Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1852-11-24
Com municat iOn.
An hour among mY letters.
FOR THE Spirit OF THE AGE.

tondence in days gone by, we will proceed
the pleasing, yet, in some respects, mel
lcholy task. Pleasing, as testimonials of
iendship and love, but melancholy when
. reflect that the hands which were once
nimble in p%ennihg some of them, now
, silent in the cold, cold grave /!
Here, dear sister, take this ottoman close
my little table, while l sit in a chair on
lis side. All here is the precious casket
hich contains so many tokens of friend
ZIP and love. Reach me those keys,
y sister, and / will unlock the treasure.
.ook in, Emma, and behold the bundle
led with pink ribon. These tell of school
'1ys and light hearts-this is from the pen
t a dear girl, who is nowin the far west.
he was a cheerful, light-hearted creature,
ut has since engaged in the important bu-
ness of house-keeping-wonder how she
lakes out wish | could take a peep in
+, her parlor. Here is another, and anoth-
: from the same fluent pen and hume
ous others, from girls equally dear. Just
e whata variety of %colors some are writ
n on rose, some blue, some straw, and 9th
- white-all exhibiting that careless girl
! simplicity SO apparent to the practiced
&c.
These tied with blue, have been received
,nce schools romantic hours have flown.
.Iere, sister, is the first from my dear pre-
reptress, Miss Anna | often read it-see
l)w it is worn Ihave many others from
acr, but none | prize SO highly-this is Sc
E.nd-so affectionate-so full Of that no.
.eness of soul which characterized her !
md this, written with blue, is from my
tied friend Miss O.. What a source Of
I'aasure it always was to get her letters
le is so entertaining, and can express her
If in such an easy and agreeable flow Of
@ords. In this package, my sister, YOU
Il find many letters, from various ladies
- tedious to mention separately, but al
ually dear to me-. In these two packages
Il will see, plainly contrasted, the woman
n~eatness of the one, and the girlish sim
,city of the other.
We will next notice, dear Emma, thC
!ers of our relations, but o there is 4;
Il history connected with them. Do you
-. sec from the sable hue ofsome Of them
It the icy handof death has been laid up
some loved one !! While others seen
silly folded, and quickly mailed, as if ur
1T business were in hand-others ar
yritten in a cheerful tone, by a little blu
I'd sister, saying, All is well-you mus
.ake haste and come home, sister-we al
HFnt to see you
Here is one, marked Brazos--this | rc
80 we'd during the Mexican war, from on
Bother W. o! Emma, / can never tel
" one what toruble that one cost me, br
links to an all-wise providence, who's
t.6trEHeirG,n and permitted him to return foh hi
i me and relations.
Hamilton, Aug. LIST, 1849.' O! mys sis
r., this is almost more than | can bear
This o dated Hamilton, is from our dea
5rother f., who is now no more ! It cor
n.as an invitation to his wedding, and
II ght say almost to his burial he lived S
SHIRT a time after his marriage. You II
Iect, sister, that he had not long bee
Il fromthe South, and had not set up b.
ness for himself. Hear what he SAYS, a
giving us all a cordial invitation to Ii
walding Il want my brother and h
,,se to be sure to come, Gas [ suppose
rs recently MARKEDLY | want us to sta
5Liness together in H O, my sistc
sen | think of his being snatched away
as youth from the wife he had so late
Grried, l am forced to enquirc-why w
u thus? What was the cause of my de
brothers. untimely death !? Echo answe
VINE /! Omercy I! how could it be ai,
-ll,emv hrnthee1Hae I'll rnRanfG t~Umrr-
I'islble that wine could have been Il
cElse! Yes, he told me so He told \
tut vim was indirectly the cause of Il
ease which he then had and that d
ease finally terminated his existence.
sud that he was in the habit of takino
'Enk when in company with his frionC
a'other sober men do, who don't belong
9 order of the Sons of Temperance. Sa
h", Il was in Alabama at the time the :,
:.eers turned out, to march against Me
IN, and attended one of their meetinos. b
hui no thought of volunteering until | HI
tai;en n drink or two with friend. Wb,
~ commenced beating for volunteers,
once, 1T occurred to mt that | was Il
very man to go. | had no family, and W
wayfrom my friends, so there was nothi1
Under; and volunteered immediatel
Lat after retiring from company, and cali
iy rejecting on what | had done, / felt co
iced that it would not do, as my const
,.ion was weakly and health not very goo
= determined to leave Alabama and ,
~ the Mississippi as far as St. Louis, as
al been there before and liked very niue.
! : when the day arrived for them to sta
> the place to be drilled, | was at the sta
ing point, and took another drink with
.i-nd, when the going to st. Louis was
b adoned, my honor was at stake, and
Sico must 60. | had not been lor
:hAre, before | was confined to my bed
%e,lsequence of being exposed to the weatI
e.. | took a cold, it settled on nv lunu
was under the Doctors hands eiehte3
nths.'
Ah +! well do I r~ecollect when he wrot
e, saying, sister l am here, without mo-
or health and my greatest desire is
- buried among my relations The n
= ;sary funds were despatched to him f
IA return. His health rocrr;+oJ 81 /