Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-04

mir of Miss Ide's foreign career
one the occasion of her subsequent return
to ST. Johnsbury she sent Mr. Stevenson the
following Interesting letter:
Dear Mr.. Stevenson:
You may be interested to know that the
VIII whereby you left your birthday to me,
and for which l cordially thank you was
published in several of the most widely
circulated papers in the United Sta ties. and
that received letters from people In differ
emit parts of the country containing birth
day greetings on November Ii.
| had my real birthday celebration and
dinner with sporting of fine raiment, eat
ing of rich meats and receipt of gifts. COM
pliments and copies of verse according to
the manner of our anceS tors as the will
most satisfactorily provides. The condi-
tons of the legacy have all been complied
with. My old name was as unsatisfactory
as my birthday and l am now Annie
Louisa. SO that my new birthday cannot
revert to the President of the United States
ii treat it kindly. as 1 expect to do. l am
wondering however. what you Will 90
without birthday. AS the years roll by
you grow no older. and perhaps thus
will become immortal in body as well as In
renown. When | have celebrated seventy
or eighty November thirteenths l shall be
able to know of you then as compare
lively young man, still drinking at the
fountain OF perpetual youth and delight1ng
the world with the products of mind I'M
dimmed by age. How wonderful dls-
covery that will be? But if l have two
birthdays every year 1 shall grow old at
terrible rate. The years will rush past me
like an express train and I shall soon be
old enough to be your grandmother, or
perhaps l shall have double develop
ment. like DR.. Jekyi one for each birthday,
so that in one phase l shall be twice as old
as in the other. The possibilities are as
tonlshing. You will see from photograph.
which l send. that 1 am already much
older than my sister. How much Older l
shall be in a few years l send also pen
and ink sketch which 1 have made of the
oh Whit <t> and vxrhf ol, cfn ndS
beside my home. 1t may remind you that
your faithful old birthday is still comfort
ably housed at least on Sundays.
Papa wishes to be kindly remembered to
yourself and family. whose acquaintance
he enjoyed exceedingly. Thanking you
once more for gift which 1 greatly prize.
| am, Sincerely yours,
ANNIE LOUISA IDE.
This clever acknowledgement of the gift
elected this bright reply from Mr.. Steven
son:
VAILIMA, Samoa November. 1891.
My Dear Louisa:
Your picture of the church. the photo
graph of yourself and sister, and your very
witty and pleasing letter came all in a
bundle. and made me feel | had my
moneys worth for that birthday. 1 am
now, l must be. one of your nearest rela-
tives; exactly what we are to each other
l do not know. l doubt If the case has
know and I don't believe he does; but l
think l ought to call you in the meanwhile.
and until we get counsel learned in the
law. my me-daughter.
Well, l was extremely pleased to see by
the church that my granddaughter could
draw: by the letter that she. was no fool.
and by the photograph that she was a
pretty girl-which hurts nothing. See how
virtues rewarded! My first idea of
adopting you was entirely charitable: and
here l find 1 am quite proud of it. and of
you, and that 1 chose just the kind of a
ma me- daughter that 1 wanted. For l can
n fnn rat haI | i
could before l forgot how; and l am very
far from being fool myself. however much
/ may look it; and l am as beautiful as
the day. or at least. l once hoped that per-
haps 1 might be going to be. And so l
might. So that you see we are well met
and peers on these important points.
am very glad that you are older than
your sister. So should have been if l had