Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-06-08

q
Piot-it was mere skeleton of plot-but she
thought to herself she would develop it as she
went on. The next morning she arran ged her
dressing-table suitably for writing. She opened
her desk, took out the lined foolscap paper,
and set to work. She said to herself NV hero
shall be forty-fve. and he shall marry a merry
girl OF twenty; after marriage a good looking
cousin OF hers. aged twenty-five shall make love
to her, and all but bring about a catastrophe. /
shali introduce a designing widow and two or
tnree subordinate characters to FL up. She
plunged at once into chapter l. but found her
IDEAS dld not come as quickly as she hoped; il
was nothing like easy as writing letter.
she wrote for an hour read it all over, and tore
up In despair. Then she tried again, and
found herself at a dead pause for something to
say. She sat with her head on her hand. rack
ing her brains, but nothing came; then. sud-
hands.
Goodness mer she cried. "why Aunt Jane,
When she gave us drawing lessons, used to say.
Remember, my dears, always draw from
nature, go straight to life.' I will; why
INVENT"
And she did. She wanted a clergyman, and
down she bounced upon the bishop Of Crow
borough. She lifted him bodily into her book
She changed him into a dean, but all his little
peculiarlties she retained and gave them a
touch or two more. Her pen few and the
pages quickly filled; she read over the descrip-
ton of the dean and his sayings and doines.
and she leaned back and laughed at the intense
vitality of the thing. Then there was Mrs.
Marchmont In the next parish; she would ex-
actly do for the designing widow. Mrs. Lowell
hated her with a consuming hDtred. Mrs.
Marchmont dressed better than she did. had
taken precedence of her on several occasions.
and had patronized her openly before all the
country; besides, she had many weak points
there were some little questionable matters in
her career, scandal had not spared her and GER
talnly Mrs. Lowell would not. Mrs. March,
mont appeared as Lady Holloway, but in all
other respects it was photograph from life
In her parish there were two excellent old
maids, the best of creatures-a little rigid, very
quaint in dress, with pretty little Alterations,
and one with a remote longing for gentlemen's
attentions. Mrs. Lowell had put them into
many letter, and they both vent bodily into
her book. Having adopted this method. to her
delight and surprise Mrs. Lowell found all went
merry as a wedding bell; after all, once master
of the method, and it was Just as easy to write
a novel as to write letter. and letter-writing
always had been her strong point. For some
weeks she worked hard at the book: it amused
and interested her. She had a little bit of
money, something under flO0, put by in con-
soils, and that she intended to devote to the
expenses Of publishing the book She called
1t IA Midsummer Madness"
We may pass over the record of how she got
publisher, and the labors and difficulties She
had with proofs and revises. The greatest
difficulty OF all was to keep the rector in the
men. He saw masses of papers coming by post
and set 1t down In his mind as new music He
observed that his dear Nellie was ALWAYS writ
ing, but he merely said, Really, my wifes cor
respondence is enormous, and 1 don't wonder
at it, for she writes and excellent letter.
Our story reopens some six months later on
Every morning she now expected an advance
copy from the publishers. She always came
down before breakfast and swooped down on
the letters and parcels, and at last this 10th
do nf V1nn hrnt 1frh4
There it was. in the three orthodox volumes, SIS
Cd in price, dainty in binding, nice big margins,
and good print and paper. She opened the
title page and read with bounding heart "A
Midsummer Madness. A novel. BY Mrs Aubrey
Lowell" Then she dipped here and there into
her favorite bits--that droll scene where the
two old maids encounter the designing widow;
really 1t was humorous and had lots of go in it.
Mrs. Lowell laughed aloud. Then the love
scene in the old garden, and the despair and
madness of the hero; then that pathetic death
bed scene. how true and real it seemed. Really
Mrs. Lowell felt if George Eliot walked into the
room now she should have claimed her as
sister artist d.
Meanwhile, the rector came noisily down stairs
and entered the room with bang. "Hullo,
my love. anybody's birthday? / see parcel of
new books that look like presents
mo. dear" she answered, ''only the last new
novel; then, blushing furiously, lit looks
rather NICE
To his wife's disgust the rector did not ex-
hibit the least curiosity about the last new
novel. All, she thought, if only he knew.
wouldn't he be proud of his wife? but he act
ually ignored the three pretty blue volumes
and stretched out his hand for his Guardian
Then Mrs Lowell brought matters to head by
saying: Tell me what you think Of the new
novel" Thereupon the rector drove his wife
to the verge of distraction by his exceeding
slowness; first of all he couldn't find his glasses
then began long history as to letter in the
Guardian about Queen Annes Bounty, then
wasted another five minutes in polishing up his
glasses; ultimately he took up Vol. /. and read
IN his sonorous voice, "A Midsummer Madness.
By Mrs. Aubrey Lowell"
Goodness gracious me, Nellie! Why, it's by
namesake OF yours: they'll be putting it down
to you"
at is me-" said Mrs. Lowell, being too thrilled
to think of grammar.
YOU" replied her husband. dropping the
book with d bang. and no number Of marks of
admiration can convey the surprise he put into
his voice; he took off his glasses and rubbed
had sown the seed in her aspiring BOSOM and
this was the full harvest
We'll my love. of course knew you wrote
good letter, and had ready pen. but three
volume novel did think beyond your pow
ers."
She was well content when he took the whole
three volumes into his study. She had ex-
pected he would have abused her for wasting
her time and ordered her back to domestic
duties but he had been so surprised and taken
aback that he had half blessed intead of en-
tirely banning her. During the morning Mrs.
Lowell was gratified by hearing hearty peals of
laughter from her husbands study, and at
lunch he said, "Really, my dear. your book is
extremely good, but you've made frightfully
free with our poor dear bishop. only hope he
won't come across it."
'Oh, I've disguised it WE'LL" she answered;
II have only used few of his peculiarites."
Mrs. Lowell subscribed to Romeike's agency,
and for the next few weeks she had very Jolly
time; the press notices were fairly favorable
all the critics thought the plot exceedingly
poor, but the bishop, the widow and the two
old maids were greatly praised. Evidently
drawn from life, one or two critics said Then
Mrs. Lowell had the joyof presenting her
friends with copies of her book and altogether
her poor head was like to be turned with sue
cess. Her publishers were very well content,
too, and said the book was making its mark
Her husband basked in the reflected glow of
her fame, and began to be proud Of his wife.
One day at breakfast Mrs. Lowell said:
Here is an appreciative review of the book
in the leading society paper; that makes the
seventeenth hattering notice have had"
OF course "the book" was her book, there
being only one book in the world to her then.
Her husband did not answer, for he was alb
sorbed in a letter; she knew by the way he
stirred his tea as he read it that he was not
pleased.
my dear" he said, I'm afraid you and
your book have got me into a scrape. Here is