, 1869-07-23
Danger of Envelopes Marked, 'sTo be Re-
turned"

turned"
"Lf not called for within ten days to DC
returned to -"
Such is the legend on many business en-
velopes at present, bnt they are not adapted
to all kinds of business. For instance, if a
married man is writing in clandestine man.
ner to another woman than his wife, as be
has no business to do, then it is a little dan
gerous to use such an envelope, as it may,
like curses and chickens, come home to roost.
Such was the case with certain individual
in this city not long ago. He had wife
that was not altogether free from Jealousy,
and who, on several occasions had seen and
heard enough to fan the spark in her dispo>
sition in a bright and lively fame. She re.
ceiVed anonymous warning not long ago 10
the effect that her husband was sustaining
relations of undue intimacy with gay aud
dashing widow in neighboring town, whose
name was furnished her. She Gid not delay
charging her lord with inconsistency aud a
reckless disregard of the vows made ber in
marriage. He resented the imputation with
a virtuous indignation and noble scorn that
went far toward convincing her that she had
been maliciously deceived by the anonymous
informer. Weeks passed away, and the wife
whose heart had been lulled into feeling Of
domestic security, had almost forgotten the
incident that had furnished her so much un-
easiness.
But an incident interposed to verify all
her former suspicious, and transform corrod-
ing doubts into established and despairing
facts. During her husbands absence from
home, among other letters brought to the
house was one that was marked returned.
1t was directed in her husbands own hand
to woman, and that woman--oh Jealousy
and rage-the gay and dashing widow. 1t
is almost needless to say that she hesitated
not a moment to tear off the envelope and
read the letter. The contents established
her husbands falsehood and infdelity be-
yond doubt. She read it in his own hand
writing, which was unmistakable, the passion
ate declarationsSof love for the woman ad-
dressed, followed by appeals to her TO elope
with him, Heaying the old hen, my wife,
CHATS the way he wrote, the brute y to
scratch for hers elf.' The wife might have
forgiven his writing love,letter to another
woman, on his exhibiting due repentance,
and promising not to do it again, but to be
stigmatized by him as an old hen, was more
than she could forgive or endure, and she
has taken the military steps toward divorce.
Ine husband, meanwhile, is cursing his
own stupidity. He had lot of envelopes
with the printed words on one end-'If not
called for within ten days to be returned to
- Some of them had the blank filled
out with his own name, and through some
strange, but entirely justi6able, fatality, he
got hold of one of the envelopes aud used it
to enfold the passionate missive his mature
pen had traced to his inamorata. The wild
ow being away from home until the ten days
grace had expired, the postmaster, like a
prompt business mau as he is, returned the
letter to the writer-as people take pills, &C,
cording 10 directions on the wrapper-with
above result 1t proved bitter pill for the
inconstant Benedict to swallow. He has en-.
deavered to make it up with his wife, and
induce her to withdraw the suit for divorce,
but she VOWS she will never again live with
a man who, in letter to secret fame, calls
his wife an old hen. So the end is not yet.
-CiRcinndti Commercial.