The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-04-22

NtHy tApialleu, duulIg Iuite
'-0f course, aunt Polly, | don't mean any
thing serious"
But he might take ii seriously, and hold you
to your word" said the matter-of-fact aunt
Polly. "ln my young days, men didn't have
to advertise for a wife, but found and took to
them materially as children do the measles. They
manage things difrantly nowadays though, so
don't spose twill do any good to talk" And
the old lady resumed her knitting with a sigh
for the degenerate times, while Nellie sat down
and penned the desired reply on the whtest and
finest of cream-laid:
TO ONE APAR.
will give thee a true and faithful heart,
TO keep thro' life a sacred part;
One that win ever cling to thee
While tossed about on life's rough sea- I
With thee forever, I'll launch my barquc,
Upon Lies ocean deep and dark
To share with thee its darkest bours,
To Gull with thee its iairest flowers
can smile rs sweetly in cottage walls,
As sweetly as If in pAlatial halls,
They would be as fair IL lighted by love,
AS an ark of rest to a weary dove.
Say than. will you lore me. my unknown friendy
II yon can come and see me so farewell till then.
ANN MATILDA GREY.
This .highly poetical'' missive was enclosed
in dainty envelope and duly dispatched by
the next mail.
In due time our heroine received a letter from
her unknown friend
Her cousin, Sam Harris, brought il with him
one evening, but positively refused to deliver it
till he heard who the new correspondent might
be; and Nellie was fain to confess what she knew
about him.
WELL said Sam, "you needn't have taken
all that trouble, for if had only known you
was so afraid of dying an old maid as all that
comes to, / would have given you the privilege
of becoming Mrs. Harris before Christmas
faint too late now, is it Nellie p
mot If was disposed to accept your offer,
which beg leave to respectfully decne,'' said
Nellie with mock humility.
''oh, well, aint at all particular, only |
wouldn't advise you to tell Phil Graham about
it, if you care for his good opinion; catch him
or any other man that's worth having to adver-
tise for a wife.
Like Mr.. Harris, for instance retorted
Nellie. 20, the vanity of some people -
Never mind, fair coz When want wife
and can't get her any other way, shall adver-
tise. Good evening"
Nellie lost no time in opening her letter, which
ran something in this wise
GRRESvALE, n. Y, Oct 6, 49,.
4 ba.a n 4
letters since sent that notis to the printer but
like yours the best an hope we shall soon meet
face to face. spose orte TO tell you somethin
about myself 50 you may no just what 10 expect
when you become his Woouman an then you
wont be disappointed. have always lived here
ut home because father means shall have the
farm for takin care of him marin who is old
an feble. Now want wife who noes how TO
manage things in general an who is wllin to
put up with too old people who is childish an
fretful when anything crosses them. 1t viii
come hard at first, spose, but marin she al
ways sed was as handy CARL about house
an can help you when | don't have nothing
else to do. expected to have Inglish CARL
but the first thing noed she went AN marrid
another Teller. Did it break my heart No,
not by long shork. But | was hoppin mad
tho, you may believe. lost all faith in woman
kind an told marin she wood have 10 get old
Judy Sykes to come an do the work but she sed
must try agen there was good fish in the sea
yet so | threw out line an CESS I've caught
the best an | shouldn't wonder if the hansom.1t
garl IN the market. When you rite please tell
me just where you live an the shortest rout an
you expect me without fail on the wings Of
love SO | remain my deer CARL your devoted
lower JonS OLIVER MooDMAN
's0h, dear, dear what shall do what will
he think Of me ?" And poor Nellie sunk into a
chair and INDUCED in good cry as the first
atonement for her folly. If she only dared to
tell her mother, or aunt Polly; but the one would
scold, and the other pity her; and she was not
in a mood to bear either. lie would certainly
come and find her out and everybody else would
find out too what complete fool she had made
of herself; and wouldn't there be time How
old Mrs. Elwill-the young folks called her Ill
will-would look down upon her in yirtuous in
dignation at her unmaidenly conduct; and worse
than all this, she would not fail to make out a
case for Philip Graham's especial benefit, who
would certainly despise her us a heartless CO.
quette, at the best. But Nellie's good sense
soon came TO her aid, and she sat down to write
once more to Mr.. Woodman, confessing her
motive in writing the first time to be just for
thSfun of the thing, and assuring him that she
WIS luahhea w tAhc upon Htfsen the re-
sponsibility Of caring for his parents in addition
TO unaccustomed labor that would be hers MS
the wife of a farmer, etc. Altogether, il was a
very good letter. alike creditable to the head and
heart that dictated it. When Philip came in the
evening, he saw that something was amiss, and
with much concei begged to know the cause of
her trouble. With many bushes and tears
which she yainly tried to conceal, Nellie told
him all about it, while he to punish her little,
sat cold and silent. She had unwittingly al
lowed him to read her heart, and while his own
thrilled with happiness to know that he had no
rival there, he could not-like most of the dear
creatures-resist the inclination to exercise his
power even at the risk Of paining her he loved
so we'll But when little trembling hand was
laid upon his arm, and he saw in the dark eyes
yet humid with tears mute appeal for pardon,
it was not in the nature of the man to with
stand it; so he tenderly drew her TO his heart
while he told the old story that to hear from the
lips of one we love is a ''joy forever" And if
he exacted promise that neyermore wound she
answer matrimonial advertisements icihout his
consent, am not certain that either you or
myself. dear reader, have any right to complain,
asNellie did not. IDA PERLEY.