adventures and letters-第52节

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；　the　dog　and　Cecil　in　the　cart　and　I　got　on　the　horse　and　we　let　out　for　Kronstad　at　a　gallop。　　We　raced　the　thirty　miles　in　five　hours　without　one　halt。　　That　was　not　our　cruelty　to　animals　but　Christian's　who　whenever　I　ordered　him　to　halt　and　let　us　rest；　yelled　that　the　Englesses　were　after　us　and　galloped　on。　　The　retreat　was　a　terribly　pathetic　spectacle；　for　hours　we　passed　through　group　after　group　of　the　broken　and　dispirited　Boers。　　At　Kronstad　President　Steyn　whom　I　went　to　see　on　arriving　ordered　a　special　car　for　me；　and　sent　us　off　at　once。　　We　reached　here　the　next　morning；　Christian　arriving　a　day　later　having　killed　one　mule　and　one　pony　in　his　eagerness　to　escape。　　We　are　going　back　again　as　soon　as　Roberts　reaches　the　Vaal。　　There　there　must　be　a　stand。　　Love　and　best　wishes　to　you　all

DICK。


June　8th；　1900。　On　board　the　Kausler。　DEAR　MOTHER：

We　engaged　our　passage　on　this　ship　some　weeks　ago　not　thinking　we　would　have　the　English　near　Pretoria　until　　August。　　But　as　it　happened　they　came　so　near　that　we　did　not　know　whether　or　not　to　wait　over　and　see　them　enter　the　capital。　　I　decided　not；　first；　because　after　that　one　event；　there　would　be　nothing　for　us　to　see　or　do。　　We　could　not　leave　until　the　2nd　of　July　and　a　month　under　British　martial　law　was　very　distasteful　to　me。　　Besides　I　did　not　care　much　to　see　them　enter；　or　to　be　forced　to　witness　their　rejoicing。　　As　soon　as　we　got　under　way　and　about　half　the　distance　to　the　coast；　it　is　a　two　days'　trip。　　We　heard　so　many　rumors　of　Roberts's　communication　having　been　cut　off　and　that　the　war　was　not　over；　that　we　thought　perhaps　we　ought　to　go　back　As　we　have　no　news　since　except　that　the　British　are　in　Pretoria　we　still　do　not　know　what　to　think。　　Personally　I　am　glad　I　came　away　as　I　can　do　just　as　much　for　the　Boers　at　home　now　as　there　where　the　British　censor　would　have　shut　me　off　from　cabling　and　mails　are　so　slow。　　With　the　local　knowledge　I　have；　I　hope　to　keep　at　it　until　it　is　over。　　But　when　I　consider　the　magnitude　of　the　misrepresentation　about　the　burghers　I　feel　appalled　at　the　idea　of　going　up　against　it。　　One　is　really　afraid　to　tell　all　the　truth　about　the　Boer　because　no　one　would　believe　you　It　is　almost　better　to　go　mildly　and　then　you　may　have　some　chance。　　But　personally　I　know　no　class　of　men　I　admire　as　much　or　who　to…day　preserve　the　best　and　oldest　ideas　of　charity；　fairness　and　good…will　to　men。

