Hutchinson gazette., 1902-02-06

Il
two years ago, ! little expected to be
living on Beacon Street at the end OF
my course, My sojourn in New Eng
land began very modestly, My room
had been arranged for before left
home, and | had consented to share
II with some unknown young woman,
In order to lessen expenses, For weeks
that individual occupied my mind to
tho almost entire exclusion of every
thing else. conceived Of her as an ex-
ample of every type common to tho
human race, and then as a composite
parsonage typical Of nothing. or
course, she would be q Northernor ana
felt In my Southern soul that my
proylnclalsms would get the discipline
they needed,
"Miss Latham, this Ia your new
roommate Miss Courtcnay OF Balti-
more"
am afraid | was n little nervous
as | shook Miss Latham's hand, but
there was not tho slightest trace OF
sef-consclousnes on her part we
were soon talking easily and naturally,
and fifteen minutes Of pleasant COM
monplaces dIgslpaled my nervousness
Then she said;
II shall have to ask you to excuse
me now, Miss Courtenay | am doing
newspaper work, and must finish an
article this afternoon,
She went to her desk and began to
write. She did not look formidable,
and was so utterly oblIylous of my
presence that knew she could not
be critlcislng me. Indeed, In less than
fortnight, found that, rs far as
Miss Latham was concerned, ! might
as we'll have been without provincial
lsms.
Miss Latham and / talked much of
our work. She almost never men
toned her personal affairs, and though
| felt really did not know her, | be-
gan to admire her thoroughly. Her
quiet, steady way Of doing things, her
self-possesson, ard even her reserve
attracted me.
soon noticed that she was working
too hard. AS her physical strength
lessened, I saw there was underneath
her quiet calmness something pa
thetlc.
On Christmas eve | came home in a
particularly bright mood, | ran light
ly up the steps-feeing sufficiently
buoyant to do away with the elevator
and opened our door, waving two let
ters trlumphantly,
"Two lovely Christmas letters, Miss
Latham! The dearest sort Of letter
from home; and just the jolliest,
chummlest one from Brother Don"
Miss Latham sat In the armchair by
the window, also with an open letter
her mother's-in her hand, She was
very STILL and ! walked over to where
she sat. AS | reached her. I saw n tear
fall on the letter. It was too much
for my impusivo Southern tempera-
ment Forgetting the reserve | knew
so well, said unhesltatingly:
what is II, Jean?"
But didn't wait for any answer, |
settled down on the arm of the chair,
and drew her head close to my shoul-
der. We sat there in perfect silence
for awhile. Presently, she began to
talk and / soon understood the pathos
under Jeans dignity,
ut happened twelve years ago, Hell
en-, when was only eleven, Dick was
ten years older than /. We lived on a
farm in Vermont, which had been in
our family for generations. Fathers
strongest wish was to have Dick stay
on tho farm. But Dick didn't like
farming, and went away to learn a pro-
fession. Father was very angry He
forbade Dick to write to us, and moth
ers heart nearly broke. Two years
ago father died. We had then lost all
trace of Dick, and mother went to live
with Sister Louise. / came to Boston
to earn my living and look for Dick.
II could only find him, Helen, and
give him back to mother, don't be-
lleve there would be anything left to
wish for. Before father died, some
one from our village saw Dick in Bos-