The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-08-06
LAST
4 OF 20. HENRY
N,-. Porter Irli- How Her Husband
Wa Accustomed to Nurh-flio
inhibition.

lit IbitO liz t'tA't
William sydney Porter, Of AsheNlllc, 10
the managing editor of the North Car
Dina Review came last month III ie.
SpOnsc - a request Tor an dItclt "
"reminiscences. Since the death ol W
porter in 1910, Mrs. Porter has been
repeatedly asked 10 write afliSieo
about her husbands lite ana Wolh'
but until now she has ~rcfralned from
writing. That she has yielded in TINS
inst,nru is due to q conviction that
Mr.. Porter's native State has a right
10 something personal that IS true
about him.
All who haze read the best short
stories OF tho twentieth century know
the name "a. Henry and remember
il with affectionate gratitude. Such
readers, and many others who nave
vet to make the rich discovery OF
Mr.. Porter's books, VIII be glad 10
know something about the author.
1-he letter is printed in full.-Edl-
tor.
Ny dear Mr.. Summev: You have
asked me to give the Review some
"reminiscences Of Mr.. POrter's meth
DDS Of work: and, c~uriously enough.
there comes to my mind picture al
ter picture of Mr.. Porter IN some IDLE
days that We spent together IN the
fan Of 1907 at 4 little inn tucked away
between the hills not far from the
Tennessee border. did not know
then that Mr.. Porter never gave him
self the luxury Of idle. care-free days.
and so | could not appreciate the an
suer he gave a sweet old lady we
mel there. She and | came down the
corridor to ind him in the billiard
room alone, knocking the balls about
idly. and she said TO him, 1t must
BE- dun for you here | used some
Ty 1Iat NJ DNptnr ~
himself out because he kept himself
at tension, always giving back the
fash OF wit expected of him. Per
haps for that reason | remember his
quiet. simple answer. He said, These
are the happiest days I've had in
many years" And for several weeks,
each time the days numbered off seven
he would say, do you find it too
quiet? Would you like to stay an
other week."
tn our walks we found, high on
the mountain side, a little home that
Interested him greatly. Its woman
owner lived alone with two cats. We
never saw the cats. but he spent five
dollars for photographs Of them in
different poses. He finally came to
believe the cats a myth, and often he
Woye stories about the woman and
them. She had done some reminis-
CfhttS " III 1lNlI dI III uii1hc q
good many Southern war memories,
hers had found a publisher. How
she talks about her work." ! said to
hin one day. Why don you tell her
h YOU are, and what you have
done" Such a funny, whimsical lit
tie smile ran owe his face as he an
swered, II did hin Of it, but I was
afraid she would say she had never
heard Of me-
Uy,lL;r~ ,Joro go l,u ~ fo,,~l -
mountain cabin, one Of our most dis
reputable cabins, the kind where the
COW IS staked to the chimney and the
hens lay their eggs in the middle OF
the beds. One Of the sons of The
cabin won Mr.. Porter's heart with hi:
glowing accounts Of fox-hunts. Mr.
Porter asked me if l would go with
him to their home. We climbed tn
hill 10 drop down upon the COW. sew
erai hound dogs and the cabin. Across
the wOman's wan, snuff-stained. list
less face there flashed a look Of vel
come when she saw him. She pushed
forward q girl Of fourteen. This
the girl you bought the coat for,
she said. She then told me that tn
girl could not go to school without
wrap and that she had no money t.
buy one. She had told Mr.. Porte
that the ~missioners, as she Gale,
them, sent clothes down from tn
North. and he had furnished tn
money that bought the coat. He ha,
given her a dollar to buy heart tonic
too. She said she had needed it 70
months and months but she had nc
had the dollar to buy it with. B
that time Mr.. Porter looked so EN-
harrassed that to save him furthe
confusion and the woman further con
fession I took the conversation i
han
As we rose to take leave, he helpe
me into my coat and 1 caught the eS
preston on her face. l doubt if sh
had ever seen a man extend a Xix
courtesy to "a woman. II know vel
good to her." she said to him. and
felt that the pathos of her life W.
in what she left unsaid.
Some days later when we were con
fortabiy seated in a Pullman steamir
New-York-wards, Mr.. Porter aske
me if l had noticed the little grou
OF men on the platform Of the st;
I'D :-A < 80