Cañon City record., 1901-05-02
LETTER LIv.

Beloved-We have been having
great day of tidyings out. rummaging
through years and years OF accumula-
tIons-things quite useless. but which
| have not liked TO throw away. Ny
soul has been getting such dusty an
swers TO all sorts OF doubtful inquiries
as TO where on earth this. that and the
other lay hidden. And there were other
things, the memory OF which had lain
quite dead or slept. tin under the light
OF day they sprouted back into life Ike
corn from the grave OF an Egyptian
mummy.
Very deep In one box ! found a
siealthy little collection OF secret play-
things which II used to be my fond be-
lief that nobody knew OF but myself
II may have been Anna's graspness,
when four years OF seniority gave her
double my age. or Arthur's genial In
-tinct for destructiveness. which drove
me into such deep conccalment Of my
dearest idols. But whether for those
or more mystic reasons. I know | had
dolls which nursed only In the strict
est privacy aud iaylshed my drmest
love upon. II was because OF them that
I bore the reproach OF being but a
luk.warm mother of dolls and careless
of their toilets. the truth being that my
mothcrly passion expended itself In Sc
cret on certain outcaSts of society
whom others dcspiscd or had forgot
ten. They. on their limp and dissoii-'e
bodies. wore all the fincry could and
to pile on them, and one shady transac-
tion done on their behalf l remember
now without pangs-
There was one creature OF state
whom an inconsiderate relative had
presented TO Anna and myself In equal
shares OF course Annals became more
and more lionlike. l had very little
love for the bone Of contention my
self. but the sense OF Injustice ranked
in me. So one day nj an unfolding An
na discovered that certain undergar-
mcnts were gone altogether away. She
sat aghast, questioned me and when l
refused to disgorgc screamed down
vengeance from the authorities. ! was
morally certain l had taken no more
than my just share. and resolution sat
on my lips under all threats. For a
punishment the whole ownership OF
the big doll was made over to Anna.
I was no worse on and was very con
tented with my obstiuncy. Today
found the beautifully wrought bodice,
which | had carried beyond reach OF
even the supreme court OF appeal,
clothing with ridiculous looseness a
rag doll whose head tottercd on Its
stem like an overripe plum and whose
legs had no department at all, md am
sending II OF In charitable surrender
to Anna to be given. bag and rag, to
whichever one OF the children she likes
to select.
Also found-would you care to have
lock OF hair taken from the head of
child then = years old. which. bright
golden, does not match what have on
now In the leastf l can Just remember
her. but she is much OF stranger TO
both of us. Why ! value 1t is that the
name and date on the envelope inclos-
ing II are In my mothers handwriting.
and ! suppose she loved very much the
curly treasure she then put away.
Some OF the other things, quite funny.
l will show you the next time you
come over. How | wish that vanished
mite had mixed some OF her play hours
with yours-you only six miles away
all the time: had one but known-now
grown very old and loving. always
your own.