Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1900-08-07
tom tor permission to tell about bis sor.

4 II Know Wnat you medus bue balu,
"about the new. curt. quick way Of
writing. have noticed It In the pa
pers. only thought perhaps II was be-
cause they couldn't write any other
way. But can try to do 1t, too, II
that Is what they like up here In the
north. And I'll tell anything about the
Lawton place that seems unobjection.
able. I'm glad you think he won't dis
like II. And now, my dear. I'll take
myself away. am sure you are CIV
Ing me far too much time, but you can
Just tell them. my child. that you don't
see one every day up here who knows
all about you for three generations.
Dear, dear, II does seem too bad to
leave you here all by yourself so. and
you so young! What would your
grandfather TIL But. then. your
grandfather would be very proud Of
your talents. Adeline, and he was a
man who knew that we have to adapt
ourselves to circumstances. and I'm
sure these-gentlemen all seem very
very inofYensive." And she overlooked
the hardworkins, scribbling crowd
bent over their desks.
Softly futtering over me In this fash.
Ion to the very elevator door. she final.
ly took her leave.
I soon learned what seemed all the
main facts Of her little story-her
great, tragic, human story-filled. as
everybody's story Ia. with experiences
at once terrible and commonplace.
She had been left widow with two
little children while still young wo-
man. The children. boys. had both
died only a few years later. and she
had spent most Of her life as a childless
widow In her widowed fathers house.
She was his only child. He had died
near the beginning OF the war. Most
Of their property had been lost. Mrs.
Overman had since then made what
shift she could. and now In her old age,
with a courage rooted In Unborn gallan-
try Of soul and also In ignorance Of
this rough world. she had come TO this
strange land. ''the north" to try to
make her living by writing.
How foreign and far away this part
Of our common country seemed TO her
probably only a southerner can realize.
Fundamental ideas affect many rami-
fcations Of feeling as well as thought.
and the weakness Of the idea Of nation
al!ty at the south sharpens many q
homesick pang In many a traveller and
exile still In his own country.
That Mrs. overman succeeded rs
well as she did was continual mar
vel TO me. There was a dauntlessness
about the frail. delicate. lady bred old
woman that made me proud OF the civ
ilization-if you will permit the word
that had produced her.
sympathize with the point Of view
that finds southern aristocratic preten-
sions humorous. They certainly had
far less basis Of material splendor than
the simple minded aristocrats them
selves imagined. and doubt not that
there Is and viii be In the future some
thing better In this world than any
kind Of aristocracy, but for the bless
ings Of a commercial democracy we
pay a good deal, and my provincial lit
tie old woman exemplified the high
hearted virtues Of the old regime In her
union Of fine pride, courage. cheerful
ness and gentleness As nobly rs II her
claims TO blue blood were based on
something more imposing than an an
cestry Of two or three generations OF
backwoods dignitaries. The obliga-
tons Of an aristocracy were strong
upon her.
a little dreaded visiting her In her
boarding house. thought l knew
what Il would be like, and felt II
would be rather wretched to see her In
the midst Of Its cheap frNolities and
poor pretensions. but found she had
discovered for herself place very diff
ferent from my imagination-not vul-
gar, though Offering hardships enough
to such q one as Miss Fanny. as we
must now In common friendliness be-
gin to call her.
cit Is woman's boarding house.
dear. business woman's house." she
explained TO me as we sat side by side
on an immense haircloth sofa In the
clean. mournful. self respecting parlor.
"Aiiss Mary Barnwell told me about
II before l came on here. You never
saw Miss Mary. did you? Your mother
knew her. She Is a lovely woman. She
was Timothy Barnwell's daughter. that
endowed the college In wexville. and
Miss Mary teaches there. She comes
on to New York In the summer some
times. and she stops here. 1t made me
feel so much more at home to come to
a place I'd heard Mary tell about, and
I think II Is very sheltered and protect
ed to be In q house without gentlemen
when one Is quite alone So"
II was q big. old fashioned house,
and the rooms were divided up into
long and narrow ones by wooden par
titions. and each contained two little
iron bedsteads. The Inhabitants OF the
business woman's boarding house were
united as roommates without reference
to anything but a rigidly inspected re-
spectabIlity all around (surely none but
the most respectable Of women ever
wanted to live there), but each was
given bed to herself.
Miss Fanny found 1t little painful
to explain these things to me, and
faint red spot came In each withered,
delicate old cheek as she said: 1T
seems little like what they call an in
stitution up here. doesn't It? But 1t
isn't. The landlady is New England
woman; her name Is Martin. and, you
see, she has planned to have the cheap
est place that-that-a nice person can
live In. and. you see. It isn't 80 bad, for
It is clean, and 1t Is quite comfortable,
I assure you, and you know you are
sure that your roommate Is respecta-
BILE, and everything is arranged for 1t.
90 you have a great deal more privacy
than you would think. l must take
you to my rOom," she went on. "to
show you my fathers portrait Oh,
yes, l always have that with me, and
you must be able to say you know how
Judge Marchbanks looked"
"Of course" she said on the stairs,
"these northerners are very strange.
The lady l am with Is named Miss
Boggs. You'd think she was-well.
rather a common sort Of person. from
very plain people, you know, on frst
meeting her. but she Is very highly ed.
ucated; she Is studying medicine. She
hasn't the polish one nnds In our peo-