The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1869-01-15
5 aAcRoBArs CLUB, July 81, 1856.

"DEAR EnLY,n-
Twice the Colonel wrote Dearest Emil
", and twice he tore the sheet On which
the words were written. He longed to
be ardent, but still it was so necessary
to be prudent! He wasnot quite sure OF
the lady. Women sometimes tell their
husbands, even when they have quar-
relied with them. And although ardent
expressions in writing to pretty women
are pleasant to male writers, it Is not
pleasant for a gentleman to be asked
what on earth he means by that sort OF
thing at his time of life. The Colonel
gave half an hour to the consideration,
and then began the letter, Dear Emily.
If prudence be the soul of valor, may 1t
not be considered also the very main
spring, or perhaps the pivot, of lovei
"DEAR EMILY,-
al need hardly tell you with what dis
may have heard of all that has taken
place in Curzon Street. fear that you
must have suffered much, and that you
are now suffering much. 1t is an mex
pressible relief to me to hear that you
have your child with you, and Nora.
But, nevertheless, to have your home
taken away from you, to be sent out OF
London, to be banished from all society!
And for whats The manner In which
the minds of some men work is quite in
comprehensive.
GAS for myself, ! feel that have lost
the company of a friend whom indeed |
can very i'll spare. / have a thousand
things to say to you, and among them
one or two which l feel that must say,
that ought to say. AS it happens,
an old school-fellow of mine is vicar at
Cockchaffington, village which l find
by the map is very near to Nuncombe
Putney. l saw him in town last spring,
and he then asked me to pay him Wis
it. There is something in his church
which people go to see, and though l
don't understand churches much, shall
90 and see it. / shall run down on We'd
nesday, and shall sleep at the inn at
Lessboro'. 1 see that Lessboro' is q
market town, and suppose there is an
inn. / shall 60 over to my friend on
Thursday, but shall return to Lessboro'.
Though a man be ever so eager to see q
church door way, he need not sleep at
the parsonage. On the following day |
will get over to Nunconbe Putney, and
hope that you will see me. Consider
ing my long friendship with you, and
my great attachment to your father and
mother, l do not think that the strict
est martinez would tell you that you
need hesitate in the matter.
81 have seen Mr.. Trevelyan twice at
the club, but he has not spoken to me.
Under such circumstances / could not,
of course, speak to him. Indeed, may
say that my feelings towards him just
at present are of such nature as to
preclude me from doing so with any ap-
pearance of cordiality.
"Dear Emily, believe me now, as al
ways, your affectionate friend,
F'FREDERIC OSBORNE"
When he read that letter over to him.
self q second time, he felt quite sure
that he had not committed himself.
Even if his friend were to send the let
ter to her husband, it could not do him
any harm. He was aware that he might
have dilated more on the old friendship
between himself and Sir Marmaduke,
but he experienced certain distaste to
the mention of things appertaining to
years long past. 1t did not quite suit
him, in his present frame of mind, to
speak of his regard in those quasi-pater-
nal terms which he would have used
had it satisfied him to represent him
self simply as his fathers friend. His
language, therefore, had been little
doubtful, so that the lady might, if she
were so minded, look upon him in that
tender light in which her husband had
certainly chosen to regard him.
To be Continued.