s'
Friendlies and all sorts of usefulnesses. I do
admire her so much, she is a standing reproach and
example to me. "Wish I were a better boy," as your
brother Dorry said in his journal.

Mother is well and my father, but the house seems
empty and lonely now. We can never get used to
dear grandmamma's loss, and Sylvia is gone too.
She and Tom sailed for Europe in April, and it
makes a great difference having them away, even
for a summer. My brother-in-law is such a nice
fellow, I hope you will know him some day.

And all this time I have forgotten to tell you the
chief news of all, which is that I have seen Katy.
Deniston and I spent Sunday before last with her
at the Torpedo station. She has a cosey, funny
little house, one of a row of five or six, built
on the spine, so to speak, of a narrow, steep
island, with a beautiful view of Newport just
across the water. It was a superb day, all
shimmery blue and gold, and we spent most of our
time sitting in a shady corner of the piazza, and
talking of the old times and of all of you. I
didn't know then of this enchanting Western plan,
or we should have had a great deal more to talk
about. The dear Katy looks very well and handsome,
and was perfectly dear, as she always is, and she
says the Newport climate suits her to perfection.
Your brother-in-law is a stunner! I asked Katy if
she wasn't going out to see you soon, and she said
not till Ned went to sea next spring, then she
should go for a long visit.

Write at once if we may come. I won't begin on the
subject of Roeslein, whom you will never know, she
has grown so. She goes about saying rapturously,
"I shall see little Geoff! I shall see Phillida! I
shall see Aunt Clovy! Perhaps I shall ride on a
horse!" You'll never have the heart to disappoint
her. My "milk teeth are chattering with fright" at
the idea of so much railroad, as one of her books
says, but for all that we are coming, if you let
us. Do let us!

YOUR OWN ROSE RED.

"Let them! I should think so," cried Clover