Arizona republican., 1892-11-29
MEETING A POET.

.,,oral from my uncle's house in the
,,ntry to the marble fronted hotel on
p,,,dway that numbered me each win
- among its inmates, when my cousin
,3.,aide came dancing into the room
"a commanded me to give up all
,toeghts of a journey for three months
at least.
and why, prayS" asked. you
,,ov have to so out west after reach
y.v York. Come what may, | must
90 an Indian summer on the prairies."
Bother the prairies and the Indian
,rmmer, tool" cried Adelaide, taking
Litter from her apron pocket and waving
+ in the air Look at the signature"
did look, and | might have been
ooling to this day for all the informa-
ZION got; but Adelaide grew impatient,
and snatching the letter from my hand
exclaimed;
Listen, you goose" and read the let
ter aloud;
"AlY DEAR FRIEND am coming into
the country for month or two, my
doctor positively forbids my staying ~
New York during the fall. Remember
pg our old schoolboy league | have sc
lectel W as the place of my exile,
and shall be there ON the 2Oth-wind
and weather permitting"
what do you think Of that" asked
Adelaide, making large eyes at me over
the top Of the letter.
Il have not heard anything yet T.,
make me postpone my journey"
wait a moment-I'll finish. Il am,
As ever, yours faithfully -
well, go on"
FLAMES Quitman.
james Quitmanl You are mad, Adj
die-he can never be coming here"
There is the letter-father has always
known him, it seems; it is the poet, and
we are to have him stay here Gll the
time. Father is to meet him at tx Q sta
ton tonight, and not let him go TO the
hotel on any account Won't people
stare when we walk into church next
Sunday
closed the lid of my trunk in the
twinkhng of an eye. The poet had so
often longed to see, the man over whose
tender verses had made myself Niobe
scores of times-was it possible that the
same roof was going to shelter us both?
Dinner was thing unthought of in
the house that day, and my uncle lunched
meekly at one Of the china closets off
cold meat and bread and preserved
strawberries, while Addie and | actually
ate rose leaves and sugar and cream as
a suitable pendant to the work in which
we we're engaged. Nothing less ethereal
would we partake while fitting up that
poets chamber.
By o'clock that afternoon our labors
were ended. The house was like bed
Of roses; they blushed and bloomed
everywhere. and their fragrance was
delicious in the upper chamber. My
favorite pictures had been unpacked l
and arranged upon the parlor walls.
Everything was perfect. The tea table
sparkled with silver and cut glass; flow
ers wreathed the dishes of preserved
fruit, and cake and wine for the evening
were ready on the sideboard, TO say
nothing Of some delicately tinted ice
cream which was still undergoing the
process Of "freezation" in the cellar.
OF course the train was late that night.
Trains always are late when we are ex-
pecting any one by them, and Addie and
! had time TO work ourselves into fever
ish state that gave us some very becom-
ing red cheeks. We heard the whistle
Of the train, and five minutes afterward |
a carriage stopped before the gate. The
poet had come!
He climbed out Of the carriage like a
crab-sidewise-and, coming up the |
grayeled walk toward the front door, |
presented to our admiring eyes the figure
Of a stoutish, middle aged man, with
dark eyes aud hair and very pleasant
SMILE He did not wear a Spanish cloak |
and a som brero-he was clad in linen
garments and matched with a rough
OOking straw hat that had evidently
5een service. We heard him as he came
up the walk.
VERY pretty house, Tom; very pretty
house. Those girls your daughters,
icy? see they've got those horrid city
neck and short sleeves. IL
had a daughter I'd sew her dress to
Ter ears"
Addie and looked at each other in
onsternation and barely managed to
i've him civil greeting as he crossed
he threshold. Was this the man who
lad raved about his Lydia
That bosom, white and fond and fair,
would were the enamOred air,
To faint and fall in passing there.
low necks, indeedl sat beside him at
he tea table, as had been previously ar
anged, and saw that all things were
'ithin his reach. Never did Hindoo
lol tax his votary more severely. l had
ardly time to snatch a mouthful my
for the matter of that, his
ppetite quite took away my own. He
'as a regular DIR. johnson for tea
.rawberry preserves pleased him, and
)da biscuits vanished before his attack
5 green things before the march of a
loud of locusts. Heaven knows he had
ne Qualifications stomach
Tea over, we adjourned to the rose
,ented parlors, and the volume on the
enter table caught his eye. He took 1t