The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-03-14


Tam. are very apt to jst down, i'll care
less sort of a way, something about the
leasures THAI come 10 us and of the
ieasant people we meet. 1t IS rather t.
err credit. we women who depend upon
oar pens for the bread and butter and
iam. that we seldom write in any book
that is to be referred to of the Disagree
;1i,la things or of the disagreeHble people
We can't afford TO do this. If we did we
1Y.YuH become so saturated with a desire
far revenge, with continual bitterness,
di,at the world would want none of us,
aad the pen would be dipped in the ink
ard there would be no result whatever.
Recently | picked up a newspaper and
read this heading to column: The
Duchess Is Dead" | didn't get out
Burke's Petrage 10 see what Duchess
was sufficiently antiquatcd or victorious
to be known merely by her title. Indeed,
gave no thought to anybody of so-called
high degree, but bent my head over my
desk and said, as if to somebody who
could hear me: God give her rest"
Then looked up the pages in the Book
of Life whereon this woman's name was
written, not as it is written in the worlds
Book of Life, but in that smaller book
which pertains to me; and ! found let
ter or two, a pleasant card, note of
thanks, and kind word of encourage
ment. Then / went back seven years and
lived over few happy hours-where. At
ST. Brenda's in County Cork. There is a
beautiful Irish home surrounded by
great garden that runs way down to the
river and ON which there are not only
nj yaIa 1,3g
fruit trees. quarter of an acre of straw
berry beds, and raspberry and currant
bushes without number. But / am not
going TO tell oy uabout the home; / am
going TO tell you about the home; / am
in that little old book about the woman.
She said to me at very first, in the
funniest sort of way: Eyes, they call me
the Duchess, because it would be physi-
cal impossibility for me to look as any
duchess does in flesh and blood" AS she
laughed there rose before me the Duchess
that Du Maurier drew. Big of bone.
hooked of nose, red of face, and shocking
ly cownel while the woman standing
BEIGE me weS absolutely tiny; slight but
perfectly woli formed. Her hair was a
pretty lie'f rown in color and the great
quantity sNe Oossessed was knotted loose
iy on 40 her head and broke away
into faSoi ting little curls on her fore
head F-7r1 under them looked out two
dark br eyes with long curling fashes
that sparkle~i rs if delighted with all the
world and all the people in 1t. The mouth
was small, but determined; and the whole
expression OF the face was that OF a
woman of wit, of sweet temper, and OF
goodness. Goodness never shows in a
face unless it exists in the soul
l don't believe any Duchess by birth
ever wore such a frock as did this little
hostess OF mine; it was a tea gown OF
soft, ruch plush, of that shade OF brown
you see in an autumn leaf, and about the
wrists and neck were ruffies or rare old
lace, while the tiny feet, peeping in and
out from under her petticoat, were in
just such bewitching Louis Quinze shoes
as Phyllis" or molly Bawn," or iii
liam" or Mrs. Godfrey" would have
joyed in. Indeed. as I remember her, I
think Of tiny little statuette of Ores
den: and yet how brave she wasi She
never. told me Of the dark days that came
TO her. / heard of them from other peo-
pie: that she married when very young,
and her husband died in less than six
years, leaving her with two tiny children
to be cared for. Some years afterward
she married Henry Hpngerford, and
when this page Of my book was written
about her in 1892, one a baby called
TOM" who was only a year old. He
was one Of the dearest ba bies / ever saw,
the very kind the Duchess herself wrote
about. A white, bright, roly-poly fellow,
ready to be played with, ready to be hug
ged and kissed, and ready to be tossed a
bout for anybody's amusement and at any
time. But must tell You what the lady
of The manor told me about her nom de
plume:
''Many years ago, just at the time I
was writing Phyllis, | stopped work for
awhile and went to attend tea at the
home of one of my most intimate friends.
just as | was going to enter the drawing
room my host saw me, came forward,
waved the footman away, and himself
announced me to the guests as her grace,
the Duchess
4 ~, i