When I demurred he added: "It shan't cost you a cent; it will be a pleasure to me to attend to it. These things interest me and I cannot bear to see them perish. They are valuable and could bring you in a good sum."
I said: "I am much touched at your kindness, Mr. S., and thank you very much for your offer. I think you greatly exaggerate the value of these things. I sent on some of the most valuable this year to New York and got a pitiable result in money. I knew those things to have a value of about $600 at the least and I got $100.
"You would take all the trouble and expense of packing and transporting these things and when you went to dispose of them you would find nobody wanted to give anything for them, and the greater part would be treated as rubbish. You would be embarrassed by your effort to do a kindness.
"No, let them stay where they are, where they have a right to be, and where if they are rubbish, they are at least rubbish dear to my heart."
It was hard to make him accept a refusal of his kind offer. It is not the first time that offer has been made to me. I greatly appreciate the kindness which prompts such active interest, but I cannot accept it.
I cannot place my dear old possessions in such a position. Let them grow old comfortably unexposed to comment and criticism and above all appraisement. I do not defend my position—it is unreasoning and I suppose unreasonable; but unfortunately I am made that way. Mr. S., who is a practical and very kindly soul, was quite distressed at his failure to convince me. The commercial instinct is lacking in me altogether, I fear.
Cherokee, Sunday.
It was a great effort to go to church this morning, but I went and was rewarded. I enjoyed the service, and the short sermon was beautiful, on the 22d chapter of Genesis—Abraham's call to sacrifice his son, his only son, Isaac. It seems Isaac means laughter. Abraham in his great joy at this unexpected and belated blessing called the child Laughter. That makes the story more wonderful.
Gregory, Monday.
By to-day's mail I got a letter to say that Rab had been sitting up a week and for two days had been out of the house, so I suddenly made up my mind, ordered the buckboard, and told Bonaparte to prepare to go with me and drove down.