New-York tribune., 1896-11-22
UARY'S "TYPE.'
WITH APOLOGIES TO THE AUTHOR OF "A
NEW ENGLAND NUN"

NEW ENGLAND NUN"
:, uas lust in the edge of cool evening In sep
,ember that | chanced 20 be sitting alone IN the
dusk The brisk fire OF lghtwood had nasheu anu
cracked and died away to dun red g'o" III 'hc
cay.rnous chimney. | WAS alone In tho mousse
was wrapped in meditation, and It may nave
bcon some time ere was aware that there was
sone one someth hing. I'm the chimney corner
snare figure I'm "A knecllng posture. with thn
shawl drawn tightly about her bent shoulders WAS
holding her two skinny hands above the embers.
Now and then she drew her shawl more closely
about her mutterng. 80 cold! so cod'
GOOD evening" l said in my poli,est tone
"Won't YOU take this rocking g-chair and let me
make YOU A cup Of ten and stir up the hre!
"Thankoc" quoth she. Il am cold-I mean
hastily correcting herself. "Im sorter chilly, ana
don't care cf | do hov L cup Of tea.
II beg your pardon" said |. IA | brought my
visitor a hastily prepared cup of the sieaming
beverage. but I must ask you your name by
this uncertain light | can't recognize my neigh
bors."
with that she gave A little scream and dropped
"Oh. oh, guess must be goln. 'nous"' you
Mary"
no. no." insisted don't go. DO sit down and
tell me about Mary Is she your daughter
..Why. no. she amt my darter. Don't you know
I want never married. she added. with FUNNY
cackle. but gancng about at the same time with
furtve eyes
But / guess better he goln'." she said again,
ee,tlne M and sitting down nervousy. ] saw that
she was really anxious to stay and unburden her
self. so coaxed and persuaded her till she finally
relaxed and had another cup of tea and when the
insplring beverage had begun to work. by dint OF
few questions elected her story-if story her little
paint can be called.
.I amt got any name Thet is. useter hev one.
! he'd a good one that lasted me all my fe But
scnce | blonged TO Mary I've he'd so many can't
ont o. me- she has But she doesn't give me any
Of tt mean. she don't give mo none on IL.
uscter use good grammar when was girl but
Mary won't let me. She says folks woudh | know
me ef did, You know. Mary introduces mo to the
public she does. She dresses me up considerable
dnunt at diff unit times, but mostly wears this
old shawl That's why It's so thin and get 80
sortcr chilly Ike. But she says l 20 better when
I'm cold. so | try not TO mind.
"Bu. thet amt bad her not given me
'uough TO eat ] alters uscter hev enough TO eat
and cv'rybuddy / knew had enough. P'raps did
look sor,er scruwny. but theta cause | was thet
kind-the flesh wouldn't stick to my ribs. nohow
1T seems sorter tough tho. to be haif-starved
and hey to work so hard right along jest the same
ono day I'm one pusson and next day I'm some-
buddy else. She keeps me busy turnn Six dresses.
maxim bedquilts an | don't know what not
Sometimes she turns me right out OF the house
I'm livln in can't be sot down real comfortable
without her workin to git me UP again.
|
ghost despalrngIy. Il don't mind thet I've alters
known how to work. It's wOrse'n that"
Does she beat you." interrupted. Indignantly,
because II she does III apply to-
NO. oh lordy no! 'tain't thet; It's Jest emotions:
em all the time. l never aid hey many. an !
do red spo n my Checks '' am when @ o
fer not doin' 1t better ! scrapc up little Sob or
somethin thet sounds IKE one in my yrrdS ihr9a t. sus
man I've known forty or fifty or hundred years.
Lnn nv ghp M lkpS mo |
" @ when wa sn Enough did, Ha enSuEh T'f
remembered it all these years. deed, no.
do it ef wasn't most starved. When you git a:
goin' down in your stummick an a paipitation OF
yo Know. or somcthin' '''e"''
she made me do an awful thing oncet"; here
made me do murder. Wasn't that dreadful? She
fed me ,'nough thet time and stretched me an,
my arms ache to think on 1t.
But | was found out. o. course. 'Talnt my
There are m folks now the Won beeSe Se" done
He'd to stretch my emotions same's did my arms,
Ev'rybuddy told Mary then she mustn't let me do
thet. sort o thing agn'. an guess she ain't a
Il really guess | mus! must be x0ln now, anyway
and stood in the ickerng light srowins shg SnSsr
and more diaphanous even as ! looked at her. II
way ! act nowY'
considered this question moment before an
Yes" replied at length. II can truthfully say
there are some people who like everything you do
would lay aside that lean and hungry look for a
Wniie and turn your emotions out to pasture.
poihni,ment, they hnd no fault with you elsewhere,
md ana In ENGLAND. | am told, they just dote on you
Type type she murmured vacantIy va arSis I fpS pSint
thought aefrS was ons amy yRs S! nyDs an never
With that she vanished.