The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1871-11-23
SHE IRlBuNE.
Official City and County Paper
NY wIFES LOVE LETTER.

R11O IeS1n WITH, she was pretty. One
waswell rounded in figure, with fair
face, golden hair, brown eyes, regular
features and lovely red lips. Her voice
was quiet and meiodious and she wore
violet dresses.
[ am afraid this is all knew about
her when we were married.
We first met in Devonshire. | was
alone in a strange place. She was an
orphan, and teacher in boarding school.
She was gentle and sad. | made Der
acquaintance, [ loved her and we were
married. was young just starting in
life, and very much engrossed in my
mercantile business | was not very
demonstrative man and as Lucy was
very quiet and composed in mein, think
we hardly appeared like newly married
people.
| had all confidence in my wife. 1t
was her neatness. fiugality, aud good
judgement that had won me, as well as
her beauty. All home affairs-the hir-
ing of servants, the domestic arrange
ments, household bllls-I left entirely to
her management 1t was great rest to
ward, for was sure so find everything
right. IF Lucy had any annoyances,
she never confessed them to me; and
| never took home my business troubles.
We had been married year, when
one evening | came home as usual.
The rain came down smartly as [ gain
ed my garden gate. As l entered the
setting room, found Lucy hurridly put
ting away Some papers.
You had better shut the parlor WIN
dow, Lucy" I said
Eyes, WILL" she replied, absentIy
rummaging in the drawer.
When she looked the drawer through,
she looked over the table, and finally
went to the escritoire.
'What are you hunting for, Lucy ?"
said I.
Never mind,' she said, carelessly,
ulnuOT ID IedUy, w III.
We went to the dining room. She
chatted Of the garden and the incidents
Of the day. She planted mignonette
under the window that its fragrance
might come into her while she was work
ing, she said: The Misses Granger had
called, and the man had been there to
,lo H.
that suggested nothing of the mystery to
come.
The rain continued all night, but the
morning was clear. / felt myself
very happy man as [ stepped
from my door L., q
air. The tulips were In blossom, and
the crocuses filed the garden with fra
GRANGE. | walked lesurey down the
path, Unmatched the gate, and went
out.
A few steps distance, under the gar
den wall, lay sheet of paper. 1t look
ed like something that should not have
been there, anil [ went and PICKED it up.
1t was a single square sheet of unruled
paper, and the handwriting on it was
my Wife's. AS looked at it word here
and there caught my eye. With arrest
ed attention [ commenced an examina-
ton of the sheet. With some difficulty
/ read as follows:
fMY DEAR PERCY:
Your entreaties and my own heart will
no longer remain silent. My beloved,
am so miserable. Your letters are nv
only comforG in the world, feed on them
i've on them. They arc the only
brightness which illumines my dark way.
My life is almost iusuppor.able You
know that I do not love my husband
that never loved him. You only know
the whele array of circumstances under
which married him. Well, be is NV
husband now, and [ will try and be
good wife; but my existence is like some
dreadful nightmare dream.
l ali SO desolate and depressed-so
despairing 1 have a feeling, some
times, that am under spell, that my
faculties are paralyzed; aud ,har | sball
lose my mind in this dull void living
Only when your letters come live, and
feel, and am exquisitely happy and mis-
erable-both together. My husband
as long as | perform my daily duties he
is contenteI. He knows nothing OF my
feelings. He considers me machine for
his comfort. Sometimes [ loath him.-
Usually l am Indifferent to him.
But tonight 1t seems almost as if
dared escape to you. Freedom, love,
happiness-ah, can it still be mine ? Be
fore long will grant an interview. 1
will promise nothing more than that now.
One word more. Pray be cautious. Ii
my husband should discover this CORES
pondence | cannot answer for the conse-
quences. Though he has never i'll treat
ed me. | know him to be hard ran.
But let me hear from you soon.
Yours"
The name was illegible COR the sheet
was much discolored by the rain. Bur
it was Lucy's fine cairography, and
felt as If athundeIbolt had brok en- around
me.
After moment blank bewilderment
and strange, bewilder;ng pain, put the
sheet in my pocket and quietly continued
on my way. I summoned superficial
calmness, but was conscious of one pre-
dominant feeling-hatreda gaiust my wife
4or b,r Junl,o;fp ,,,,.t -. ,-I1