Year: 1875

WHITE MOUNTAINS, Aug Is.

 Dear Gustava: It is long since I have written to you. know it; and now you will be amazed to see the date of this let ter, and will immediately say to yourself: ''Whyl has Beckie gone whirling oH to the White mountains? How couId she afford it? I thought she used up all the cash she could space for year or two, when she went to Europe, last fall. !" And so did. Nevertheless am in the White mountains, and have not begged the money to get here. Put your finger on your lips, my dear, and read the neat sen- tence. am a princess in disguises am incog. am known here as Betty White, and no man dreams that am of good parentage, that understand the biBo- mial theorem and can speak French. It is great fan-and hard work: but 2 must tell you all about 1t. You know | am Q bit of . housekeeper, and rather like set.

 ing the table for tea because admire the pretty china, and usually do not for get anything more serious than putting on the plates or tle cups and saucers. have really played dining-room girl very we'll, when, because of our limited means, we had no servant. 3aa,

 The last of July came. this summer. as he always does, and began to mediate. Sitting in my pretty muslin gown. look ed dolefully over my stock of handker- chiefs, bought a dozen new ones (gentle- mems size), and said to my friends, Au- gust Is nigh. and after that comegh Sep. tember. Now, from the middle of August until the first of October become q spe- cies of land grampus. Snufting. snorting, snufiing-in q cloud of handkerchiefs, camphor and quinine pass through those two months of my existence. am permeated with camphor until I know should be a good preventive of moths, and my daily life is embittered with qainine. Who did invent the hay fever? 1 am red-eyed, blue nOsed victim of that fell disease every year. But as I was saying, l sat Tn my pretty gown and meditated. To elude this annual demon was ready to do anything that wonld not corrupt my moral nature nor imperil my future salvation. But what? What could do when as ever the question of filthy iucre stood like lion in my path? My empty purse looked as though elephants had walked on 1t for years. Father daily groaned over his large taxes and small in- come; there was no use in resOrting to him. BrOthers-are humbug; as soon

 

 ing (excuse the slanginess of that phrase) they get married and are no good to auy- body but their wives. Brothers would be my mamma screeched to me from the hall to know if I would set the table. Of course I would: then somehow the turn thus given to my meditation seemed to lay bare plan. It took me twenty min. utes to set the table, and just the same length of time to get my plan arranged in all the details. l regret to say that on this occasion not only omitted to put on the plates. but had the other dishes more than half on before noticed that had not put on the table-cloth at al. That cnmss of haviag piau h your m1nd when you should have the tea.table there. By the time the family were ready for supper had come to point in my plot where rushed to the drawer in the kitch- en dresser, counted over the baking aprons there. and then ran upstairs and was abstractedly passing my ginghams and calico dresses in review before I thought that I wanted supper, too. That night, sent of neat series of letters to the proprietors of all the hotels in the mountains where Doctor Anderson says that vile hay fever does not rage.

 The next day I spent in inventing new and startling styles of aprons. which should combine gentility and usefulness. was dark and mysterious in all did and said for the next week, and my friends had no satisfaction in me. Then letters negan to come to me in all sorts of mas culine handwritiugs; still made no con- fderces, and my relatives ragged in valn. Such letters, my dear! some asked what my terms were. some asked if I were clean, and quick, and good tempered, ,and could l do the pastry. too. I assure you used to go out and pound on the cellar door to let of the surplus fun that these questions raised. One of these rather took my fancy because he. without any questions, offered me four dollars week and made no stipulations and asked no questions. l answered him, accepting the offer. My mothers hair absolutely stood ca end as l revealed to her that I was going to put in practice some of the valuable lessons in prudence and econo- my she had been trying to teach me, and save myself the wear and tear of my fall cold by going to the White mountains in disguise. Of course I had quite a fight with her and my two sisters before could convince them that it was not such a wild idea as it seemed, that was 2 years old and had seen enough of the world to take care of myself. As it was. may be said to have come away leaving my relatiyes in various stages of wreck behind me. But 1t was the only way. When you have made up your mind in your sober senses to a certain course, and your dear friends will get Tn the way with useless instructions, you have to knock them down, firmly and gently, and then they know you are in earnest

 So l came of up here with my trunk fun of calico dresses and aprons-my travelling dress being the only nice suit I had. As l was thus in my usnal dress, quite forgot, on my way thither, that I was Tn disguise, and when a great, fat young woman with red eyes, and band. box, and greasy-loooking bundle, came buiging into the other half of my seat in the car on the way to Boston. I shrunk little from her. And when she would talk to me, did not feel much interested until she said she had just lost her first place. which that 1t was what sine Was cry- ing for, and then in the next breath asked me If my mother did not want a good. tidy girl, suddenly remembered. that here was a fellow-laborer, and I fell to wondering if should cry if lost my place. so that forgot to answer her, and l have no doubt but that she to this day thinks me 8 very naughty princess, and not at all disguised.

 Nothing interesting befell me except in the last part of my journey; as Istood among little crowd awaiting the advent of our stage in which to do the last few miles to the hotel. 2 noticed such sseu young man, He looked and acted like q perfect gentleman. but his Sorrento silk stockings, brown striped, with neck.tie and handkerchief border to match, amus- ed me greatly. His broad shoulders. brown. clear eyes and square chin, how ever, were handsome and spirited; 90 I concluded he vas not dandy, but mere ly liked dandy appointments. He noticed me Tn second, and somehow contrived Co help me in when the stage came up, and then sat down by me. We go to talking in an easy, natural way. and when I thought how he would feel at finding he had been and chatty with a servant I be. came brim-fun of mischief; he had read and thought and travelled, and we had