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Page 10
As a little souvenir of our week of sight-seeing together, of
which I retain most agreeable remembrances, I have sent you by
my friends the Sawyers, who sail for America shortly, a copy of
Hare's "Walks in London," which a young _prot�g�e_ of mine has
for the past year been illustrating with photographs of the many
curious old buildings described. You took so much interest in
them while here that I hope you may like to see them again. Will
you please accept with it my most cordial wishes for your
future, and believe me
Very faithfully your friend,
ALLEN BEACH.
"What a nice letter!" said Clover.
"Isn't it?" replied Katy, with shining eyes, "what a thing it is to be a
gentleman, and to know how to say and do things in the right way! I am so
surprised and pleased that Mr. Beach should remember me. I never supposed
he would, he sees so many people in London all the time, and it is quite a
long time since we were there, nearly two years. Was your letter from Miss
Inches, John?"
"Yes, and Mamma Marian sends you her love; and there's a present coming by
express for you,--some sort of a book with a hard name. I can scarcely
make it out, the Ru--ru--something of Omar Kay--y--Well, anyway it's a
book, and she hopes you will read Emerson's 'Essay on Friendship' over
before you are married, because it's a helpful utterance, and adjusts the
mind to mutual conditions."
"Worse than 1 Timothy, ii. 11," muttered Clover. "Well, Katy dear, what
next? What _are_ you laughing at?"
"You will never guess, I am sure. This is a letter from Miss Jane! And she
has made me this pincushion!"
The pincushion was of a familiar type, two circles of pasteboard covered
with gray silk, neatly over-handed together, and stuck with a row of
closely fitting pins. Miss Jane's note ran as follows:--
HILLSOVER, April 21.
DEAR KATY,--I hear from Mrs. Nipson that you are to be married
shortly, and I want to say that you have my best wishes for your
future. I think a man ought to be happy who has you for a wife.
I only hope the one you have chosen is worthy of you. Probably
he isn't, but perhaps you won't find it out. Life is a knotty
problem for most of us. May you solve it satisfactorily to
yourself and others! I have nothing to send but my good wishes
and a few pins. They are not an unlucky present, I believe, as
scissors are said to be.
Remember me to your sister, and believe me to be with true
regard,
Yours, JANE A. BANGS.
"Dear me, is that her name?" cried Clover. "I always supposed she was
baptized 'Miss Jane.' It never occurred to me that she had any other
title. What appropriate initials! How she used to J.A.B. with us!"
"Now, Clovy, that's not kind. It's a very nice note indeed, and I am
touched by it. It's a beautiful compliment to say that the man ought to be
happy who has got me, I think. I never supposed that Miss Jane could pay a
compliment."
"Or make a joke! That touch about the scissors is really jocose,--for Miss
Jane. Rose Red will shriek over the letter and that particularly rigid
pincushion. They are both of them so exactly like her. Dear me! only one
letter left. Who is that from, Katy? How fast one does eat up one's
pleasures!"
"But you had a letter yourself. Surely papa said so. What was that? You
haven't read it to us."
"No, for it contains a secret which you are not to hear just yet," replied
Clover. "Brides mustn't ask questions. Go on with yours."
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