The Grimpy Letters; A Series of Letters Written by a Young Girl to Her Old Lady Chum (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1917 Excerpt: ... XVII Dear Grimpy, --I am just at this moment deliberately doing a very pleasant thing. I think we do so more seldom than we should. We allow duty to keep us whipped into line along ugly paths. It is only when we reason in a paradox, that it is our duty to forsake duty, that we ever get out and play. It is my noon time and I am down on the banks of the river idling. A truly lovable idler never apologizes. I, with two other little" truants, am throwing pebbles into the water and forgetting time. I can't see that they are getting any particular joy out of the quiet of this spot--except just this--that they ought to be at school. It's a grand dare--every boy does it at least once in his life. Unfortunately there is no circus in town, so they have haunted the river. Bless them I can tell from their freckled frowns that they are wondering what the deuce there is to do--just the two of them--except not to go back to school, and they can't go home "Ain't we havin' a good time?" asked one, sounding his comrade in sin. "If there was anything to do, gee whiz," said the other disgustedly. Ah, a funny business this, playing hooky--enjoyed, I'm thinking, more in anticipation and in retrospect than at the actual hooky-time. It's only the genuinely good pleasures that we can ever enjoy in the Now of time. Thus I philosophized. Two Mexicans, kings of their consciences, are asleep under their hats on the opposite shore. I wish I were Bohemian enough to lie down comfortably in the weeds without a fear of getting insects in my hair and down my collar. Just across the stream there is a noisy little falls that makes one long to pull off shoes and stockings and wade. The spirit of all running water to me will forever be the spirit of Leonora--a splendid girl I came upon in Color...