New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-20

Y someone's very young. fairy sort Of grand
mother And perhaps that was why we
did not associate the spinstcr dlOoincSS OF Miss d.
Ann with our dear Miss Agatha Mary.
For She was unmarried, We learned when We came
to know her better. Yet that uniorgctabc face must
have been very lovely once, with tranquil pcdul! Is
soothing as her sweet. unhurnci voice. 1t was pae
with the clear paor Of advancing years, faint ghosts
Of roses i'm the checks and in the curving lips that met
each other firmly. network OF tiny wrinkles ABOUT
the brown eyes seemed only 10 enrich their charm And
such ewes as they were So bravcly, glonousy young
with everlasting youth, yet al unqucnched shadow
lay in their bright depths, like the reflection IN some
woodland pool Of a far off, towering bird
with those eyes, said Meg. she might be any
thing-exccpt a commonplace little old maid with
fancy for roses.
Meg is fond Of specializing about people; She can
make romance out OF the most unlikely material
Which is all very well tell her. but she were IN my
place and had it to DO for a living she'd be more than
glad 10 take things for granted out OF working hours
Nevertheless, there was certainly something mySten-
Gus about Miss Agatha Mary; she was 50 utterly differ
cn from the rest Of the world that sometimes she dd
not seem quite real In the East in New England per
haps there are others like her. at least so one would
suppose from the frequency OF charming maiden ladies
in the New England story. But here IN our busting
West she was an anomaly, from her plain little brown
gowns with their gathered skirts to the spicy roses OF
her garden.
Roses DO not grow well in Colorado; either they
droop and die Of homcsckncs or they lose the dccacy
Of their bloom young girl check IS roughencd and
tanned by our western wind and But Miss Agatha
Mary's garden brimmed with roses from the middle OF
MAY till the coolest days OF fall and spilled Its sweetness
and color the palings III all directions through sun
washed sapphire June. And even in winter her beloved
"monthles lowered and lowered again in their glaSScd-
in corner OF the sitting oom until the whole house was
haunted with their fragrance. Mos, roses tea roses,
and cinnamon, roses red and white and PINK Oh, Meg
and were mad about that garden.
XIE chose the tiny dark north room for our own be-
w cause the windows opened on it; we brought
f,.lt the. Il q 1It1t
through the summer twilight, drinking in Its lovcncsS;
and we spent as much OF time dcccntly could
visiting with the garden gentle mistress There were
other things that grew there too mgnonclte and sweet
alyssum hciOtropc / had not seen any since my dear
grandmother used to tend her winlowboX so carefully
-pcnnyroyal and tdnsy and a scrubby, bluc-grccn
little bush, anything but notable for It's beauty w hat
is that thing? asked Miss Hannah one morning, and
she looked al me quccrly for moment before she an
SWcred Land dOn't YOU know. Child; That's rue.
Miss Hannah had been doing light housekeeping
IN Miss Agatha Mary front rooms for the last twenty
five years Some sort Of cousin She was to Miss Agatha
Mary; distant knshp. yet enough to claim hospl-
taliiy when her asthma drove her West. She stout
and energetic; she rocked from side 10 side when She
walked, her black hair WAS always strained tightly
back from her face; and though there WAS no thread
OF gray init she contuvc 10 look more than her ten
years older than her cousin Lattcrly it WAS Miss
Hannah who did the heavier work for them both;
though she still maintained that she only had rooms
in the house. But Agatha Alary's natural born
member, and she hasn't the strength Of a cat, said Miss
Hannah, so She does the sewing and do the house
work and were both satisfied.
Afternoons when my typewriter behaved badly ana
Meg was not yet home was apt to plC, up some bit
OF sewing and run the lawn through the side gate
to Miss Agatha Mary cool plaza She was always
busy herself with the sOftcst Of lawns and aCcs and
fairy cmbroidccs, and could ST on the steps AT her
feet and chatter 10 my hearts content. Meg and |
talked nearly everything over with her, and She made
the most sympathetic Of contdants But We wondered,