Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-11-23
LITTER II.
FRED DELAso TO JOHs RLoDGETT.

LITTER II.
FRED DELAso TO JOHN BLoDGETT
BosToS, September g.
DEAR JAcK:-This Is a joint letter To
you and Ralph, of whose Whereabouts
| am somewhat uncertain. ! have long
story to tell, too long to write out twice:
90, when you have read and derided it
and me as much as seems 10 you proper,
be so good as to forward to him.
That ] have no sympathy to expect
from you, old Tough and Leathery, / am
but too well aware as well look for
treacle from an ancient gum-tree. And
Ralph, who piques himsclfon being made
equal parts gutta-percba and lemon Juice
will be no better. However, true to
agreement, ! piocood to tell the tale OF
my undoing, nothing eytenuating, nor
setting down aught in malice" / call it
undoing, observe, purely out Of consid-
Grafton for your standpoint, for to me it
Is doing, without the least particle of
"un"-thc best doing of my life.
Pride must havea fall Mine came not
off, but on the top Of "A Plymouth stage
six weeks ago exactly.
We left the Pcmigewassct House early
Of a warm morning, stageful inside,
and the usual load Of people and trunks
without. | happened to secure a top
perch Directly below sat the most beau
tifui girl ] ever saw-blonde, perfectly
dressed, and as evidently from New York
as if the name of that city had been
stamped on each fold Of her dainty gar
ments.
She had with her very ordinary spa"
and friend Of her own age, whom, from
certain direct simplicity of manner and
garb, set down as Bostonian. My sup
position was confirmed. An artful peep
at the baggage revealed trunks marked
Doubleday, New York." and ELLIS,
Boston p and the conversation of the fair
passengers before long supplied the
Christian names-Rose and Antoinettc.
Antoinette was the beauty.
And a real beauty she was. | don't
know that ever saw anything finer and
more cameo-like than the outline Of her
face, framed in golden hair all Topped and
fluifed in a ravishing way, with here and
there glittering curl falling softly over
her shoulder. The toilet, too, exactly
what / like-ornate, fanciful, delicate in
tint, suggesting ease, luxury, all thu
graceful perquisites ofbeauty rather thar
use. You know hate--or rather uset
! to hate--a woman who savors Of every
day Altogether the fair New Yorker
beside her companion was like some
dainty bird-of paradise contrastcd will
quiet domestic fowl Though, wher
you came to look, the young lady from
the Hub had nice, bright little fac,
enough; but then, you see, didn't hap
pen to look particularly just then.
As you've been up in that region, yor
know the beautiful road through tn,
Pemigcwasset Valley 1t was splendid
that day, the mountains standing on
sharp and blue against hot, dreamy
sky, and breeze all the way. / nevc
enjoyed a ride more; but the driver sale
there was storm in the air.
| My plan had been to leave the stage a
the entrance of the Notch, do the Flum'
and Pool, and follow on to the Profil,
House later irrthe day. ! had about giycl
it up in my own mind since seeing the fai
Antoinettc, but to my joy she and he
father announced like intention, ant
we agreed IT, form one party, and have ;
wagon sent for US in the afternoon. Tn,
stage, therefore. set us down on TIT
piazza Of the Fume House and rolled
away, while we proceeded on our wall
as socially as possible, carrying Thu
beauty's shawl, and otherwise disportin.
myself like an old acquaintance.
We chatted and we scrambled, ant
partook of an impromptu lunch o
doughnuts, and all went merry as a mar
riage bell, until, just as we were unde
the big boulder at the top of the Flume
a sudden rumble of thunder broke tn
quiet, and we became aware of a darl
cloud. OF course we started for shelte
with all possible haste, but before W,
reached the road IL was pouring in tor
rents, and by the time the house wa
gained we were wet as drowned rats.
never saw it rain SO hard in my life
Drenched and dripping, we crowded in
to the hall, and 10 and behold there wal
another party quite rs wet as We
twenty of them at least--who had beer
caught in the same way ut the Pool.
You can imagine the charms Of tn,
situation in that rickcty old structure
1t has been burned down since you were
there, and just rebuilt so far as to leav,
the second floor rough loft, and til,
lower collection of shapeless chicken
coops, partitioned off by laths. There
were few chairs, and a map of tn.
White Mountains, by way ofadornment
and in the back regions sort o
Kitchen, Dut nOtning comfortable or com
forting in the way of furniture, fire OF
food. Iassure you it was dismal enough
ESPECIALLY for the ladies'
And here it was that the lovely An
toinette ceased to be the heroine Of the
drama, and the mettlc Of my Boston cir
began to show. l call her mine, observe
scorning DISCUSSES from this time for
ward, although up to this point flatteI
myself have brought you as cleverly
along as any novelist Of the day, and
without giving the least hint of the de
nouement Yes, my beauty ceased just
here to be beautiful 1t was not the be
draggled forlornity other dress-absurdly
as it looked after its wetting-which dis
enchanted me, but the stress of vexatior
with which she viewed the ruin, the petu
liant, aggrieved mood produced by oul
common misfortune, the selfish helpless
uaaa Or har while attitude tho outira nm