She bade him farewell in a low voice, and tears even stood in her eyes, but what could she say or do?

The Knight put spurs to his horse, and dashed away over the hills without ever looking back, and the Princess stood looking over the gate at him till the last sight of his plume below the brow of the hill.  The Knight was gone.  Many suitors flocked about the Princess.  Mighty lords and barons of great wealth were at her feet and attended her every journey.  They came and offered themselves and their fortunes again and again, but none of them found favor in her eyes.  “Will the Princess listen to no one?” they began to say among themselves.  “Has she given her heart to some one who is not among us?” No one could say.

A great and mighty physician, young and of wondrous power in his art, telephoned to her every night if he might come down.  How his suit prospered no one could tell, but he persevered with great and astonishing diligence.  A powerful baron who assisted in regulating the finances of the kingdom and who was a direct descendant of a great prince who was cast into a lion’s den, knelt at her feet.

A gay and lively lord who lived in a castle hung with ribbons and streamers and gay devices of all kinds, with other nobles of like character, prostrated themselves before her, but she would listen to none of them.

The Princess rode about in quiet ways in the cool evenings upon a gray palfrey, alone and very quiet, and she seemed to grow silent and thoughtful as time went on and no news came from the western wars, and the Knight came not back again.

      [Written to his daughter Margaret.]

TOLEDO, Ohio, Oct. 1, 1900.

Dear Margaret:  I got your very nice, long letter a good many days ago.  It didn’t come straight to me, but went to a wrong address first.  I was very glad indeed to hear from you, and very, very sorry to learn of your getting your finger so badly hurt.  I don’t think you were to blame at all, as you couldn’t know just how that villainous old “hoss” was going to bite.  I do hope that it will heal up nicely and leave your finger strong.  I am learning to play the mandolin, and we must get you a guitar, and we will learn a lot of duets together when I come home which will certainly not be later than next summer, and maybe earlier.

I suppose you have started to school again some time ago.  I hope you like to go, and don’t have to study too hard.  When one grows up, a thing they never regret is that they went to school long enough to learn all they could.  It makes everything easier for them, and if they like books and study they can always content and amuse themselves that way even if other people are cross and tiresome, and the world doesn’t go to suit them.

You mustn’t think that I’ve forgotten somebody’s birthday.  I couldn’t find just the thing I wanted to send, but I know where it can be had, and it will reach you in a few days.  So, when it comes you’ll know it is for a birthday remembrance.