The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1865-06-01
MATRIMONIAL ADVERTISING.
BY GEORGE ARNOLD.

: I was once clerk in a mail station in
New York city. AS can easily be i'm
agined, l have seen great deal Of the
under current of metropolitan life. .-l
, Young gentleman of elegant exterior
came in. occasionally, and left letters d.
rected to josephine, or Isabel, or Eloise,
or Virginia, Mail Station X. .saaa8
Then young ladies, splendidly dressed
but heavily yelled, came for these letters,
timidly enquiring of me, from behind
their triple screens Of silk gauze, G have
discovered, from experience, that three
wells, of different colors, are perfectly
impenetrable to the sharpest gaze,) if
there is "anything for Josephine!'' g.
d Poor children Their hands. often
ltrembled when they received those mis-
sives, directed in the we'll known beloved
handwriting. Sometimes they tore them
open; nervously, in too great a hurry to
wait until they got outside. Sometimes
they assumed monchalence which they
did, not feel, and coolly dropped the let
ter into the pocket or riticule, as if it
were the lherest tritle. ~.
Yet, upon: such triAes, happiness
even life f.-often hangs .aH
For three weeks, last Spring, young
lady had been receiving and leaving let
ters at my station Those she received
were addresscd: "Miss Lizzie Thomas,
Mail Station X, New York City" Those
she left were addressed, "Halsey Morgan,
ESD, Mail Station X, New York City"
The gentleman who posted letters
for her was tall, handsome fellow, With
blond whiskers and blue eyes he always
dressed fashionab,y sported l1vendar
gloves, "a gold trimmed eye glass, Il cane
with jewelcd head, and was, in short,
quite i swell.
F. The lady herself was generally veiled
when she came, but once or twice |
caught glimpse of her face, and found
her very beautiful, having a shower of
black riusets, and eyes of that peculiar
soft, brown tint, that givo such sweet
ness and vivocity to a brunette counte-
nance. She usually dressed with great
simplicity, but always well, and neatly;
and certain grace and ease in all her
movements e,inced the cultivated wo-
man. ... ... ~r
She seemed to be most painfn,ly anx-
ious to receive her letters, and often ex.
hibted a, decided nervousness..if she did
not find one when she expected it
Plainly, she was deeply Interested in
Halsey Morgan, whoever he might be.
He, ou the contrary, received her COM
munications very cavalierly; and on two
or three occasions, when some friend .ac-
conpanied him, be spoke of them with
the utmost insin cerity. A companion
once asked him if that was love letter
he had just get. r'' t~~
"Yes-thc fifth this week, and all from
different women - -.:4 .'
I had DO especial fondness for Mr..
Morgan, after that, as may we'll be imag.
ined. .n...r..
Not long after, I saw that gentleman
early one morning, coming out of a noto-
rious gambling house in Broadway, arm
in arm with one of the most undoubted
scoundrels in New York. Their remarks
as they passed me, convinced me that if
Miss Thomas had the least respect for
the man whose letters she received so
eagerly, it was becauseshe knew nothin g
Accordingly, I wrote ten words, relat,
ing what had heard Morgan say about
her letters; and directing the note to her,
handed it to her, the next time she in
quired at the letter box opening.
She was evidently surprised at seeing
arstrange handwriting, and read the note
there, in the office. '..' >.
10 postscript informed her, that if
she required proofs Of my statements, |
doubted not that I could procure them,
if she. wonh let me know, in a note di-
rected to "William,' at the same station
The next day, she entered, and hand
cd in small envelope, directed as had
suggested L read it imm ediately: ~,
"Sir:-I received, yesterday, your
communication concerning Mr.: Morgan,
and desire proofs of the truth of your as.
sertion. l confess that they corrooorate
suspicious which have been forced upon
me, ,,of. late, and you can save me much
trouble by substantiatiDg them. If you
fail, your own conscience must punish
you Tor having done a mean aud unwor.
thy action. Hoping to hear from you
very soon, I am a. .-~ ,,.
Yours, respectfully, L. THOMAS.
had afriend who, being connected
withthe press as reporter, knew all the
Rhard cases, the gamblers, pugilists, fast
men, etc., in the city. To him, then, I
applied, and together We soon traced
Morgan out. He was bad character,
lately from another city, and but little
known in New FORK. This much wrote
to Miss Thomas, and assured her that in
ithc course Of q week, if she would permit
1T, would procure all the letters she had
written to Morgan, aud returnrthem tc
her. .- .....-r.,., ....t.t..t., ....... ..r
She replied that nothing could be
more gratifying to her, and that she
should esteem me as her greatest bene-
factor, if I fulfilled my promise. ',7r
MI 4 r. !.