The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-09-25
GAVE A TOMBSTONE PARTY.
VAGARIES OF a WOMAN AUTHOR IN q
NEW ENGLAND VILLAGE.

New York literary genius IL DeloW par IN one
New England town. Early in July a new
boarder appeared at the house OF the Postmis-
tress. The town does not boast a hotel and a
stranger is an exciting rarlty-also an object
OF legitimate curiosity and speculation. For
t~unateIy, In this case. Information was TO be
had for the asking. The Postmistress having
by virtue Of her calling II profound interest In
her neighbors' affairs. appreciated the state OF
mind into which they were thrown by the ad-
vent Of her boarder. and charitably consented
to tell them all she knew. Possibly her pride
in the fact that she harbored the distinguished
parsonage under her roof added to her zest In
telling the story and II wasn't two hours after
the bus deposited it's passenger at the Post
mlstress's door before all the village knew that
an author was in town. The Postmistress
must have been expeditions or the author
communicative for during the same two hours
the village learned that.the stranger had writ
| ten two books and n number of short stories
and that she had come away from New York
to this quiet spot in order that she might es-
cape from her fame and write a new novel
! wihOM bSMg Interrupted by ciamorinG adj
mirer' and publishers lighting for the yet I'M
written book.
Not being in the writing or publishing busi-
ness themselves. the villagers accepted the eS-
PLANTATION and showed such profound respect
for the authors privacy that she finally be-
came exceedingly bored by her own society.
Moreover. her artistic conscience troubled her.
She felt that she ought to be amassing copy
and studying rural types. so she began to
make advances TO her ,neiRhbors. When they
understood that she was really willing to he
known they responded readily enough. They
were AZ anxious to study her as she was to
study them. and the consensus OF opinion
about her was that she was terrible queer.
but not %uppity." To be sure she had strange
ideas about things and her conduct wasn't al
ways In line with what was considered becom-
ing in the village but then every one under
stood that some concessions must be made to
genius.
The President OF the Reading Circle was the
first to call upon the celebrity-urged ON to the
deed by the other members Of the circle. Her
reception was encouraging. 80 others plucked
up heart of grace. and soon the visitor was
fully launched into village society. She was
invited to teas and sewing bees and dinners
and social evenings. and the villagers became
used to her startling theories and more start
ling method Of arranging her back hair. and
felt that life would be a trihe dull when New
York reclaimed its own and there was no au-
thor for them to watch and critlcise.
A week or two before her departure the ce-
lebrity said to the Postmistress:
ME e me that | think I'd like to entertain
Miss Sarah gasped and furtively looked
t ths o SIst. the E vi tbe HaR msssG naIY6h With her eye
su r%Gul tdf y0 %e} Pe " Tfli eoars TO- Ysf pay pP a t very sv PaSs
thing and give you whatever you thought
right for your extra work"
Tim sure I'd be glad to do it." said Miss
That's nice, rdlike to give something unique
and out Of the ordinary, l must think Of
authoress. with the look usually reserved for
the moments devoted 70 her immortal novel.
Whole and discussed a supper menu. The
celebrity evidently intended to do the thing
s saafhsSS $eslsd. a Mis- s ssESh pSPs TsGE sS1 p4ss! miRt sni
Ragement. A moment la:er her angular, figure
fey across the street se1 to the nearest neighbor's:
the comipe %festivi fy ! Every day. fresh Sid "details
famed the fame. The, celebrity had sent
s %ieSes t we're U To- be rolI elo up Ss and tied T." witt, sI ri6-
bon; there were to be cards. with pictures
t the r pSe'f nature tn e" 81 the entertainment p Nothing II HH
was known and curiosity. was rife. OF course.
it would be some New York novelty. and ex-
Just a week before the August full moon
dainty notes which Invited them to attend q
tombstone party at II on the night of full
% sHSS}i 6 sDd pr f1Tthsf te tei 4 Sh sast s seG9 s o4 st
least some thrilling and blood curdling tale.
.t1 Eysry G 4Ssn was sism ssRasti 9 9sx C Si fSs yoI Tss
folks said they wouldn't 90 70 mo such fool
party" but the rest thought OF the supper, and
lIS DoihS jim Nc"iAA NV oVay ~
When the ~faiteiul, night, came round and the
many whispered comments. led them out Of
the tn the hide c %30 Ers siSgS PqTfRR s s9r0iG Rs the the @ S5Sn:
light. among the tombs. was the hostess; ant
the graves. The celebrity was in great feather
She was tE charmed TGs NV With 9o1 her ,ri Idea and rGd,5 9n I,
witheSS eF Fh inst asG Of SeT the 1S SiIIa i y who S0G mis h
/, not appreciate the artistic morbidness of the
hing. The guests lest being seated; the story.
pr too modest to enter the competition. but thu
/, hostess was loaded. She toln ghost storie'
t soul the Eeenest satisfaction. Her hearers
: wiGGled unc9mfortably and looked over theil
i. teller grew more dramatic and the stories more
= ghoulish, The Grayest2nes sh9ne white in tn,
; the rafting OF u pebble made the guests teetl
: chatter and when a bat flew across the moon
nE WIEN thei th ef hostess ssSsa finally GPll ended a tale of eor
! ment, and I'd a P0"ss %os that a, the they o Woaid w sd
? So limp with fear that they could herdl,
: move, and a few Of them stole across the law
! and broke for home. regardless OF. the i'm
! ported cakes and decorated sandwiches. Blu
ousIy. to the crowd, %Xn evening Of deiiseiou
i horror; Gould d6,v anything d6 y r" S be J mere p perfect pert { sS;
= didn't notice that the assent was a tritl
forced The snDRer was san an unqualified sue
cess. but II G3uldnt onseI the GraveyaT,
! which is worse-condemned the celebrity
= She had transcended even the scope allowe'
Z ciate the Joys OF delicious horror.
. Author. indeedl' smiled the bankers wife
: like to see her books. Literatoor's In,
: bad way. If the writer's are all like her, Ca
g any more New York authors. say l." and he
: hearers indorsed tina verdict. so there's on
a New England tow which our writer's mus
avoid.
: QUEER EYE OF THE MoONFTSH.