The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1902-07-26
Two Letters
BY Mrs. M. Corbett-Seymour.

By Mrs. NJ. Corbett-Seymour.
Miss Ellis was looking round hel
with something of the bewildered ex
preston OF one who is but slowly
awakening from dream.
The scene was familiar enough
She had been gazing at it daily fol
more than fifteen years. Away, across
the waters of the Channel which
looked at times SO blue, at other
times SO gray and rough, lay Eng
land-her birthplace and the home OF
early. happy years. 1t was long since
she had been there. But now. just the
arrival of letter by the morning
post made such a VISIT possible.
Yes, she could afford to go back
But at that point the ominously loud
kissing of the tea kettle, which an.
nounced its intention of boiling over
II neglected, reminded Barbara Ellis
Of things present and a need of break.
fast
here was a humble little home. es.
pecially for one who had been reared
IN very different surroundings. But
familiarity had made her love It. The
villagers, too, were simple. hard.work.
lns folk. in whose joys and sorruws
she had learned to take a very sin.
cefe interest. Certainly some pain
would mingle with the pleasure Of re.
turn1ng to England, II she decided on
that, return.
j; bhe. arrived in that village on the
eoest as stranger. She was simply
seeking some inexpensive dwelling
wherein she could hide both herself
ana her sorrows from the comment Of
tne. outside world. That small.
.enatched cottage had suited both the
taste and the purse of Barbara Ellis
at.that epoch in her life.
J. Sufficient furniture Of simple kind
had been procurable in the neighbor-
Ing. town, and when all was ready she
brought with her a maiden aunt, in
whose company she would initiate that
process commonly called settling
down. The aunt was already old and
feeble. She soon died. and thus Bar
0ara was left quite alone.
Well, the years go by for all Of us.
She had been three and twenty when
she came to France; she was six and
thirty at the time she received the
wonderful news which set her free to
i've wherever she might choose, and
without any very close study of econ
omy.'
Over her cup of tea and two slices
OF dry toast, Miss Ellis sat thinking
OF all she had suffered; also of all she
had feared she might suffer as she
grew old.
!: That shadowy dread need disturb
ner no longer. She knew now that
fhare would be money to pay for prop
er;eare if she was so unfortunate as
90 live on till she grew :-elpless.
In an distracted fashion she accom-
pnshed the duties of clearing her
table. making her bed, busting, and the
Ike. A woman came in later in the
0ay to do the rougher work, but an
income of forty pounds year did not
-. AAAs' A&uIDdIo W heSp d SERVANT.
She felt on this strange morning
OF her life as though she was the hero
''ne sof some fanciful story which nau
actually come true.
She went down on hearing the click
q the letter box, a poor woman. In
nve minutes she felt rich, for four
nun0red pounds per annum was hers.
AZ unusual restlessness took DOS
session Of her when her little house |
nolo duties were actually accom-.
plisned. She put on a shady hat and |
VEN dut. Not. however, into the vii.
sas@ sor to any Of the shops. Miss
'ns lelt in no mood for greetings,
~ y, Iof hearing items of local gossip.
Hef own thoughts. her memories, her
/. ,..nucapations, would DE sufficient for
Aer g She chose . pathway leading