The Delta independent., 1897-03-03

few OF u hers-Defrick Morton. the Van
Ruyter girls. Arthur HaXteil and his
brother Ton. Dosothy and John Berksaey.
and one more-have undertaken to redesm
the frtvolities OF our corner Of Newport ny
forming . reading circle. We read noas
but new authors. and then we pick them 10
pieces with . rednsment Of critietsm that
would humble the most conceitsd beginner
n he could only hear us- think ass paty
that some OF them can't: don't your
wish you could Be here to help Us. believe
you would make . distressingly acute 1n-
Quisitor. and the fact that you once trted
your hand At authorship would lend . -
culiar ssss to your censure. IL 1t be true thar
the best critics are the Unsuccessful
writer's Apropos. what ever became Of
your much-reJected manuscript? ! should
like to submit It - the effort Of one Of the
submerged
"I suppose you have no present thought
Of coming back TO civilization From what
you say in your letters infer that you are
enjoying yourself. after some primitive
fashion. and. better than all else. that your
health is improving. because ] can believe
the latter, ! can continue to spare you
while the need ex!sts: and since the scpaFa-
tion has to be. It II better that We should
bear II contentedly. ! should be sorry 20
have the good effect Of DR.. Persvin's Ere
scription marred by any rep.nIng CT mine.
and 80 long as you feel that the oCt-of-dcor
life is helping you. hope you viii not let
any strained sense Of your duty to your
mother or to me make you abridge II. We
shall get along famously without our preux
chevalier. and you are not to suppose that
We are obliged to go about uncarcd for he
cause you happen to be buried in the forests
OF Alabama.
Write often, II you feel like Il. but don't
let II become a bore. There u nothing Dore
dreadful than having to write to some one
when you want to do something else. AZ
fectionately. ~ always. HELEN.
"P. 81 have been invited to Join party
on Derrick Morton's yacht. ard II you don't
hear from me again for two or three weeks.
you'll know ! have accepted and that PEST
ofices are not to be had for the asking"
Philip put the letter down with .
smile that was more than half o sneer.
When one sets out to make himHelf the
advocate of an unworthy cause. mental
short-sightedness stands ready to dis
tort and confuse the Judgment; and In
the case of . letter, the dispassionate
Journalism Of written language lends
itself easily to inferential misconstrue-
tion.
"How could ever have fnncied that
she had any warmth or depth apart
fIom the intellectual side of her char-
ncter?'' he asked himself. I'm sure
don't know, any more than know why
1 always took il for granted TINT we
were divinely appointed to be the com
ponent parts Of that mysterious creation
which the marriage service declares TO
be one person, but which all experience
says is still more than ever two. Could
Elsie Duncan write such o letter -
that to the man she loves? Would she
turn neat phrases and Bah! the
comparison Is absurd! And yet, on the
other hand, It isn't fair TO binme Helen
because I don't happen to be the one
man in the universe who is capable Of
calling out the best there il in her; aud
/ don't blame her. She may find the
right man yet; its barely possible this
cruise in Morton's yacht will turn out
to be more nearly divine appointment
than an agreement made by our fAthers
while We were in neutrality-suspicious."
Thus Philip, In . plausible attempt
to justify himself. How should he know
that the cool and dispessionate letter
was only q part and parcel Of the haIR
talk Helen had set herself In the beSa3-
ming? How was he 70 guess that she
had steadily resolved from the hrst to
say nothing that would tempt him to
turn back to his hurt? BY what inner
prescicnce should he have been enabled
TO resd between the lines the passionate
yearning that was 10 resolutely eRaced
In the written words? A. he stood at
his wisdom looking out into the calm
stiffness of the moonlit night, what
good angel was there to tell him that at
another window in far-on New England
the writer of that letter knelt with wet
eyes. beseeching the Merciful One to
protect and preserve the absent lover?
There was none; nor was there any in
ward monitor to hint that propinquity,
the charm of IN innocent face. and .
simple outpouring Of womanly SYM
pathy had united with his own moral
and physical weakness to turn him
aside from the plain way Of rectitude
and honor.