Angels and Women (1924)

CHILD OF THE HERMITAGE 15
his birthday gifts, and have come to my
arbor study to begin the journal. Without
doubt it will be a dull affair; fortunately no
stranger eye will ever rest upon it.
What have I to record? The mists 1 or fair
weather, the quality of the harvest, our success
or failure in dyeing and weaving, the
increase of the flocks, an occasional alarm
from wild beasts. Yet I am always happy;
the garden abounds in fruit and flowers; we
have many cattle; we ride, pleasant evenings,
in a boat upon the river; at other times we
listen to stories from father, or to mother’s
songs. "We" means, besides myself, Cheros
and Aldeth, our servants. They came to
this place with my parents before I was
born, and are now getting aged. Cheros
must soon depart. Aldeth is not so old as
her husband, and will live, I trust, a long
time.
There is but one thing to trouble me:
mother is often unhappy and weeps. At
1 See Appendix, Note 2.
2