The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-02-03
MEETING A POET.


morning packing my trunks for my IA
removal from my uncle's house in tn
country to the marble fronted hotel O
Broadway that numbered me each win
ter among its inmates, when my cousil
Adelaide came dancing into the room
and commanded me to give ND al
thoughts of journey for three month
at least.
land why, pray." l asked. "Yo,
know have to go out west after I reacl
New York. Come what NAV T mrs
see an Indian summer ON the prairies.n
Bother the prairies and the Ipdiar
summer, too? cried Adelaide, taking :
letter from her apron pocket and wayine
IL In the alr. Look at the signature.
dld look, and l might have been
looking to this day for all the infor,na.
non got; but Adelaide grew impatient
and snatching the letter from INV hand
exclaimed:
Listen, you goose" and read the let
ter aloud: -0'
MY DEAR FRIEND am COMING into
the country for month or two; nv
doctor positively forbids my STAYING in
New York during the fall. Remember.
ing our old schoolboy league have Sc.
iected 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 +.
make me postpone my journey"
walt moment-I'll finish. 81 am
as ever, yours faithfully
"Well, go on"
"'James Quitman.'"
James Quitman! You are mad AID
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 all the
time. Father is to meet him at the sta.
ton tonight, and not let him 90 to the
motel ON any account. Won't people
stare when we walk into church next
Sunday"
closed the lid Of my trunk in the
twinkling of an eye. The poet had so
often longed to see, the man over whose
tender verses had made myself a Niobe
scores OF tlmes-was it possible that tho
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
suitable pendant to the work in which
we were 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 a he'd |
or roses; they blushed and bloomed |
everywhere, and their fragrance was |
delicious in the upper chamber. NV
favorite pictures had been unpacked |
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 saw
nothing OF some delicately tinted ice
cream which was still undergoing the
process of ''freezation" in the cellar.
VI course the train was late that night.
trains always are late when we are ex-
pectlng any one by them, and Addie and
mad time to work ourselves into a fever.
lsh state that gave US some very becom-
ng red cheeks. We heard the whistle |
u the train, and five minutes afterward
carriage stopped before the gate. The
poet had comet
He climbed out of the carriage like a
Il
'raFeied walk toward the front door.
presented to our admiring eyes the figure
! stoutish, middle aged man, with
ARK eyes and hair and very pleasant
mile. He did not wear Spanish cloak
no sombrero-he was clad in linen
and matched with a rough 5
boxing straw hat that had evidently b
cen service. We heard him as he came C
p the walk. a
very pretty house, Tom; very pretty
ouse. Those girls your daughters, c
eys see they've got those horrid CITY y
neck and short sleeves. IL
had daughter I'd sew her dress to
er ears"
Addie and / looked at each other in "
,nsternation and barely managed to a:
I've MIN civil greeting as he crossed S
le threshold. Was this the man who P
Id raved about his Lydia N
That bosom, white and fond and fair. is
would were the enamored air, eli
To faint and fall in passing there. e.
ow necks, indeedl sat beside him at dr
70 tea table, as had been previously ar on
nged, and saw that all things were IT.
Thin his reach. Never did Hindoo fo
Oh tax his votary more severely. had We
lrdly time to snatch mouthful nv ne
Though, for the matter of that. his nj,
petite quite took away my own. He nm
IS regular DR.. Johnson for tea ba
rawberry preserves pleased him, and of
da biscuits vanished before his attack do
green things before the march of wa
bud OF locusts. Heaven knows he had he,
% qualifications stomach! ms
lea ove--, we adjourned to the rose We.
snted pa4tors, and the volume on the no,
inter- table caught his aye. He took il
|, turned over the pages, laughing now na,
then to himself, and finally tossed tbr
Jack carelessly. 90,
isras scioushess OF geniusg ing
turned upon us. e Of
Who owns this book?' ber
modestly answered that | had that bns
at pleasure. t aas
Great pleasure, hey? She calls il a foe,
asure, Tom! Hem! I suppose 7 of 3
mt to feel complimented; but don't tba
ing lady, will you do me one favor2o Rnt
What is it, sir?" - ~;
Put that stupid trash into the fire. YEA
Stupid trashP' cried Addie, aghast. lens