DICK。


June　29th；　1900。　DEAR　MOTHER：

We　are　now　just　off　Crete；　and　our　next　sight　of　the　blue　land　will　be　Europe。　　It　means　so　many　things；　being　alone　with　Cecil　again；　instead　of　on　a　raft　touching　elbows　with　so　　many　strangers；　and　it　means　a　shop　where　you　can　buy　collars；　and　where　they　put　starch　in　your　linen。　　Also　many　beautiful　ladies　one　does　not　know　and　men　in　evening　dress　one　does　not　know　and　green　tables　covered　with　gold　and　little　green　and　red　bits　of　ivory　where　one　passes　among　the　tables　and　wonders　what　they　would　think　if　they　knew　we　two　had　found　our　greatest　friends　in　the　Boer　farmers；　in　Dutch　Station　Masters　who　gave　us　a　corner　under　the　telegraph　table　in　which　to　sleep；　with　Nelson　who　kept　the　Transvaal　Steam　Laundry；　Col。　Lynch　of　the　steerage　who　comes　to　the　dividing　line　to　beg　French　books　from　Cecil；　and　that　we　had　cooked　our　food　on　sticks；　drunk　out　of　the　same　cups　with　Kaffir　servants　and　slept　on　the　ground　when　there　was　frost　on　it。　　It　will　be　so　strange　to　find　that　there　are　millions　of　people　who　do　not　know　Komali　poort；　who　have　thought　of　anything　else　except　burghers　and　roor…i…neks　It　seems　almost　disloyal　to　the　Boers　to　be　glad　to　see　newspapers　only　an　hour　old　instead　of　six　weeks　old；　and　to　welcome　all　the　tyranny　of　collar　buttons；　scarf　pins；　watch　chains；　walking　sticks　and　gloves　even。　　I　love　them　both　and　I　can　hardly　believe　it　is　true　that　we　are　to　go　to　a　real　hotel　with　a　lift　and　a　chasseur；　where　you　cannot　smoke　in　the　dining…room。　　As　for　Aix；　that　I　cannot　believe　will　ever　happen　It　was　just　a　part　of　one's　honeymoon　and　I　refuse　to　cheat　myself　into　thinking　that　within　a　week　I　will　be　riding　through　the　lanes　of　the　little　villages；　drinking　red　wine　at　Burget；　watching　Chas　spread　cheese　over　great　hunks　of　bread　and　listening　to　three　bands　at　one　time。　　And　then　the　joy　to　follow　of　Home　and　America　and　all　that　is　American。　　Even　the　Custom　House　holds　nothing　but　joy　for　meand　then　〃mine　own　people！〃　　It　has　been　six　weeks　since　we　have　heard　from　you　or　longer；　nearly　two　months　and　how　I　miss　you　and　want　you。　　It　will　be　a　happy　day　when　Dad　meets　me　at　the　wharf　and　I　can　see　his　blue　and　white　tie　again　and　his　dear　face　under　the　white　hatwhere　you　and　Nora　will　be　I　cannot　tell；　but　I　will　seek　you　out。　　We　will　be　happy　togetherso　happy　It　has　been　the　longest　separation　we　have　known　and　such　a　lot　of　things　have　happened。　　It　will　be　such　peace　to　see　you　and　hold　you　once　again。

DICK。


AIXLESBAINS。　July　6th；　1900。　DEAR　FAMILY：

Cecil　and　I　arrived　last　night　tired　and　about　worn　outwe　had　had　a　month　on　board　ship　and　two　days　in　the　cars　and　when　we　got　out　at　Aix　and　found　our　rooms　ready　and　Francois　waiting；　we　shouted　and　cheered。　　It　was　never　so　beautiful　as　it　looked　in　the　moonlight　and　we　walked　all　over　it；　through　the　silent　streets　chortling　with　glee。　　They　could　not　give　us　our　same　rooms　but　we　got　the　suite　just　above　them；　which　is　just　as　good。　　They　were　so　extremely　friendly　and　glad　to　see　us　and　had　flowers　in　all　the　rooms。　　We　have　not　heard　a　word　about　Chas　yet；　as　our　mail　has　not　arrived　from　Paris；　but　I　will　cable　in　a　minute　and　hear。　　We　cannot　wait　any　longer　for　news　of　him。　　I　got　up　at　seven　this　morning　so　excited　that　I　could　not　sleep　and　have　been　to　the　baths；　where　I　was　received　like　the　President　of　the　Republic。　　In　fact　everybody　seems　to　have　only　the　kindest　recollections　of　us　and　to　be　glad　to　have　us　back。

