adventures and letters-第59章

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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　accomplished　a　great　deal　of　work　and　lived　an　ideal　existence。　　In　the　summer　months　there　were　golf　and　tennis　and　an　army　of　visitors；　and　during　the　winter　many　of　their　friends　came　from　New　York　to　enjoy　a　most　charming　hospitality　and　the　best　of　duck　shooting　and　all　kinds　of　winter　sports。

Late　in　April；　they　sailed　for　Gibraltar　on　their　way　to　Madrid；　where　Richard　was　to　report　the　coronation　ceremonies；　and　from　Madrid　they　went　to　Paris　and　then　to　London　to　see　the　coronation　of　King　Edward。　　It　was　while　on　a　visit　to　the　Rudyard　Kiplings　that　they　heard　the　news　that　Edward　had　been　suddenly　stricken　with　a　serious　illness　and　that　the　ceremony　had　been　postponed。


11；　St。　James's　Place；　St。　James's　Street；　S。　W。　London。　June；　1902。　DEAR　MOTHER：

This　is　only　to　say　that　at　the　Kipling's　we　heard　the　news；　and　being　two　newspaper　men；　refused　to　believe　it　and　went　to　the　postoffice　of　the　little　village　to　call　up　Brighton　on　the　'phone。　　It　was　very　dramatic；　the　real　laureate　of　the　British　Empire　asking　if　the　King　were　really　in　such　danger　that　he　could　not　be　crowned；　while　the　small　boy　in　charge　of　the　grocery　shop；　where　the　postoffice　was；　wept　with　his　elbows　on　the　counter。　　They　sent　me　my　ticketunaskedfor　the　Abbey；　early　this　morning；　and　while　I　was　undecided　whether　to　keep　itor　send　it　back；　this　came。　　So；　now；　I　shall　frame　it　as　a　souvenir　of　one　of　the　most　unhappy　occasions　I　ever　witnessed。　　You　can　form　no　idea　of　what　a　change　it　has　made。　　It　really　seems　to　have　stunned　every　onethat　is　the　usual　and　accepted　word；　but　this　time　it　describes　it　perfectly。

Goodbye；

DICK。


During　the　summer　of　1903　my　mother　and　father　occupied　a　cottage　at　Marion；　and　every　morning　Richard　started　the　day　by　a　visit　to　them。　　My　brother　had　already　bought　his　Crossroads　Farm　at　Mount　Kisco；　and　the　new　house　was　one　of　the　favorite　topics　of　their　talk。　　The　following　letter　was　written　by　my　mother　to　Richard；　after　her　return　to　Philadelphia。


September；　1903。

Here　we　are　in　the　old　library　and　breakfast　over。　　There　seemed　an　awful　blank　in　the　world　as　I　sat　down　just　now；　and　I　said　to　Dad　〃Its　Dickhe　must　come　THIS　morning。〃

You　don't　know　how　my　heart　used　to　give　a　thump　when　you　and　Bob　came　in　that　old　door。　　It　has　been　such　a　good　montheverybody　was　so　friendlyand　Dad　was　so　well　and　happybut　your　visits　were　the　core　of　it　all。　　And　our　good　drives！　　Well　we'll　have　lots　of　drives　at　the　Crossroads。　　You'll　call　at　our　cottage　every　morning　and　I'm　going　to　train　the　peacocks　to　run　before　the　trap　and　I'll　be　just　like　Juno。

There　isn't　a　scrap　of　news。　　It　is　delightfully　cool　here。

M。



CHAPTER　XIV

THE　JAPANESE…RUSSIAN　WAR


During　the　fall　and　early　winter　of　1903　Richard　and　his　wife　lingered　on　in　Marion；　but　came　to　New　York　after　the　Christmas　holidays。　　The　success　of　his　farce　〃The　Dictator〃　had　been　a　source　of　the　greatest　pleasure　to　Richard；　and　he　settled　down　to　playwriting　with　the　same　intense　zeal　he　put　into　all　of　his　work。　　However；　for　several　years　Robert　J。　Collier　and　my　brother　had　been　very　close　friends；　and　Richard　had　written　many　articles　and　stories　for　Collier's　Weekly；　so　that　when　Collier　urged　my　brother　to　go　to　the　Japanese…Russian　War　as　correspondent　with　the　Japanese　forces；　Richard　promptly　gave　up　his　playwriting　and　returned　to　his　old　lovethe　role　of　reporter。　　Accompanied　by　his　wife；　Richard　left　New　York　for　San　Francisco　in　February。


February；　1904。　DEAR　MOTHER：

We　are　really　off　on　the　〃long　trail〃　bound　for　the　boundless　East。　　We　have　a　charming　drawing…room；　a　sympathetic　porter　and　a　courtly　conductor　descended　from　one　of　the　first　Spanish　conquerors　of　California。　　We　arranged　the　being　late　for　lunch　problem　by　having　dinner　at　five　and　cutting　the　lunch　out。　　Bruce　and　Nan　came　over　for　dinner　and　we　had　a　very　jolly　time。　　They　all　asked　after　you　all；　and　drank　to　our　re…union　at　Marion　in　July。　　L