Litchfield enquirer., 1872-06-20

their lowest ebb. ought to add. it was not the letter-that was easy enough; it was ney name which distracted me. I had successfully kept from Geraldine knowl- edge of even my initials, and now I felt 1 the subterfuge of initials would not avail me. Yet q though -I imagined t then q bright one-hashed across me, not entire ly for the first time; I had previously had slight alterations of reason on this point before. would sign myself something else; I would throw aside the hateful clog of my name, and assume (many men even change their surnames) quite a new 1 One'
 i became infatuated with this idea; and truly, when, after careful reflection and a tub, I came to write 1t, found it next l to impossible to finish of rhapsody of 8 letter with the words, ''Knowing how l adore her, can my Geraldine bestow one l word of hope, of life, of l0ue, on her ever devoted" Neremiah Bottletop Ogg The thing was prepOstsrousi
 Much might depend upon this letter; it might even be shown to the maternal pow CT. Why-oh why-ye cruel parents did ye not name me Reginald Alfred Henry? Anything but this terrible name, which seemed to me to grow into barrier between me and my fondest hopes. Ner- emiah Bottletop! It was impossible; my pen refused it's office. I would adopt an- other name,-ohn, or George, then tell my friends; but it must be done ct l once.
 Here goes, then. 'sEver devoted"- John Ogg? There is a want of euphony even about that. John Reginald George Reginald? Better. Oh, confound it !! '1n for penny, in for pound. sign ed that document ''Cecil G. Reginald Ogg; and if could have thought she would have known from whom 1t came, I probably would have substituted for Ogg, Plantagenet. H.-soMK OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF MY NAME.
 My relief and joy at having boldly cast off the incubus which SO long had weigh ed upon me was great, yet in spite of this felonious consciousness accompanied 1t. I felt that ought to have done it with more care and less abruptness.
 There ought to have been some adver- tising in the payers; yet how the deuce could advertise the very thing which I wished to bury as profound secret,-the name which might so probably catch her eye and revolt her?
 No; had taken bold, decided, manly step, and would abide the consequences. The consequences began in a most bitter ly unexpected manner, though could not complain of being kept in suspense unnecessarily long. The day after des- patching my letter I received the follow ing reply,-not from Geraldine, but from Mrs. Montague. How high my. heart beat with hope as opened it. Even now can recall my trembling fingers, though I fattered myself, reasonably enough, that had no cause to be alarmed as to my reception by my future mamma-in law
 ''S1R" (at the first word my moral tenn perature fall at least twenty degrees)- ''SR,-My daughter, Miss Montague, has shown to me most extraordinary letter addressed by you to her. For what req so unwarrantably presuming is best known indignant to reply to it, I must tell you, has happened is much to be regretted, but that after it we feel compelled to de- cline the honor of any further acquaint- ance with you. -.s,
 'I am, sir, yours, &c.,
 "MADELINR DE COURcEY MONTAGUE.
 What !-what was this? Was mad or was she? or were they? stared at the paper with melodramatic eyes and ex- clamations, though can assure you nev- CT was more in earnest in my life, and very probably said, "R-r-r-r-re-jected! ]" in a tone which would have brought down any house on the Surrey side of the wa ter. tore my hair, I gnashed my teeth (iguratively), I raved swore; I denounc- ed all women on earth as impostors, de- ceivers, snakes, mattresses, artful hussies, and heartless toads. Little, little did it matter by what name I was known to this unfeeling, unfaithful young woman. While Ipoor fool twas willing to even sink my own identity for her sweet sake, she was laughing at me in her sleeve-''lead- ing me on" (had I not read of such dark to goad some refractory admirer into ieal- ousy, and to lure me to my destruction. Could not remember, by the hundred smiles in which the most bashfril might occasions when had come of proudly victorious among 8 crowd of competitors in ballroom, or had persuaded her to ''throw over" some poor wretch in my fa- vor, or detained her in some conservatory or secluded nook during dance promised to some other fellow? It was impossi- ble for my eyes, coming back from their mental meander, fixed themselves on the words of that audacious old MT. Monta- que. The letter was 8 deliberate insult; but how can man retaliate when 8 wo- man strikes him? She knows so we'll the strength of her weakness that she 'verges now and then on cowardice, being careless of the pain she may infiict, where she knows it will be silently borne.
 But sudden hallucination seized me. Could I, by force of the edious habit, have signed the letter by my own name, after all and could she-could Geraldine have been so repelled by it as to assent to this letter? I eagerly looked at the ad- dress on the envelope Not even this loophole was afforded me; it was very legibly inscribed to Cecil G. R. Ogg, Esq.," and even thst flash of hope fad ed. 8 ss2sza s as rs ses.szs
 Need relate how I couldn't eat my breakfast, how paced about my room, how scowled at myself when met my own eyes in mirror over the chimney piece, and flung the morning paper un- opened into the fire? What was the news to me now? What did care what be- came of all the people in London, in Eng land, or the worldf Society was hum bug, and consequently the sooner it be- Came extinct the better. Most people of at all an excitab1e temperament have tast- ed the joys of this frame of mind, and those of the calmer mood succeeding it. The repentant fit, think, is the worst, when you consider what an idiot you have been making of yourself; how .you have knocked over your claret, and broken your fayorite claret-iug; how you have made your hand so unsteady that you cut yourself while shaving; how the paper is in the fire, and you want to look at the approaching marriages in high life. A cheroot rather sootheda me; and I came to the resolution to haunt the Park ! in the afternoon, and seal my fate by see