New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-08
BORROWED PLUMES.
By f. NESBIT.


4 pleasant old farm with red roof where
lichens grew in patches Of yellow. and the stone
crop and house-leek in patches of green; house
with long low rooms furniture that shone with
beeswax and elbow grease, and beds whose
coarse homespun linen sheets smeed of laven-
der.
There were indee d two lavender bushes In the
garden as well AS roses and stocks sweet Glove
pinks and "old man" The farm was stocked
with interesting live creatures-cows, pigs
chickens turkeys and pigeons; there were sheep
dotting the downs behind the house, and from
the front windows, across the orchard. where the
apples were beginning to grow hard and round
you could see the long, shining, blue line OF the
sea-
Mabel Roscommon liked that sea-line and she
liked the garden, the orchard, and the rest of 1t
all but the turkeys. She little AFRAID OF
these, because she by profession high
school teacher. and had been taught how to
manage children but not how to manage tur-
keys-an art by the way, much simpler. Now
she had come to the farm for her summer holi-
days To be alone new to her. for she was
one of a large family; and to be for whole weeks
in this country was new to her too. for she had
never before been near the for more than "A
week at time. The down country was to her
a revelation.
She had big sitting room TO herself, and
shared the simple meals of the farmer and his
wife The laborers and the maids ate at the
lower end of the long table. Mabel thought 1t
was such a nice plant reminded her somehow
of the feudal system. The dignified simplicity
of farm-life appealed to her Gradually passion
of love awoke in her for the little ordinary, use
full everyday things-the needful work repeated
at the appropriate hour, the changing magic OF
morn and noon and evening, the restful dis
tances of down and sea, the intimate fore
grounds Of hedge and orchard AT first she read
good deal but gradually more and more time
was spent with Mrs Fry Mabel followed her
In and out to the dairy to the Kitchen, to feed
the pigs TO collect the eggs And the eyes OF the
faded mddle-aged woman grew tender though
her words always the explanatory COM
mOnplace the mOurnfu biographical
But one day-it was the day when Miss Ros-
common first churned the butter-Mrs. Fry
sighed, and said
My little Alice would ha been about your age
II she'd lived. ] own should ha dearly liked to
IA taught her to churn"
II was that night that Mabel kissed Mrs Fry
when she said good night" and almost wished,
as she crept between the cold lavendered
ter She had discovered her vocation. II was
not teaching, she had steadfastly believed,
nor literature. she had secretly dreamed; her
true vocation was the pastoral hfe-not to for
get the great life of the world the hurry and
hustle. the cieverness and bravery the wise and
the great; not to forget them-to honor them
from afar but to take no further part in the
strife and struggle of strenuous life; to watch
n fran the haven Of the LITTLE life uuiet
ordered placid life Of the farm. This was her
vocation--her fate was high-schOol teaching.
When Robert Fry came home-the only of
his mother, the farmers wfe-Mabel shared in
the hustle of glad preparation that heralded his
coming He was in business in London. but nc
coming home for his holiday his mother
said
but he hates the business" she went on. He
got "A scholarship to go TO oxford for he's very
clever my dear but it was not enough to keep
him there. and it was the year we did so badly
with the wheat. so father couldn't spare enough
to let him go; so then Bob gave in. and he said:
All right, I'll go into business. for don't want
to stay at farming So his uncle took him into
the nantes where he might he doing well, but
] wish he'd never gone to school. do. then he'd
a-been content to stay and help his father about
the old place that's belonged to the Frys no one
knows how long You can their names in the
chuTChyard"
II was in the churchyard amid the moss
grown headstones. that Miss Roscommon not
only the of many dead and gone
Frys. but made the acquaintance of the new
conner. He came to her across the field that lay
between the house and the church and she could
ace his fair HAIR shining in the sun He was tall
and handsome. she thought.
My mother sent me to tell YOU that tea is
ready. It's half an hour earlier than usual Yes
I've just come down. II all seems very beauti-
full after London, doesn't it?'
It's so beautiful" said Mabel that 7 am be-