That was from Lily, and, as might be expected, was very funny. Smiles and dimples attended Marion’s reading of it, and when she had finished she handed it to Mrs. Abbott, who said:
“Wont you read it to me yourself, so that Elfie can enjoy it too?”
So Marion began:
“‘Dear Left-Behinder: It was brutal in us to go off and leave the dear little mountain maid all to herself, and Katie and I talked ourselves into a fury of sympathy after we got into the cars. The only comfort we had was in hoping Mr. Eaton would get there right away. He’s a dear!
“‘Now, I feel the spirit of poesy jumping onto me; attend, please.
“‘Old Coventry braes are bonny,
Where early falls the dew,
But that, my dear old Marion,
Is not the place for you.
“‘So give us your promise true,
That ne’er forgot shall be,
To do as Katie asks you,
And pack your trunk with glee.
“‘I don’t believe I can do the subject justice in poetry, so I’ll go back to prose. Do come, Maid Marion. You must; if you don’t you shall be black-balled next term; that means something awful. I feel in my bones that you will try not to come, but you must.
“‘I want to tell you something. We heard Edna say in the cars that Mrs. Ashley went in the best set in New York, and she’d give any thing if her mother knew her. Now, don’t that make you want to show Edna (spiteful humbug) what you can do. It will be just fun to see her rage about it next term.
“‘If you dare to say no you’ll break my heart. I shall think it’s because I am going to be there. Katie was always nice to you, but I was horrid, just wicked, and even if you did forgive me no one can blame you if you can’t forget. But if you don’t come I shall just be a raving wreck, and I wont go to Katie’s if you don’t. So, there now, I have said it.
“‘O, what a naughty thing you’d be,
To plunge your friends in misery,
So come along and Christmas spend,
And likewise New Year’s, with your friend.
“‘(Plural understood; couldn’t say spends, so had to take the “s” off the friends. There’s awful limitations to poetry.)
“‘Katie hates writing letters so awfully that I told her if she’d just write the bare invitation I’d do the urging. Now, I’m sure I don’t know what more I can say to make you come; but if you dare to write a stiff little note beginning, “I am so sorry,” I’ll choke you, and I’ll send word to Mrs. Abbott to have you chloroformed and carried onto the cars with your feet tied, so you can’t kick when you come to.
“‘Don’t be afraid to come, for Katie’s mother is almost as sweet as Mrs. Abbott, and Mr. Ashley’s lovely. He almost shakes himself to bits laughing. I believe that’s why he’s so bald, he’s shaken all his hair off.
“‘Now you are coming, aren’t you?
“‘Yes, yes, yes, yes, say you are coming, my sweet,
To visit our Katie in Madison Street.
“‘(It isn’t street, it’s avenue, really, but I took poet’s license.)
“‘Now, farewell. Your loving
Lily.
“‘P. S.—O, do come.
“‘Particular P. S.—Come now, don’t say no.’”
Mrs. Abbott laughed heartily when the letter was read.
“I really think Lily is the most sprightly girl I ever had in my school.”
“I never saw any one I envied so much,” said Marion.
“You need not, dear. We all have different gifts, but that is not to say that one kind ranks above another. Lily’s vivacity leads her into trouble sometimes, and I have heard her say, when she has been suffering the consequences of her thoughtlessness, that she wished she was more like you in some things. But we will take a more convenient season for discussing gifts and traits. For now we must give our minds to shoes and clothes for this visit.”
“O, do you really think I had better go?”
“I am sure of it, and you and I and Liny must work hard; fortunately she can work nicely on the machine, and she has little else to do in vacation. When I was in New York I bought for your Christmas present a red cashmere dress and a brown plush sack that I tried on a girl about your size. I think we can get the woman who made Elfie’s dresses to give us to-morrow and the next day. So we shall turn out a very respectable little red-bird for a city visit.”