The Washington herald., 1909-08-27

Summer on a ranch" sounded singu-
larly attractive TO the Fastener who de-
bated the topic OF vacation. says the New
York Post Invitation to visit for
month on a fruit farm fifteen miles from
anywhere, with a return trip by way Of
the Canadian Rockies. was irresistible.
Now she writes:
Dear Marion: Please 'scuse lead PEN
Gil. one OF my pens won't work and the
other IS a bit cranky. Stylographic ink
doesn't grow in the general store, so
I've had TO use the family supply. with
dire results. as you see. Was mighty
glad to get your last letter and the Null
berry Bend card that came sandwiched
IN between one from Berlin and one from
Rome. They seemed so far away from
oil I'm enjoying these days. Then, too.
they have secured for me a great reputa-
ton at the post-office.
80 far-and Mr.. Harklns interrupted
by coming in for a chat Hay hauling is
on and Mr. II. and Portuguese Joe make
two trips a day. Breakfast at 4:S0 a. m
not mine, my dear; that comes four
hours later. Only two trips are made
every day. as II Is fourteen miles each
trip. They were back from the first at
10. rested TIL half-past y, then were on
for the second. That will be the pro-
gTamme each day this week. In the
meantime. Grace and are marooned on
the ranch, as IL were. After last weeks
gayety we're not sorry. arrived on
Wednesday, as my postal said. on
Thursday we had company for cards
Friday drove sixteen miles to a card
PARTY: Saturday 1 took a twelve-mile
drive TO a concert and we wound up our
dissipation on Monday by going fourteen
miles 20 the Gunters' for 800 Then they
talk OF the social whirl OF a great city
I wish ] could give you some adequate
idea Of this ranch. I'm alone in the din
ing-room now. save for Bridge. the NAL
tese cat There's a fine breeze blowing
out the curtains and tempting your gaze
20 the circle OF mountains that shut in
the place The yard IS gay with flowers,
a most remarkable collection of dahlias,
with Mr.. Luther Burbank writ large all
over them, a hybrid or dahlia and chrys-
anthemum. some tall palms. couple OF
orange trees. shade hollyhocks. roses,
and verbenas A late wistaria is hang
ing violet clusters from the arbor at the
side gate rivalcd by a trumpet vine
which IS towering to take the place Of
Its earlier rival the yellow banksia rose.
On either side Of the gate stands spruce
and a pine with English ivy dropping
festoOns from their branches. The out
lines OF the house are mercifully hidden
by jasmine. honeysuckle. roses and elem
ats. I say 'mercifully.' because its lines
Ere the most unnecessarily ugly things
you can imagine.
Maxine, the Jersey Cow.
Beyond IS the corral. but ten great.
tent-Iike English walnuts hide it, Beth,
the bay mare. is there alone. having cut
herself with barbed wire. When the men
come back the Jersey COW. Maxine. viii
wander down from the pasture 20 keep
her company. The pretty Jersey is Max
ine. because Of a certain way Of using
her eyes. She was brought into the front
yard the day l arrived. to be put on in
Epection. so the next morning she pushed
open the gate and came in herself 1
was reading on the piazza, and, suddenly
becoming conscious OF contented breath
Ing near at hand, found Maxine in the
carnation bed luxuriating in Helen's pet
pink and white carnations. Twas Dick,
the collie and I TO the rescue. Maxine
IS a valuable part Of the farm. Only
think Of the delight Of getting indigestion
from too much thick. yellow cream
cream that won't pour, but insists on be-
Ing spooned.
las I've hinted, we're right giddy folk
here, even II we do have 70 go far afeld
for gayety. / must tell you OF the 800
party that we drove sixteen miles to par
tIcipate in. I came mighty near the prize
So glad I didn't get IL. for my trunk is
overweight now. Such nice people as
they were who gave the party, the Spice
ers, erstwhile from Philadelphia. Mrs.
Spicer is a sister-in-law of a really-truly
English nobleman. They got squeezed in
a copper corner, SO here they are.
"Pan and His Asthma.
There's no hired man Mrs. S. milks.
cause Mr.. S. always gets a convenient
attack OF asthma at milking time Hilda
the oldest daughter. rides four miles on
horseback over a mountain trail to teach
the neighborhood children. Sheila. the
second daughter, is in hospital training
school, and pa walks about In knee
breeches and puttees, looking as II his
valet has just turned him out; but pa has
the asthma The womenfolk have all a
lively sense OF the humor Of the situa-
tion. Alas. pa is English and takes the
London Weekly Tines so he hasn't
Next day We varied the programme by
bridge. I played my Eastern best, and
came home with a fine lavender stick as
reward. We've had plenty Of whist at
the ranch as well for last week Ike
Hickey was up from San Miguel. Ike is
about seventy-five, an old bachelor who
has made his pile and is now enjoying It.
He goes East each year for a while TO
look after his property and see his folks.
but always drifts back. He dotes on per
fume of a most tangible, reeky sort.
When his 'kerchief comes forth with a
flourish, ye gods, but the air cries aloud
He plays the old-fashioned game of
whist, where a lead from a sneak is an
RhominatiOn to the Lord, and where an
ace lead means I have four trumps. but
not strong enough to lead Ike stayed
four days and went back 20 the city Fri
day.
Saturday at In the afternoon Helen
and left the ranch 10 go down TO Mrs.
Aliens for the night, IN order TO make an
early start FOR our driving trip on Sun
day. At Of that day we were Of Cross
County cannot be reached oy railroad.
The drive was delightful Most OF the
way the road chung to the edge OF the
cliffs Ike a limpet-not that know how
q limpet clings, or what a iimpet is-but
mean that the road is Ike narrow
shelf cut into the side OF the mountain.
We wound up and up tili far below us in
the canyon were the tops OF the tall trees.
Rclling down would have been easy but
unpleasant ] must 'fess that two or
three times twas pride, not courage, that
kept the smile on my face. Meeting a
Eix-horse freighter on a ten-foOt turnout,
when courtesy demands that you give
the freighter the road and take the turn