AN EXCHANGE OF LETTERS.
_Ernestine to Winnifred._
New York, Sept. 12.
Dearest Winnifred:
It seems a long time since I left you standing in the station, the
afternoon I said good-by to the city which had been my home. I can never
forget you nor the dear schoolmates who made my life there so pleasant,
nor the friends who took me to their hearts in my great sorrow.
I was happy and contented in my little home, so happy with my precious
mother's care and companionship, that nothing can ever come into my life
to bring greater happiness, or greater desire to do and be good, and our
little society helped me.
And yet, dear Winnie, I would not have my mother back to suffer. How
much she must have suffered in her isolation from her people, I never
knew until I came among them. Never could orphan have found more lovely
relatives. I inclose in this my letter to the club, to be read at your
next meeting. With my heart full of gratitude to your mother and all the
rest, I am,
Your loving friend,
Ernestine.
* * * * *
_Ernestine to the Warrior Maidens._
Dear Girls:
When you read this you will all be together at Miriam's and I know
you will wish, as I do, that I could be with you. I am here at my
grandmother's home, and a beautiful place it is, with its large rooms
and fine, old-fashioned furniture. It is in a very quiet neighborhood,
which will seem strange to you when I say that it is but a few minutes'
walk from Broadway, with its crowds of people, who always seem in a
hurry.
When Uncle Morris and I first reached New York, we went straight to
his home. His wife received me very kindly, and my cousins (one a young
lady, another a girl about my own age, and two boys younger,) were kind,
too, and they all wanted me to stay with them. But my grandparents said
they must have me, and I was glad to come, for I felt strange with so
many new cousins, and was afraid I would find it hard to fall into their
ways.
I have such a beautiful room, all my own. It has east windows which open
over a little court, where the first thing I see when I throw back
my shutters in the morning, is a fountain sparkling in the sun, with
rainbows in its spray, and birds flying about and bathing in the pool.
At first there was some talk of sending me to a school to prepare for
Vassar, but my grandmother said she had just found me and could not give
me up, and my grandfather--with tears in his eyes, which nearly broke my
heart, for I knew what he was thinking of--said the same thing; so I am
to have teachers right here at home, and have already commenced music
and French.
I am sure I shall be very happy; but, for all that, I imagine you all
seated at your desks at school, or chatting with each other over your
lunch, and that makes me feel very lonely. But I mean to make the best
of my opportunities, and shall keep in mind our watchword, "Now," which
means much more to me than when we first chose it.
I hope we will all meet again sometime, and that you will always think
of me with love, as
Your loving
Ernestine.
* * * * *
_Gretta to Ernestine._
Dear Friend:
We all miss you very much, and it seems hard to wait for the "sometime"
to come when we shall see you again.
You remember the idea of "fighting giants" seemed silly to me at first,
but I can see now that it did me a great deal of good, especially about
my school work. I never stood so well in any other examination as in the
last one for the high-school; and I never blamed myself, but always my
"music." Now I see, though, that two things may be well done as well as
one, if only we go about it in the right way.
Good-by,
Gretta.
* * * * *
_Miriam to Ernestine._
Dearest Ernestine:
How we did miss you the first day of school, particularly when your name
was read as having the highest per cent. in the whole city! And after
the classes were formed, every teacher inquired for you, and all looked
disappointed when they found that you had moved away.
Our little Winnifred was only five behind you, and not one of us stood
less than ninety. We went back to see Miss Brownlow one day last week,
and she said she was proud of us. She asked for you and sent her love.
We are struggling with x, y, z, and in Latin have reached "uterque,
utraque, utrumque," which sounds about as sensible as onery, twoery,
etc. I feel sorry for those people who must have found it no laughing
matter to put a different ending to every word for every case, gender
and number, and I must say that for myself I like plain English.
I saw Josie Thompson the other day, and I laughed to myself when I
thought of her trying to fight her way through such things as these. She
said she was "enjoying herself gorgeously!"
We mean to keep up with the record of last year if we can, especially
the record of good times.
With lots of love,
Miriam.
* * * * *
_Fannie to Ernestine._
My Dear, Dear Ernestine:
How strange it seems that your uncle and my father are friends, and have
almost always been friends, and that just as you and I began to know
each other you should have to go so far away! But papa says he means to
take me with him to New York during the holidays, and then I will see
you again.
It seems strange to think that we really go to the high-school, and
it makes me feel quite grown-up and as if I ought to be dignified; but
Winnie is the same demure little puss and looks very small and childish
among so many big girls, some of whom actually wear long dresses.
Miriam is as lively as ever, and keeps us all laughing at lunch time.
You know it isn't what she says so much as the way she says it that is
so very funny.
But it is time for me to get my algebra lesson, so I will close now.
Au revoir,
Fannie.
* * * * *
_Winnie to Ernestine._
Dear Ernestine:
We had the first meeting for this year at Miriam's last Friday evening,
and the first thing we did was to go up to Miriam's room and read your
letter. I read it out loud first, but that wasn't enough, and it passed
from hand to hand, each one reading it for herself.
We had such a nice little meeting, and while we didn't talk quite so
much as we did a year ago about fighting giants, I think we all felt
that those we had been able to fight had made it easier for us to see
and do our duties as they came to us.
After we had read your letter and our business meeting was over, we
went down into Miriam's yard and had a regular frolic. It was a bright
moonlight night, and we had games and told stories and old riddles and
tried to make up new ones--but didn't succeed very well--and by and by
Miriam's brother came out with an enormous watermelon on a great, big
tray. It was a warm night--you know how warm it is sometimes here in
September--and I don't know which we enjoyed most, eating the cool,
refreshing fruit or snapping the seeds at each other.
We all miss you very much. Ralph still asks when you are coming back,
and no one's paper dolls please him so much as yours did. Sometimes I
feel very lonely without you, but Aunt Kitty says she is sure you will
come to visit us some time, and that we are only twenty-four hours
apart, which does not seem so very far, does it? So I shall look forward
Till we meet,
Winnie.
THE END.
[Transcriber's Note
The following modifications have been made:
page
original text
modified text
Page 6
She began with her greatest bugbear. United States History;
She began with her greatest bugbear, United States History;
Page 35
their uplifted swords, their resolute mein,
their uplifted swords, their resolute mien,
Page 44
"you may talk, too, if you like"
"you may talk, too, if you like."
Page 46
She also helped put these in. and with a few kind words
She also helped put these in, and with a few kind words
Page 77
"A glorious night for a game of hide-and seek,"
"A glorious night for a game of hide-and-seek,"
Page 85
Little Ralph took Ernestine at once into his afleetions,
Little Ralph took Ernestine at once into his affections,
]