Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1869-12-10
From the Atlantic Monthly.
B1R. BRUCE
fooneEss.7sd from Eust speek.


{ooncEssasd from last speek.)
TWhen Tay Aunt Mary told me this
story, [, Ely, had it in my mind to
write it out, having, like Miss Alcott's
delightful sJ0,1 the pleasing little
habit of occasionally failing into 4
vortex" june being past, Miss Ten
uant has been here and gone-we will
hope, greatly to my advantage and I
availed myself Of a copy Of the letters.
which I begged Aunt Mary to ask her
to bring, and here it is for YOU. Par
don me for the DEPRESSION but Aunt
Mary gave me such charming account
of Miss Margaret last spring, when I
came home from a long journey with
papa, that I have been in love with her
ever since, and this affection is
strengthened q hundrRd-foId since I
have really known her; and now, don't
you envy me, when say I am to make
her visit this fall, and see her lovely
house and know the eight girls she
likes best, and-best of alto be with
her all the time y
"BALTIMoRE, Friday.
"My forlorn young sister, are you
mourning over the Inconsistency of To-
man in general, and your sister Kitty
in particular own up to being very
naughty, and on my knees aaslE your
pardon for not having written all these
days. cannot tell you, as you invari-
ably do me, that have had nothing to
write, for my time has been more fully
occupied than usual. Tuesday night
was Miss CarFoll's party, and [ wasn't
home till---really not early, but late,
IN the mornings That party very
nearly made me late to breakfast. Mr..
Davenport was my 'devotedest,' and
has called since, which Alice and
think very remarkable. NY dear Meg,
he's the queerest man He has the
most detected expression, as if life
were the most terrible bore. One
would think he had been all through
with it before, and didn't enjoy it the
first time. He seems to have an ez-
ceeding1y Wel1-devoEoped taste for
grief, and talks in the saddest way
about things in general. I think late
ly his object in life has been, to make
me think he has some dreadful hidden
sorrow. I know he hasn't, by his way,
and talk more nonsense to him in an
hour than I ever did to any one else in
q day. I cannot help taking rises' out
of him, as we used to say at school,
But there, he dances very nicely, and
knows everything, apparently, and he
is ever so much more entertaining to
me than the people WHO are just like
every one zslsss Yednesday he sent
me the most exquisite bouquet. It
came while Alice and were out walk
ing. 1t was raining a little, but we
were tired of the house, and went ever
so far, having the most delightful
talk, You ought to have seen Alice,
for the mist gave her more color than
usual, and she looked like a beauty. as
she is. oh, how want you to know
her, Maggie4 / never have said word,
hardly, about the delightful visit am
having here. Alice's mother, you
know, died so long ago that she doesn't
remember her at all and she lived
with her aunt till she was old enough
for school, and her fatheH traveled and
boarded. But since she and Walter
have graduated, he has token this de-
Hghtful house, for he is very rieh-and
such housekeeping never was seen be-
fore. How Alice knows The first thing
about it, I cannot imagine. But she
certainly succeeds admirably. There
never was a girl who had her own way
so thoroughly. But her way is ALWAYS
very sensible, and, though she has had
the most remarkable facilities for be-
coming a spoiled child, sheis the far
thest from il. However, will not ex-
patiate. Thursday night, Mr.. Thorn
ton gave q whist-party, and-do you
think-one of the gentleman was my
Mr.. Bruce. dare say you are making
the most awful face, Maggie, but I aoilE
tell you about him and why you
scoId me so can't imagine, for think
Ii is very exciting and know there
is some good reason for his conduct.
for he is a perfect gentleman, every
one saws and my only fear is that /
shall never find out about it. am
constantly expecting to- hear he is
gone I heard he was to san last Mon
Sfav positively I should feel horribly.
When Alice and I found Mr.. Thornton
had invited him, we laid a bet whether
he would accept but was right Mr..
Thornton's invitations are seldom re-
fused, but l don't think that was his
motive. Iwon the bet. Yes, he real4
Iy came. That wretch Of an Alice had
the audacity to seat us side by side at
supper. He was perfectly polite, but
talked very little. I caught him
watching me ever and ever so MANY
tiInesy and Alice declares he is in love
with me. 1 wish he would tell me
what is the matter with me 8 for, Like
him more and more ;--but don t tell
mamma have SCarcelw mentioned
him. because I know papa would tell
me not to take any notice of him-and
/ cannot help it. tits SO nice I have
you to tell about him. The only Queer
thing that thappened Was--fn the course
of the supper / WAS saying something
to Mr.. Dent, who was on my right,
about Boston, in answer to some ques-
tIong Mr.. Bruce said, Did YOU ever
reside in Boston, Miss Tennant p
answered that our family had always
lived there, and I meant to = ] had
been away at school, however, for four
vears-all the time, exeepf iEF5 sum Hler
vacations. 'Ah,f says my gentleman,
$50 long as that? but, OF course, Won
know q great many people there. ]
beg your pardon for asking but did
you ever see me there p tVhv. said
/, i know I've seen you somewhere,
Mr.. Bruce; and I'd give anything to
know where. L nave been racking my
/ brains ever since / saw YOU here. -
/ fAh = said he again 4 don't think
1 YOU would care to have me tell Won
| Miss Tenant And he wtentrnin talk
ing with Mr.. Bowler, who sat just be-
yond him, and ] found Mr.. Dent was
talking with Mr.. thornton; so I was
| left to myself, and was busy for awhile
! over my oysters. / listened to Mr..
| Bowler and Mr.. Bruce talking rabouf
i Mr.. John Keithis marriage with his
mothers nursery-maid, whom he had
very sensibiy fallen in love with. Mr..
Bowler was saying that he had met
/ her, and that she was remarkably ladv-
| like, and did her teacher. whoever she
| might be, great credit. Mr.. Rruce
looked up and saw was listeninp-
everybody had been interested In fhe
affair-and said, % yes. have known
| several instances of persons, having
naturally a great deal of refinement.
being taken from low position when
quite grown up, with their tastes and
/ habits apparently firmly established .
and, upon being educated, one could
/ scarcely tell that they had not alyyavs
been used to the society they were IN.
He appealed to me to know if I had
not known such cases. Il answered
that 1 never had seen any such person
myself, but that 1 had not the least
doubt of its being possible. He looked
at me moment, and then said. care
lessly as he could, sOf course. Won
haven't And it seemed to me he eTl-
phasized the you just the least Bit
One might have inferred was lust
such person myself. NV dear little
| sister,. what an enormou@ letter fhie