Part 24 (2/2)

In addition to this he had for long wanted a home of his very own, and so located that he could have his family and his friends constantly about him Some years, however, elapsed between this dream and its realization In 1903 he took the first step by purchasing a farm situated in the Westchester Hills, fivea lake at the foot of the hill on which the home was to stand, then a water-tower, and finally the house itself

The plans to the minutest detail had been laid out on the lawn at Marion and, as the architect hin the cellar

Richard and his wife moved into their new ho the original name of the place In later years Richard added various adjoining parcels of land to his first purchase, and the property eventually included nearly three hundred acres The house itself was very large, very couest-roo were filled by the jolliest of house-parties In his novel ”The Blind Spot,”

Justus Miles For picture of the place:

”It was a broad terrace paved with red brick that was stained and a little ht to, and along its outer border there were bay-trees set in big Italian terracotta jars; but the bay-trees were placed far apart so that they should not mask the view, and that ise, for it was a fine view

It is rugged country in that part of Westchester County--like a choppy sea: all broken, twisted ridges, and abrupt little hills, and piled-up boulders, and hollow, cup-like depressions a them The Grey house sat, as it were, upon the lip of a cup, and from the southward terrace you looked across a mile or two of hollow botto pastures where there were cattle browsing, and to the far, high hills beyond

”There was noto ood vieith plenty of elbow roo--only the water of the little lake, the brown November hillsides, and the clean blue sky above The distant cattle looked like scenic cattle painted on their green-bronze pasture to give an aspect of husbandry to the scene”

Although Richard was now coreat dread of cold weather As soon as winter set in his mind turned to the tropics, and whenever it was possible he went to Cuba or some other land where he was sure of plenty of heat and sunshi+ne The early part of 1906 found hian, as then our minister to Cuba

From Havana he went to the Isle of Pines

ISLE OF PINES, March 26th, 1906

DEAR MOTHER:--

We are just returning from the Isle of Pines We reached there after a day on the water at about six on Wednesday, 22nd They dropped us at a woodshed in a rove swamp, where a Mr Masonto the island because every one was expecting ht before we had really no idea ould go, so, to be welco For four days ere cut off from the world, and in that time, five days in all, we covered the entire island pretty thoroughly-- It was one of thetrips I ever took and Cecil enjoyed it as much as I did The island is a curious mixture of palm and pines, one minute it looks like Venezuela and the next like Florida and Lakewood It is divided into two parties of Americans, the ”moderates” and the ”revolutionists” The Cubans are very few and are all employed by the Americans, n nine-tenths of the Island Of course, they all want the U S to take it, they differ only as to how to persuade the senators to do it I had to change all ht it ned by land speculators who did not live there, nor wish to live there, but instead I found every one I ave each land coroves and pineapples, grapefruit and coffee until we cried for help With all this was the os” came It was a famous place for pirates and buried treasures and slave pens It was a sort of clearing house for slaves where they were fattened I do not believe people taketo try andstory of it for Collier It was queer to be so completely cut off from the world There was a wireless but they would not let me use it It is not yet opened to the public I talked to every one I met and saw much that was pathetic and human It was the first pioneer settle the ways straight is very curious He certainly does not adorn whatever he touches But never have I ht we reach the Hotel Louvre, thank heaven! where I can get Spanish food again, and not Aer bread, and, ”the pie likeboat with every one,and roosters crowing But soon that will be over, and, after a short ride of thirty h a beautiful part of the island, ill be in Havana in time for a fine dinner, with ice What next ill do I aan's, it just needed five days of the ”Pinero's” to make us enjoy life at a hotel-- If we can o, and study up that subject, too But, even if we go no where else the trip to the I of P was alone orth our long journey I don't knohen I have seen anything as curious, and as complicated a political existence

Love to all of you dear ones

dick

HAVANA--April 9, 1906

ARTHUR BARTLETT MAURICE, ESQ

MY DEAR MAURICE:

I have just read about rateful if I did not write and tell you how h what pleased me was, obviously, that what you said was so kind But what I reallyout things that I myself liked, and that I would like to think others liked I know that the et to be sorry when you please ood qualities in ”Laquerre,” and the bull terrier Nothing ever hurt me so much as the line used by many reviewers of ”Macklin”

that ”Mr Davis' hero is a cad, and Mr Davis cannot see it” Macklin I always thought was the best thing I ever did, and it was the one over which I took the ie Cline used to say, ”droveAll that ever was said of it was that it was ”A book to read on railroad trains and in a hammock” That was the verdict as delivered to me by Romeike from 300 reviewers, and it drove lad when you liked ”Royal Macklin” I tried toand selfconscious, but, still likable But, I did not succeed inhi the ”Derelict” and the ”Fever shi+p” gavethe things upon which I had worked, and hich I had htedentirely unprejudiced, I think it is a fine article, and as soon as I staain So, thank you very much, indeed, for to say what you did seriously, over your own na the sas I do, I thank you many times

Sincerely yours,

RICHARD HARDING DAVIS

In reading this over, I find all I seem to have done in it is to complain because no one, but yourself and myself liked ”Macklin” What I wanted to say is, that I ah I don't deserve it, and for your te that has been written about what I have written has ever pleased me so much

R H D