New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-12
ROWENY IN BOSTON.
AT A BROWNING CLUB

Rivals who
$500 ouoro Bocafolrs stark-naked psalms,
To rqars,s sonnets spolt by toying Win,
A. mons that stud some almug to the pin
Psched for gum, wry thence, and crlnkied "or'o
Than uursed eyeiids of river-horse
Summing himself o inc sihe ""'"
Gad-ny, that Is .,.,,,. my, lit
tie geological hammer, not even down "asiins O.
9, Nv hammer and one of lbsens plays w.
never knows, don't you know, when one may ni'
snecimen; and il is so interesting 10 geo
new one-and then, If l have "siy
few moments in shop, don't you Know II !
have Ibsen with me, ] don't lose any uue' W"
see" .,
at must be quite dreadful to lose any t'ne'
said Mrs Sears, with an indulgen' Smile Un"V naq
a suspicion Of irony in It, Do Sou o..ns W W.
Sar,uasr with Won to-day. Miss SargeantP You
-. nornd away at Childe Roland think 1t
would bear all your strength. -.
aIs q 70 be 'Childe Roland again today"
"Yes"
The owner of the geological hammer tossed her
t.oa She had that type Of weasel-face which
Rowena had noticed in one of the salesladies that
evening at Mrs. Jarviss She did not look any
more refined She was painfully alert. she
tossed her head again. She said for her part she
was tired Of that poem, if it were poem why
didn't they drop Browning and take up lpsen
She was told that this was not an losen CLUB
She flung her bits of hands out and her bangles
tinkled. She gave sharp chances at Rowena' VINO
still kept her place by Mrs. Sears.
II went out to Diamond Hill the other day"
she began Rhode Island, you know. Really
a curious place might be a thousand miles away.
Natives don't know anything; stand about In over
alls-aren't they overalls. Miss futile ?"
sTbey are overals" replied Rowena, her clear
voice contrasting with the chipping noise thus
Miss Sergeant made in talking, also jumpers
added Rowena with slight laugh.
Miss Sergeant stared an instant linen re-
heated ALSO jumpers Thanks. They stand
around in these things and look at you till you
feel their eyes boring like gmlets. l could feel
them in the back Of my head They fry their
heefsteak there. too In lard. And they expect
you to eat pickles with it. large cucumbers
stepped in vinegar
Did YOU get any specimens, Miss Sergeant 7"
Magnificent rough amethysts / should think
there must be O strata of these amethysts some
where there, strata upthrown by some suoter-
ranean action. Shouldn't you say so, Mrs. Sears 2"
The elder lady had shrunk perceptibly at the
word strata" which was spoken as If spelled
"strarter."
Don't you think, Miss Sergeant" she said with
some emphasis, "that you might better use your
u
subject of singular and plural formations trif1e
more? Pardon old woman's advice.
The girl stood an instant in vindictive silence
She was very fond of that word strarter.
She walked away.
Mrs. Sears glanced at Rowena.
"Do you think l was harsh, my dearP" she
asked. but then, l knew Della Sergeant SO
very well. If can be the means OF teaching her
to say stratum when that is what she means,
shall have done an excellent thing. l may conrde
10 you that her friends are very weary OF what
she does not know about geology. All, Mr.. Brad
ford Is going to read. Some one usually opens the
session by reading a selection. I'm glad it's not
Mr.. Hsrndon, for he never reads anything but
"Sardello" He says we don't meet to discuss
what we know but What we don't know. To tell
YOU the truth, Miss Tutte, have reached that
age when like TO talk about things understand"
There was such a whimsical look on the speak
er's face that Rowena could not tell If she were
Speaking "a she felt. Before she could make any
attempt at reply some one raped on table
which held many different copies Of the poet they
were to study.
stout man with a very large bald head and
English whiskers said in a heavy voice that
Mr.. Bradford had kindly consented to read for
them.
"That Ia Mr.. Herndon," said Mrs. Sears. He
lives 10 struggle with things he doesn't compre-
bend. The moment he sees a subject clearly, that
moment it ceases to interest him. Odd, isn't III
Instead Of standing there by the table, which
was very far away from the couch which held
Mrs Sears and Rowena, Mr. Bradford sauntered
down the room until no came to window near
that couch. He stood 10 nonchalant attitude,
with his back to the light. AS a reader In select
companies he was rather of lion, but this girl
from the country could not know that, and she
had CHI
known it,
The young man began:
o lyric Love, half angel and half bird
And all a wonder and wild DESIRE
His voice was not specially musical, but it in
ternreted the words with q force as if fire ran
along with his utterance. Rowena felt her heart
burning; every syllable Glove its way TO her SOUL
Had there been @ human being who could write
such words as those? And he had loved. And
he had lost. But he could not despair
She did not think of the reader at all. She
did not know that after those two first lines has
eyes had left the book and were, though not
openly, watching her.
Miss Phillips thought she had never heard
her cousin read SO we'll There was not the
least art about il. He was simply letting himself
be borne on by the lines. Even she forgot her
self in listening. And she forgot Rowena, until
Just as Bradford came to the last Then, as she
saw the girl, cloud came over her face. 1t
was cruel TO play on a sensitive and unsophistl-
Gated nature in this way. And yet Miss Phillips
knew that she had never loved Rowena as warmly
as at this moment. The young face cleaned
transparcnt-the eyes seemed reaching out to
Heaven itself
Silently Miss Phillips glided round behind
her guests Again she conscious of that de-
sire 10 protect Rowena
There was an instant murmur as the readers
voice ceased. Rowena Heard some one whisper
"Dear!" close behind her. She knew the tone
and interpreted it,
She so quickly recovered her ordinary look that
her friends estimate of her rose greatly.
Miss Phillips did not address her again; she
made some remark about Browning as poet of
the emotions.