Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-03-09
NUMBER 10.

camp when he came back. and we sat
on felled oak and waited. with
smell OF clover coming to US on the
warm breeze and the "tinkle-tankle"
of cowbells in the distance.
What an extraordinary man. said
to Mr.. Brett.
"You nieaI because he's farmer"
said he. his eyes laughing.
We'll. I suppose do. But. then, OF
course he's q gentleman farmer. not
an ordinary one ut all"
Hes Il gentleman In the way that
all the good people in the country
roanh are g.ut.efolk--because they're
SELF respecting and kind hearted and
intelligent But he comes Of genera
ions Or workers Thet make no pre-
tensions 10 blue blood. though perhaps
they IAay have some in their veins,
and don't think themselves superior
socially to their own farm hands. like
hat one over there. Nor do they con.
slider them elves inferior to anybody.
Not that they would think Of assert
ing their claims to equality with your
friend Mrs. Stuyvesant-Kno for in
stance. They simply take it for grant
ell that they are the equals Of any 9TH
er American or. for the matter Of
hat, persons Of any foreign nations.
What would your mother the duch.
ess think Of them-now, honor bright
Don't dream you'll hurt my feelings
because they're my cousins and we
may come of the same stock"
thought for minute, and then
said:
Mother would begin to patroniZe
them graciously at first, as If they
could be classified with our farmers
| mean. the peasant ones. not the
younger son or poor gentleman kind.
When she found she couldn't, she
would be inclined to resent 1t. Then
at last, when dim, puzzled inkling
Of the truth came into her head, and
she found out that they knew as much
as she about books and politics and all
sorts Of things--oh, | can hardly fancy
exactly what she would feel, but I'd
trust Mr. and Mrs. Trowbridge or any
one like them not to appear at q dis
advantage with her, whatever she did
with them. They wouldn't have self
consciousness enough to be overawed
by her, though she can be so dreadful
ly alarming Why, Mr.. Brett, In a
way believe they're like us-more
Il nd fn
back, than good many enormously
rich people | met at Newport. who
think no end of themselves and live
in palaces and know royalties abroad.
Just as | said once to Sally-Miss
WOodburn-we take ourselves for
granted, and then don't make any
more fuss or bother about our man
ners or whether we're going to do the
right thing or not But few Of the
people even in your Four Hundred
don't seem quite easy in their minds
about themselves. I've never seen
anything in big houses at home where
I've been with mother OF Vic to come
near the luxury of theirs, yet several
i
thoroughly comfortable, as II they
really liked It, They don't loll about
as we do; they only pretend to loll, be.
cause it's In their part In the play
they're acting-oh. such a smart, So
ciety kind Of play, with lots OF changes
OF dress and scene in every act.
"They build castles because It's the
smartest thing they can do and be.
cause grand people always did 1t a
long time ago. or course In old times
you had 10 live in them and couldn't
have nice seaside cottages with bal.
comics. because If you did your ene-
mics shot of your head or poured boil
ing oil on you. but nowadays they
merely say horrd things behind your
back. and It's just play acting to build
new ones People talk about man
being worth so many millions. as II
II didn't matter what else he's worth,
and they seem TO be worrying lot
about themselves Now. | cant I'm
agine your cousins doing that. They
Just take themselves for granted. as
We do in England. Their behavior !s
like the air they breathe and as much
part of themselves as that air Is
when it's in their lungs. There's
kind Of invisible bond between our
kind Of people at home and people Ike
this. I think. If you come to study 1t.
Partly it's from having all ones nat.
ural interests in the country, maybe,
and not just going into the country
from town to play. They are real
There's nothing artificial about them
"Youve got hold Of things even soon
er than thought you would, Lady
Betty" said Mr. Brett when ] stopped.
horriiicd at myself for my long ha-
rangue In which I'd been thinking oat
things us went on. "But all the
same. though these new types and this
pleasant Ohio farm interest you now.
you know you'd rather die than be
doomed to live among such people and
in such place"
perhaps | should be bored after
awhile. but ! don't feel now ms II
should, know | could be happy II
had people with me whom loved
But could you love anyone who
swell. I've got rid Of that fellow.
said Mr. TrowbriGge cheerfully. Now
we'll have Il look around the camp, AMI
III show YOU how we tap the maple
trees for the sap, then afterward weH
90 into the sugar house where we boil
It down and make the maple sirup.
We'd been talking so earnestly that
we hadn't heard him come up, and
felt quite daZed for minute.
He explained everything to us. or
rather to me, for Mr.. Brett knew all
about 1t beforehand. Then we had
long walk over the hills, which are BILL
lowy and wooded like Surrey, and
when we came back Mr.. Trowbridge
took me to the beehives to get some
honey and show me what a queen bee
Is like. He gave me hat with mos
quito net veil and put on one himself.
| Then he opened hive, and when l
wasn't bit nervous, because trusted
him, he said. 81 tell you what II Is,
Lady Betty. you're trump.
shouldn't be surprised II there isn't
something I'm blood after all
was pleased. for ] don't think that
he or any OF the others ut the valley
| farm are the kind to say nice things 10
YOU unless they really mean them.
Tro pr coSrINr-EDl