New-York tribune., 1907-10-15
sUMMER-END FOR COUNTRY FOLK.
What 1t Means to Some Women to Settle
Down Again.

There's tragic side to the passing AWAY of s,no
fner' SIDE Known 70 US who stay behind in the
country far more than it's known to you who go
back TO the city," said the landady, wistfuly She
ana the boarder, weeks ago become the best of
friends were walking homeward through the red
dehlng WOODS The boarder had persuaded the land
lady out OF doors, for the andladys step had been
tagging and her eyes looked heavy Idded to-day.
Summer brings a wonderful Frightening up to
most OF US country folk" she continued. "Al the
spring we look forward to it. We furbsh up our
houses ana our poor old clothes; put away the
stupid work until cold weather. And the two or
three months of summer, even though they mean
working hard seem like a vacation because they
bring us freedom from routine. 1t really is vaca-
ton. too. Do you know what this kind of q change
means?" she inquired
Not very we'll Tell me, please, If you care to-"
Talking out her depression might help this gentle
woman landlady.
1T means that for a little while-unt mid
autumn replied the other, STOPPING, Surveyed. to
gather some fragrant herb-'we cease to think
thlnk on the Old hedging-in subjects. and instead
concern ourselves with living. We old places
through your enthusiastic eyes We go with you
on your merry -maklngs, in thought il not in fact
knows 1t better than l. But deaden down in
our enthusiasms The commonplace of routine
gets the upper hand. Existence grows humdrum
a1ter you and the summer go, and the dark shuts
in early-see. just it begins to now"
The listener sought in vain for some mitigating
words OF opposition This woman had, alone, the
oversight of an eight-acre farm; she must needs
help with the autumn harvesting of fruit and veEe
tables, and with preparing for the long indoor
of cold weather when imagination could readily
picture the loneliness in that household of one
You can understand, l am sure the woman
began again: the meowness Of warm, misty twi-
light was unloosening the flood Of speech. But you
can never know the quiet until you have expert
enced 1.-THE long nights without sound outside
inside the house. nothing but the ticking of the
clock: the eager way watches for newspapers
and letters to break the days monotony, even for
the smoke coming from any near-enough chimney.
Just because II seems alive. The resteSsness OF
the age is upon us in the country but haven't
the ways of appeasing it as you have in the city"
There turn in the path. The listen
er's eyes wandered from the sensitive face of her
companion to the soft-toned marshes and the dis
tant blue thread of river. True she answered
slowly. In the city if We are lonely, we at least
have the human companlonship of the pulsing life
outside We escape from ourselves" she
added. candidly The settling down stiffness OF
the country had of late been endurable only be
cause of the hope soon to leave IT
Yet. after all, the first part Of the summer-end
the worst Of it. for us country folk" said the
other, cheerfully now; agreement had been
better sympathy than opposition would have been.
After YOU the last OF my three summer boarders,
GO there will be week or two when nothing will
satisfy but the hardest drudCCry. I shall go
all over again with missing my hushand-I have
been alone these fifteen years-him, and
everybody ! cared for l shall know ii Is
morbid. but that will not help. People ought not
live alone I wish I could ger over the habit.
The birds go in hoCks. Ants live in close Commu-
nifty hills. Even the herds OF the fields gregar
Gus: they feed il the same part of the pasture,
they down the pasture bars together at night
Everywhere, the world over. people come together
for worship. for recreation. And why some Of
US any Of us are content live alone. when living
is the most vital thing we do, I cannot imagine,
she Will adopt that little boy said the boarder.
quickly, TO herself
Il shall miss you tiIl you come again. was the
half shy admission at the mechanical moment Of
farewell Maybe. II the loneliness gets my
nerves, I will adopt the little boy whose mother
told you about"