The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1856-11-26

ert Irhcy was weary Vi HlmseIl anu vi
the world
What should he do with himself for
this one day2 Ride2 Go fishing, or
gunning7 Read or call on tho ladies ?
Psbaw ho was tired of these amuse-
mcnts Suddenly bis eye rested on
letter which lay on the sidewalk before
him. Somebody had dropped it, he
would carry ii to the posioffice that
would use up a halfhour of his time.
He picked it up aud turned it over.
There was no address, and it was un.
Sc, led Perhaps it was a handbill done
up in this way to attract attention but
no. it was written--ha would look at it
the address might be inside and it might
be of Importance. Hc uufoldcd it. 1t
was lady's hand writing; not one Of the
ordinary writing school stamp, but firm,
though delicate, and somewhat peculiar.
He had theory about judging the char
actor from the handwriting and this
was 80 original that it attracted him.
lie glanced at the beginning of tho
letter. My dear John John who ?
john was anybody-Sohn Smith, per-
bars lie turned it over and looked at
the signature" Flora" That gave him
no further information, and, impe.lcd by
curiosity. he began to perusc the cpstlc.
"Ml DEAR JonN have been sitting
for the last half hour. with my pen in my
fingers, ruzzling myself as to what |
should say in this, my first love letter.
"If | were a gentleman now, might
fill up my sheet with pretty, fa,teriug
speeches and tender cpthets; but
don't imagine you would be delighted
were to call you an angel, though |
presume you are just as near being one
as am. or any one of my sex; so that
is out OF tho question. Then, if were
to undertake to tell you, why-love
speeches don't look well in black and
white, and if the; did. what would be
the use of filling up this sheet in making
known the fact that love yon dearly,
expressing this one idea in ten thousand
different forms Is it not self evident
proposition. needing no demonstration.
other than the fact Of my scratching off
these lines to you2 | should get tired
of it. if you didn't, so we'll dismiss that
topic. too And now what is left for mo
to write about? Why, plenty of sub.
iecis. so you needn't look grave, in an.
ticipation Of future short Letters. you
ought rather, to groan under the inn
pending delucc of ink which forcsee
for you, for I intend in this and other
cristIcs iha, may follow in its wake, TO
think on paper, to jot down whatever
first comes into this good tor,nothing
head Of mine.
& 1t is worry pleasant TO havc friend
to whom We can open our secret souls,
and say all that we think and feel with.
ont fear Of being misunderstood: to
speak Of all that is highest aud purcst
and nobost in our nature, without fear
Of meeting a sncering smile or scoiiing
reply; to know that our aspirations,
Lopes and aims are the same--to cult.
vatc all the powers that God has given
us and it is because they will enable
you to do so much more good in the
world, that | am so proud Of your tai.
ents, aud am ambitious for you to be.
come n distinguished lawyer, not so
much because | want TO see you at the
head of your profession, (though con.
feSs that alone would give me great
plcasure) as because it will enlarge the
sphere of your usefulness.
"All this will como with time. Don't
get discouraged as you sometimes do
rlod on cheerfully. and don't neglect tho
LITTLE duties now. that you may hasten to
do great things hereafter. And this re.
minds me poor widow Blair. Iwish You
would stop in and tell her how we'll Will
lie is doing here on the farm. and while
Won are in Elm street call Mt Mrs.
OReilly's and see if Nora needs any.
thipg-I shall like to hear from all my
protegcs 1t will be only thrco weeks
before am home again; so keep up
good courage and | will soon relieve you
of your unprofessional visits to these
places.
You are dear, kind John do it but
| always knew that under that tough cx.
terror (Cor you are rough, my dear nut
meg) there was something gentle and
good. You only need a smt of CRATER
to got at it, like tho humble individual
who POW bids YOU farewell, and Informs
you that she is ever your afrectionate
Flora"
Robert Tracy sighed as no finished
the pcrusal of this letter What would
he no, give Cor the love of such being
something more than mero butterfly
cheerful. active woman one that
would lead him on to something noblcr
and higher, instead of dragging him
down to an existence that could hardly
be called life.
He could see Flora. Young, she cer-
tainly was spri9htly, pretty. ho was
sure perhaps not regularly so, but with
an elastic step, graceful figure, clear
complexion, smiling mouth and quick,
vivacious eyes-freSh, guileless, frank
aud atfectiopaic. Oh what wonld he
not give to meet her, to know her, to
gain her heart
Pshaw somebody else had won her
already, and if it had no. been so, how
could he hope to be beloved by such
girl. Neither his wealth nor elegance
of manners would be sufficient to gain
the heart of Flora She would despise
his indolont aimless life, as much as
Just now he himself did
But why should be not be worthy of