The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-12-23

W "ueIo ID VIC uOGncT CQC1CtCd /
have seen, haven't you ? men all
honey over their wives, white their
widowed mothers might 90 to the
cold stones for comfort, for all thew
were regarded-or their little wishes
made matter of care But Dick was
not one of that kind. He loved his
mother, and, however much he might
have loved his wife, that little, weak.
widowed woman would have shared
his regards equally with the stranger
who sat at his board but few d;lys
or weeks. l think he would have
done anything to save her feelings,
consequently his tenderness was al
Ways over:iowing towards her, and he
covered all her faults with his great
love and wisdom.
Poor little Mrs. Fisher was puzzled.
and moved about her pretty rooms
uneasily.- She was tempted to do a
terrible thing, and the temptation as
sailed her in numberless forms. Here
was Dicks desk conveniently open
the careless fellow never locked M
things. There hung his coats-a for
midable array-and he so often put
letters and money in loose. Indeed.
the washerwoman came one day with
woe-begone face, and a crushed
discolored mass in her hand.
''And her Pat said it was money
sure" said the good woman with q
glorious brogue, "but how was any
body to know it, in that shape ? bar
rlng that it was in Mr.. Dicks Mar
shales vest, and she never sot eyes on
1t till she came to turn the pockets
inside out"
Dick thought, and remembered
that he did put ten dollar bill, and
a five dollar bill, and several little
bills into that vest pocket one day.
and forgot all about it.
''Ihere y cried the excited washer
woman, ''and if I'd found the money
whole ye'd never been none the
wiser"
So-should she explore Dicks
pockets Should she overhaul Dicks
correspondence Should she make
herself unhappy, miserable, guilty,
for the sake of gratifying foolish
curiosity ?
She lowered uneasily about desk
and drawers, like the moth tiutterino
in the charmed light of a candle
tiame-nearer and nearer-till actu-
ally III her hand rested small pack
age of letters. None of them, how
ever, We're written in feminine
hand-but peppered with blots and
exclamation points and expletives-
drove all thought Of perusal from her
mind. Another package-her own
mlsslves, neatly tied with blue ribbon.
and fondly labelled,
"Mother's dear letters
The tears came to her eyes us she
gazed. The threw them hastily down,
and was about turning away, when
her attention was arrested by a letter
partly burned, the very delicate Gallo
graphy of which drove her new-fled-
ged penitence away at once She
lifted 1T, nervous and trembling,
opened it. The letter was readable
onl IN the body of it, date and sig
nature being gone. OF course, it was
lncoherent, after this fashion
Il sent you the socks and shirts,
dear Dlck-besides box of those
nice little things you love so we'll.
DO, darling, take care of yourself for
my sake-for who have l in the wide
world to care for ME but dear Dick i?
o! Dick, if [ lost you, life would be
a blank indeed. What should / do?
Where should I go !? Who could /
cling to as [ have clung to Dick ?
Don't tremble every time the mail
comes Don't l feel as if death had
hald of me at the very rattle of the
morning paper But how foolish of
me to tell you these fancies am
busy on some more shirts
And here the communication was
broken off.
Good heavens p cried Mrs Fisher,
aghast-'' Shirts and socks WHY. /
should think she was his wife. No
young girl would write to a man in
that style-oh car my boy have de-
ceived me 90
The poor little woman was nearly
worried out of her wits OF course.
she did not dare to question him, or
hint that she had so much as q
thought of his correspondence.
The next day Dick breakfasted
alone. His mother was i'll, tie maid
said, with q bad headache. At din
ner-time he came home on her ac-
count. She was not visible.
"By Jove but I'm going to see
her, anyhow" he said, and pushed
the girl who barred his entrance
aside.
Once within, and poor Dick was