New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-15
At the conclusion the writer hoped that he

L
compose this document. She could guess how ar
! duously he had worked at it. And he had not
put in it single item of interest. II as if
| he had started with the idea that everything
that the recipient might care to know must he
| scrupulously kept out. And he had carried out
this idea with perfect success He had not even
mentioned lis horses and his two setter dogs. and
be knew how Rowena liked them.
The average bucolic mind of Ncw-England docs
| not consider the art OF familiar composition as
one that is needful in this life. The average
bucoic mind is very stiff in the Joints when con-
.cmplating the preparation of cpistle to
friend There are instances, generally among
women, where one is able 10 reel of a letter
lest as easy; these instances are looked upon as
remarkable. and the person thus gifted is not
cnvied. but is thought to have an extreme liabll-
itv to shiftlcssness. The connection between
! shiftessncss and certain "Glibncss7 with the
pen is obscure, but powerful. Philip Barrett had
not this -libness. and he not shiftless
When this young man had finished this article
he read il many times and copied it until the
words ceased to mean anything TO him. He said
TO himself that he would rather NOW the whole
east meadow than 70 write another letter. But
! he knew he should write another: ne knew he
should feel so drawn to Rowena futile that he
could not help it. The perspiration burst from
|
like this one.
1t was wonderful, considering the power it re-
ourea TO inspire this man to write that there
| should he no sign of the inspiration III the
result II would have been appropriate 10
send that missive to old Uncle Lenas Torrcy as
to Rowena.
Philips mother furtvely watched the progress
of the composition. Her son sat at his fathers
| old desk at one end of the kitchen. Inc hIst
hn lrn a
great deal of Smoothing lew paragraphs
| were let to stand over night, and were carefully
| locked in drawer.
Mrs barrett grew very weary as every evening
this writing continued. One night her BOY
seemed to be so nervous that she silently s'eepeu
some catnp and offered it TO him. il was refused:
| She told Eudory Barnes that if Philip didn't
| cit his letter done fore great while shc Tor one
should 80 ravin' distracted
| BIZ, there came a day when the last copy
was made and the thing was put in the post0llce
at the Corners Then there was reaction Philip
sat if half alive over the cookStoNc inc neAC
! evening lie picturlEg Eowena as se'thS
| the letter and reading II in the midst oil luAuIN'
| He had a ncbulouS belief that all people ~ Clues
| lived in luxury. This thought gave him very
| uneasy feelings concerning Rowcna. If she for
got him it should not he because ne ana not "Il'e
to her Some day he should 60. TO- Boston ana
round to it yet lie was resolved TO do it, though
| Meanwhile he could he thinking about IT,
Rowcna sitting by her litlc stove, and Tor
getting that her tea WIS boiling on the lamp,
| Wondered why Philips unimportant words made
her after She had laughed, feel much Like
crying. .... ,.;,;.a. and
| wrote 10 him. And again she said nothing ABOUT
the city, but asked Il score OF questions aoonV
the country; She wanted 70 know W., now cWoo ing
| meetings SIZE hardly knew what she did WTltc'
only that she was unusually moved. The nome
she had left seemed so remote ouo 50 uh"'Ve'""i'
She heard the wind and the snow moaning around
| her window She tried 10 drink her tca puI II
4 # ptffNf
in tho evening She looked az her watch, ana
found it 10 be half after :. BY this time her
father and mothe" had been sitting gooh Th ho
bv the kitchen stove. Her Oldest SISTER hdd pc-
come slccny over her sums" for the next day
The rest had gone upstairs to bed IN the open
chamber" where it was cold and where the
Rcwcna started up and began franticalv walk
ing the room and Wrnein- her hands, liow was
she thought Of the slopworIl and the straw, ana
perhaps George Warner would speak to the COM
mitee about getting her -, scho Sis ,rostio, was
asked impaticntly outside her door. When the
door was opened, il revealed Mrs JARVIS standing
| there She said she didn't know how many times
| she had knocked. Then she added WIN some
awe:
It's Uncle Reuben. He has come after all!
| Rowena was going TO rush by her hostess.
But hand detained her. -,
| 'Tain't your Uncle Reuhen. us a lauy.
| guess she'll be tired OF waiting
But | don't know any lady, ~,
It's that Miss Phillips MIS- Jaryis fo tLd
dcmonstrative adjective pronoun III mentioning
I'm her mind at this moment two emotions were
| neutrality-suspicious. because she had just been
| snu6bed by that Miss Phillips and pride that
this woman had chosen TO call on one OF hcr
| dodgers.
Rowcna ran down the stairs. BY This time she
had acquired useful dexterity IN avoiding me
holes in the stair carpet as she went she "se or
| common-sen>e told her that il was pcrIl0uS AZ
traction which she felt. Miss Phillips fancIed
| to take her up: by-andbY she would set her
down. Entirely inexperienced as she was. Rowena
| had this fear strongly: She could not have toid
why; perhaps something intangible in the Iady
| presence itself gave il TO her.
The visitor Stood beneath the one gas light.
The long, close fur cloak and small bonnet, the
thick fun of hair thin face ana ia %i' ,do eyes
eagerly. She liked il. II stirred her pulses. IT.
was new and strange. The lady was no, pretty
but she had grace and lovely clothes, and saNoir-
vivre, and, above all, She showed her interest III
Miss Phillips stepped forward quickly. She
fitted as Rowena had never known gloves conId
| fit 80
I'm glad yon have come n,o e%Glai% Ry r MiSS
would have made me insane. WHY do arY al
ways have the trial OF Eric Deans in such place
as this? And that dreadful portrait Of spirit
| Friend? Won't YOU ask me mp TO your own
room? However dreadful II *, II can he ;" bad
| AS this You will have dltusod atmosphere
| in H. II isn't because the furniture Is poor !
| hope YOU don't think | care a rap for that kind
of thing I'm not 50 low rs thai il is
| here the speaker gave little shuddcr. it is the
feeling of it-aS if it had held 50 many common
| place people in il. and they had all left their
| impress ! suppose the walls covered with
| invisible portraits of duh folks You know there's
| a theory that the walls OF houses retain pictures
Of every which has been enacted within
them Some day something viii he discovered that
will bring ont all tho,o impressions. II will he
an awful day I've been looking into that. IT.
| is quite bcwtchina."
As she talked in her careful. rapid way, Miss
Phillips continued to hold Rowenas hands closely.
| Now she looked at her kecnlX, curlonSly.
| "Nou have been crying" She asserted. What
| n pale face YOU have And what curious little
| culver in the right side OF your upper lip. Nou
would cry again. now. if | were not here Please