"I'm inclined to think there's nothing better to do than to look at it."
"No; not the fire. O, I forgot—I haven't shown it to you."
She drew from her pocket the letter which I had noticed in the afternoon, and laid it upon my knee. With my hands in my pockets—the room was too cold to take them out—I read:—
Dear Cousin Alison:—
"I have been so lonely since mother died, that my health, never of the strongest, as you know, has suffered seriously. My physician tells me that something is wrong with the periphrastic action, if you know what that is," [I suppose Miss Fellows meant the peristaltic action,] "and prophesies something dreadful, (I've forgotten whether it was to be in the head, or the heart, or the stomach,) if I cannot have change of air and scene this winter. I should dearly love to spend some time with you in your new home, (I fancy it will be drier than the old one,) if convenient to you. If inconvenient, don't hesitate to say so, of course. I hope to hear from you soon.
"In haste, your aff. cousin,
"Gertrude Fellows.
"P.S.—I shall of course insist upon being a boarder if I come.
"G.F."
"Hum-m. Insipid sort of letter."