Such　a　rest　as　it　is　and　so　clean　and　bright　and　goodOnly　I　have　absolutely　nothing　to　wear　except　a　two　pound　flannel　suit　I　bought　at　Lorenzo　Marquez　until　I　get　some　built　by　a　French　tailor。　　I　must　wear　a　bath　robe　or　a　bicycle　suit　until　evening。　　We　have　not　been　to　the　haunts　of　evil　yet　but　we　are　dining　there　to　night　and　all　will　be　well。　　Cecil　sends　her　love　to　you　all　Goodbye　and　God　bless　you。




Richard　and　his　wife　returned　to　America　in　the　early　fall　of　1900　and；　after　a　visit　to　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Clark　at　Marion；　settled　for　the　winter　in　New　York。　　They　took　a　house　in　East　Fifty…eighth　Street　where　they　did　much　entertaining　and　lived　a　very　social　existence；　but　I　do　not　imagine　that　either　of　them　regarded　the　winter　as　a　success。　　Richard　was　unable　to　do　his　usual　amount　of　work；　and　both　he　and　his　wife　were　too　fond　of　the　country　to　enjoy　an　entire　winter　in　town。　　In　the　spring　they　went　back　to　Marion。


MARION；　MASSACHUSETTS。　　May；　1901。


We　arrived　here　last　night　in　a　glowing　sunset　which　was　followed　by　a　grand　moon。　　The　house　was　warm　and　clean　and　bright；　with　red　curtains　and　open　fires　and　everything　was　just　as　we　had　left　it；　so　that　it　seemed　as　though　we　had　just　come　out　of　a　tortuous　bad　dream　of　asphalt　and　L。　roads　and　bad　air。　　I　was　never　so　glad　to　get　away　from　New　York。

Outside　it　is　brisk　and　fine　and　smells　of　earth　and　melting　snow　and　there　is　a　grand　breeze　from　the　bay。　　We　took　a　long　walk　to…day；　with　the　three　dogs；　and　it　was　pitiful　to　　see　how　glad　they　were　to　be　free　of　the　cellar　and　a　back　yard　and　at　large　among　grass　and　rocks　and　roots　of　trees。　　I　wanted　to　bottle　up　some　of　the　air　and　send　it　to　all　of　my　friends　in　New　York。　　It　is　so　much　better　to　smell　than　hot…house　violets。　　Seaton　came　on　with　us　to　handle　the　dogs　and　to　unpack　and　so　to…day　we　are　nearly　settled　already　with　silver；　pictures；　clothes　and　easels　and　writing　things　all　in　place。　　The　gramophone　is　whirling　madly　and　all　is　well　Lots　and　lots　of　love。

DICK。


The　following　was　written　by　Richard　to　his　mother　on　her　birthday：

MARION；　MASSACHUSFTTS。　June　27th；　1901。　DEAR　MOTHER：

In　those　wonderful　years　of　yours　you　never　thought　of　the　blessing　you　were　to　us；　only　of　what　good　you　could　find　in　us。　　All　that　time；　you　were　helping　us　and　others；　and　making　us　better；　happier；　even　nobler　people。　　From　the　day　you　struck　the　first　blow　for　labor；　in　The　Iron　Mills　on　to　the　editorials　in　The　Tribune；　The　Youth's　Companion　and　The　Independent；　with　all　the　good　the　novels；　the　stories　brought　to　people；　you　were　always　year　after　year　making　the　ways　straighter；　lifting　up　people；　making　them　happier　and　better。　　No　woman　ever　did　better　for　her　time　than　you　and　no　shrieking　suffragette　will　ever　understand　the　influence　you　wielded；　greater　than　hundreds　of　thousands　of　women's　votes。

We　love　you　dear；　dear　mother；　and　we　KNOW　you　and　may　your　coming　years　be　many　and　as　full　of　happiness　for　yourself　as　they　are　for　us。

RICHARD。




CHAPTER　XIII

THE　SPANISH　AND　ENGLISH　CORONATIONS

Interrupted　by　frequent　brief　visits　to　New　York　Philadelphia；　and　Boston；　Richard　and　his　wife　remained　in　Marion　from　May；　1901；　until　the　early　spring　of　1902。　　During　this　year　Richard　acco