisa
placidly.
There is no denying the fact thus
crushingly stated. My nature is
apathetic. l have an unfortunate
habit of sitting for hours together do
ing ENTHUSIASTICALLY nothing but
dreaming, as my aunt terms it. Yet
on occasion can be even more ener-
getic and speedy than most people,
particularly when stung into action by
any allusion to my pet weakness. On
the present occasion l shake of the
idleness which has been rendering my
wits so dull and dash boldly into my
letter. On, on flies my pen, with never
moment for thought as to the cor
rect formation of sentences-on, on,
till five sheets are blackened with my
untidy caligraphy.
"There!" | exclaim, pushing back
my chair from the davenport as l
stamp the envelope. 81 can get
through work as fast as anybody, you
see, when / set about it. have writ
ten five sheets in five-and-twenty min
utes."
Aunt Louisa smiles an indulgcnt
smile.
81 allow, my dear, that your quill
pen, once set in motion, is formid-
able little instrument 1t makes a
great, and TO my ears, rather irritat-
ing noise, uses vast amount of ink,
and wastes a quarter OF 3 quire of
paper, over O letter that, if were to
write it, would about fill three pages.
l wonder why girls nowadays are
taught to write like menp"
"The progress of tho times" re-
turn, laughing. s'You know, auntie,
people had to write as if a spider had
crawled over the paper in your days,
because the postage was so heavy"
Aunt Louisa makes no answer only
the "click, click" of her knitting
needles is heard, which is in very
truth as irritating to me as the scratch
of my quill pen can be to her. She
has been engaged on a shell-pattorned
quilt for the past six months, and it
seems to the uninitiated eye to be still
in the days of its infancy. After
watching her active fingers for few
moments, L leave the davenport and
hunt up my own work, a cruel anti
macassar. Truth to tell, it is Just
about ss interminable as Aunt Louisa S
quilt. The only notable difference in
our. progress is this-as rule, l sit
with my work in my lap, rarely max
ing stitch, and it does not get finish
cd; aunt Louisa, on the contrary,
works as indefatigably as any bee, her
fingers never weary fora moment; and
yet the quilt apparently never gets
bigger. This is incomprehensiblc to a
thinking mind. am searching
among my wool for necessary shade
of pink, when Aunt Louisa asks alb
ruptly-
'.Do you think Miss Wolstencroft
will Gomez"
Eyes" / answer tride doubtfully
-''that is, hope she WILL and / don't
see any reason why she should not.
We were great friends at school,"
My aunt heaves faint sigh.
"You know, dear child" she says in
her gentle voice, ''that l am always
pleased with anything that gives you
pleasure, and dare say you particu-
larly feel the need of a young COM
panion just now. Of course yours has
been till lately rather an isolated life.
At the same time, from the description
you have given me of your friend,
imagine that she is hardly the kind of
girlto accommodate herself to our quiet
ways"
s.Of course she won't!' l answer,
laughing. '.Robin is just as full of
life and spirits as we are dull and de-
pressed. Why, auntie dear, she will
come like fresh March wind into the
house, and brace us all up into a state
of activity"
.'For my own part, / dislike the
March wind" replies aunt Louisa,
with shiver; land / don't think /
appreciate restless over-energetic
natures"
"Yet you blame me for being lethar-
gic," say slyly.
There is a happy medium in all
things" remarks aunt sagely. ga
young girl should strive to be cheer
full, but not hilarious, witty, but never
vulgar, active, but not restless"
"But wouldn't the world become a
little monotonous, auntie, if all girls
were after the same pattern?" / query
little mischieviously.
II don't think there is much fear of
monotony in the present day." returns
my aunt, with just the faintest touch
of satire in her tones. 'sGirls now
have more individuality than is con-
sistent with my idea of propriety."
"You have just hit on the word,
auntie," I say, laughing ''individual-
ity. Yes, believe it was Robins in
dividuality that rendered her such a
favorite at school. She was not in the
least like other girls, but always so
CHEEKY and full of spirits that she got
the name of Robin-I suppose because
a robin is the bestowed and most
spirited of our English out-of-door
pets"
81 am afraid she will find it very
dull" muses. aunt Louisa doubtfully;
1--WE have so little to offer her in the
shape of gaiety."
well, have not succeeded in maxi
ing you understand her character in
tho yorv 1oacf y car with a dasuai,.