38
	   A Letter from Hannah.
talking with John A. Wood (who had heard
of O�Brien�s affair with varying details.)
Poor Banks coming in, I heard Newman
commence at him with, �I got your letter and
�� whence I infer Banks had addressed to
this mean and selfish quarter supplications for
�pecuniary assistance.�     To the Evening Post
office, saw Maverick, the friendly Ripley (who
will always help me to work when he can) and
Nordhoff.  To Strong�s; saw him.          At Ross
and Tousey�s met the tall Watson.       To F.
Leslie�s again, saw him, got bill endorsed.
Up-town.   Met Shepherd.   Writing all the
Afternoon.           A letter from Hannah,
which comes into my life at this juncture
like far-off music in God�s Heaven
faintly heard in a foetid city alley, making
me momentarily loathe my surroundings.,
and wish to God I could live with good, in-
nocent people.     I call a few items from the
letter.    The wife of Henry Heritage (he who
wooed Hannah) has died in childbirth; previous
to which his brother James was pressing kind
Mary Bennett to fix a date for their marriage.
�Whether this death will hasten it or not, I
cannot say,� writes Hannah, adding with
womanly speculation about her cousin and