The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1870-09-20
A Postal Courtship.

"She is really the prtetiest littl
creature ever saw" said Mr.. Willoughb
Vane, as he turned from the window 70
the fiftieth time that morning "Janc,
he added, addressing the housemaid, wht
was clearing away the breakfast things
have you any idea who those people ar
who have taken old Mr.. Adderly's hous
opposite ?"
well, yes, sir, if you please" return
ed the handmaid II met their cook a
the grocer's the other day, and she sale
that her masters name was Black-Cap
tain Choker Black and that he wa
staying here on leave of absence with hi
wife and daughter, sir
"Oh, indeed Did she happen to men
ton the young lady's name ?"
YES sir. She called her Miss Eva.
eva What charming name! !" mur
INJURED Willoughby to himself, and ther
he added aloud
That will do, Jane, thank you"
Mr.. Willoughby Vane was bachelor
% years old, rich, indolent, and tolerably
good looking. He lived with widowet
mother in pleasant house in the Clap
man road, and having nothing else to do
had fallen desperately in love with his
pretty ris.a-riS, and anxiously sought ar
opportunity for an introduction. How
ever, having discovered the name of his
enchantress he determined to address hei
anonymously by letter.
Having decided upon taking this step
the next thing to be done was put it into
execution and, having shut himself up
in his little study, after many futile at.
tempts, he succeeded in framing an epistle
to the lady to his satisfaction, begging
her, if she valued his peace Of mind, to
return an answer to "W. V. The post Of
fee, Clapham Common" That done he
went out for walk, and dropped the
letter in the nearest box.
Regularly, three times day, for IL
week and afterwards, he called at the
post Office to see whether an answer had
arrived for him. AS the week advanced
Willoughby began to lose his appetite
and grew so restless and irritable that
Mrs. Vane, like fond mother, fancied
that her boy was unwell, and begged him
to consult their medical attendant. But
her son laughed at the idea, knowing well
that his complaint was beyond the doctors
skill to cure.
He was beginning to despair of ever
receiving a reply, when to his great delight
on the seventh morning, letter was
handed to him by the post mistress,
written in dainty female hand and ad-
dressed to wv. "" Almost unable to
conceal his emotion, he quilted the shop,
broke open the seal, and drank in the
contents.
They were evidently of a pleasing ma.
ture, for he read the letter over again and
again, kissed the envelope, put in into his
breast coat pocket. and hurried home to
see his inamorata looking out Of the win
dow of the opposite house, as usual.
For a moment his first impulse was to
salute her respectfully but Immediately
afterward he bethought himself that, as
he was still incognito, the young lady
would perhaps feel insulted by the action.
Besides, how could she have any idea
that he was W. "? So he went indoor
and amused himself for three hours in in
diting reply to her letter, which he
posted that afternoon, and in due course a
second answer arrived.
And so matters went on, constant in
terchange of letters being kept up for a
fortnight, during which time Mi viii
loughby Vane spent his days in running
to and from the post Office, writing letters
and watching his fair neighbor from the
window of the dining room.
"Confounded !" he would sometimes
say to himself "how very provoking
for moment. What horribly sour old
crab the mother is Depend upon it Will
loughby, that poor child is anything but
happy at home with those two old fogies
Indeed, her letters hint as much" And
having given vent to his feelings, he
would put on his hat. and walk to the
post office, or shut himself in his room
and compose another note to his dearest
Eva"
At length, three weeks having flown
rapidly away in this manner, he received
letter one morning from the young lady
which ran as follows:
TO W. Y.
"Sr-As it is useless to continue d
correspondence in this manner, think il
is now time for you to throw off your in
cognito, and reveal your true name and
position to one to whom you are not total
ly Indifferent Believe me that nothing
inspires love like mutual confidence
Prove to me that | have not been i'm
prudent in answering your lettors by al
once informing me who you are. 1t i,
with no feeling of idle curiosity ask
this, simply for cur mutual satisfaction
Yours, etc
Eva"
To which Willoughby replied by return
Of post
dearest Eva-If you will permit nj
to call you so Have you not for week
past observed young man with his hal
brushed back, anxiously watching yo'
from the window of the opposite house
And although you have apparently neve
taken the slightest notice of him, | trus
that his features are not altogether re
pulsive to you | am that individual.
Charmed by the graceful magic Of thine eye,
Day after day | watch. and dream and sigh
| Watch thee, dream of thee, sigh for thee alone
Fair star Of Ciaphsm-may l add, my ,"
to quote with some alterations, the nobl
stanza of the poet Brown And now
have favor to ask you. Whenever yol
see me at the window take no notice @
me at present, lest my mother shoul
observe it. In few days she will b