The Tupelo journal., 1909-07-09
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had a chance to do a good turn to my
friend, by the way, during the earth
quake and thus repay some Of his to
me.)
Archie is well and cheerful. Isn't
1t like the Winter temperament to
lose it's melancholy In such horrors as
we have seen? Archie is distinctly
happier since he came to California.
AS for Janet and Rupert-oh, well,
my dear, you and Johnny know! The
house has been full of people, and we
have had several friends Of u own
for a day or two. / got a recipe for q
| delicious tea cake from Mrs. Wiggles-
worth of Boston. She didn't save any
thing but her furs and her kimono
and a bridge set, besides what she
had on; she packed her trunk with
great care and nobody would take 1t
downstairs. OF course she saved her
bag of jewels, which reminds me that
poor Mr.. Keatcham left Janet some
~pearls-that is, the money for them.
He was very much attached to her.
We buried him OH the crest OF the
hill; later, when more settled times
| shall come, he may take another and
last journey to that huge mausoleum
where his wife and mother are buried.
Poor things! 1t is to be hoped they had
! no taste living or else that they can't
| see now how hideous and f1amboyant
is their last costly resting place. But
il Keatcham hadn't a taste for -
fine arts he had compromising quail
| his burial. 1t was a wonderful great
night of stars" as Stevenson says. A
poor little tired-out clergyman, In a
| bedraggled surplice, who had been
reading prayers owe people for the
let ten hours and was At to drop, hur-
ried through the service; and the
| town the dead man loved was flaming
miles beyond miles. About the grave
! was none of his blood, nom Of his an
| cient friends, but the men I believe
he would have chosen-men who had
fought him and then had fought for
him faithfully. They were kaggard
and spent with fighting the 1te; and
they went from his burial back tO days
and nights Of desperate effort. He
had fought and lost and yet did not
lose at the last, but won, s~nasching
victory out of defeat as he was wont
to do all his life. The heavy burdens
which have dropped from his shoul.
ders these others whom he chose will
carry, maybe more humbly, perhaps
not so capably, but quite as courage
ously. And it Is singular how his in
| fuence persists, how it touches Kito
and Haley, as well as the others.
"Shure." said honest Haley (whcse
wit you are likely to sample in the near
future, for he has elected to be the
Rupert Winters chauffeur; they don't
know 1t yet, but they will when it is
time); "shure," says he, "whin thot
man so mashed up there We cudn't
move him for fear ye'd lose the main
part of him, whin he was thinkin' OF
the town and nothin' else, I hadn't the
heart to be complainin' for the loss of
a few teeth and a few limps about me!
An I fair wu'ked like the divil. So
did Kito, who's a dacint Jap gintle-
man and no haythin at ALL"
Poor Keatcham, he had no child.
hood and his wife died too soon to
revive the fragrance Of his youth; but
l can't help but think he had a
r~eticent, awkward, shy sort of heart
somewhere about him. Well, he was
what Millicent would call "a compell-
ing personality" / use plain language
and I call him a great man. He won
the lions share because he was the
lion. And yet, poor Lion, his share
: was a lonely life and a tragic death.