The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1870-11-23
THE DROPPED LETTER

~ WY t'S'ttuS IaiN quite
precEudes the taking Of my eve
ming stroll, / will here note. down
a b7ief Incident Of my lie.
l am a Ci,yman, and my offices
are situate within half:a-dozen
yards Of BasinghaII street. l am
a bachelor, and in very wcll-to do
circumstances, despite the prophe>
cy OF my friends that | should
como to poverty "a Sur,nisc ieana
ed upon the fact that during nv
business existence oue or two Of
my clerks had mA,le me the cir.
aim OF sAaIr pilitrings, on which I
e'd merely discharged them, in
stead OF prosecuting method to
which, save fJr heinous offence,
had m-.cn aversion. But to the
in"!Lcnt would relate.
It was one bright, warm July
day, about three O'Clock of Sat
urday afternoon, that I took a
stroll through the Park, in a very
thoughtful mood. The truth was,
had been again robbed, but this
time to q considerable amount.
What was I to do? Prosecute Z?
Humph I scarcely liked to give
in; but here was no opportunity
Of bestowing sharp reprimand
and dismissal, for my clerk had
= dismissed himself and vanished
with the plumber. What was to
do? To allow it to pass unnoticed
would he no leniency, but folly, if
not a crime, as it would but be a
temptation for my other clerks to
do the same as their ahsconding
brother. No-prosccuted he must
and should be, and serve him RI ght!
I thought be could never have
kept up such a dashing appear
ance upon the salary-:hough no
mean onc-that he received from
me.
:. l had inst arrived at this scnsi-
bic conclusion, when my attention
swas attracted by large New
#oundIand dog, who, bounding
Wound corner, came right in the
ss&ce Of q little urchiH about five
..Sknmcrs old-an assault which
Aht the child backwards. To
;. Ike himself, the latter Instructive
l., 81 stretched out his small hands
-; Gd caught the animal round its
heck.
: The noble brute, as if pressed
for time, stroTe to shake off the
grasp on his collar, and speedily
succeeding in doing so, he contln-
ned on his way, while l crossed
over to pick up the screaming it,
J. tie man.
He belonged to the lower classes
to whom the London streets are
their home; so pat on the head
and the sight of a few pence soon
changed the tears to sunshine.
As his chubby legs bore him
away, my eyes rested on small
piece of paper like an envelope,
lying just where the Child had
fallen, and d;sGsured by tho mark
ofthc NcwfDundlund'S broad paw.
I picked it pr, and turned 1t
over to SOS its address. 1t he'd &
remarkably strange one, being as
follows -
ITO Ny DEAREST EMILY"
- What ever was to do with it :?
It certainly was some love cpistIe.
Bah it's exposure to the air had
not yet freed it from its s'ckIy
perfume. Should | destroy it? 1t
might be ofimportance. Again l
looked at the direction as did
so . the adhesive envelope, owing,
! suppose, to its contact with the
damp grass, opened, aad | deter
mined to sec the contents, KNOW
ing that, whatever it might Oe' 1t
vas safe with me. Taking oui
tbe enclosed epistle, l opened It.
What did my eyes behold? Yes
there was no mistakc-I could not
be deceived in that bold: dasi''"S
STYLE of caligraphy: it was that OF
NV cideraat clork. | now no Ion
oer bes;tated 10 read the contents,
which began -
"MyDEAREsT-MY ADokE' l. " IL
cat last I can brave the sell
w;I,ed selishness Of ny only pa
rent-at lust I can clasp you to my
baor+ and call YOU my own, my