Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-09-19
Miscellany.
MILLT MORE'S LETTER.
BY MARY KYLE DALLAS.

M1LLt AUkE'S LETiE
BY MARY KYLE DALLAS.
TN Aunty Gunter. Job Gunter is nv
husband. We keep the Anchor Port
post-office and store, and sell groceries
and garden sass, calico, shoes, and medi-
cines, like other folks in our line, when
anybody asks for 'em
When ship comes in, and the sailors
come home to their wives and mothers,
trade grows brisk. The housekeepers do
their best, and the raisins and dried cur
rants and eggs and butter go off finely,
and it's worth while to lay in ribbons for
the girls, and smoking tobacco and long
pipes for the men,
Jack and wages make old Anchor Port
brisk for while, but at last he sails away,
and all the women seem to ask for will be
Aetters-letters, letters, letters-when they
have right to expect them, and when
they haven't all the same.
It's '.Please, Aunty Gunter, look over
them and see if there aren't one for me;"
and it's s'Please, Uncle Gunter, it might
have got mixed up and overlooked some
how;" often and often-God help the poor
souls!-after Jack lies at the bottom of
the sea, and nothing will ever reach them
but the news of his shipwreck. But
plenty of letters come after all, and some
times we have to read them for the folks,
Job and |, and so we get to know some
thing of their lives.
Milly More could read and write her
self, but still l always knew when she
had a letter from Will Massett. Iknew it
by the handwriting, and knew it by her
bushes, and by that happy look in her
face. When he came home she bought
ribbons and bits of lace by the apronful;
and | knew where the packages of candy
that he bought were to go to. And used
to keep Job from fishing down in Pull
mans creek of afternoons, because knew
that was where Milly and Will liked to
walk. Courting time comes but once in
lifetime, and l always like to see it
prosper.
At last he sailed away, second mate of
the Golden Dove; and when he came
back from that voyage, they were to be
married.
1t was sad day when that ship
sailed. Mrs. Captain Rawdon and her
girls were crying on the shore. Twenty
women from the Port and five from the
Hill were there to see her set sail
1t was grim, gray day, and the voyage
was to be long one.
1t was under our old sycamore that Will
took Milly to his breast.
"Don't fret, darlingl" he said, "Pll
come back safe and sound. I couldn't
drown now I've too much to live
for"
Poor boy! in spite of that, the Golden
Dove went down in mid-seas, and only
how Captain Rawdon and the rest were
lost, at dead of night, in most woful
storm.
Captain Kincaid brought the news up
to Mrs. Rawdon. He stopped at our store
elor still, at ffty-eight, and as handsome,
with his white hair and red cheeks, as a
picture.
That was twelve months ago, the night
went into the store to sort things out, as
always did Saturday nights. Through
the week Job used to get eteverything mixed
up-letters in my tea boxes, candles in
the letter box, eggs where they oughtn't to
be, and all the place askew 1t was a
warm autumn night, and Captain Kin
caid's vessel was in port, and we had
plenty of custom. Job served the people
while tidied up. I found half the last
mail in sugar box, and clothes pins in
the ground coffee canister, and I just
dumped them out.
"Gather up your letters, Job," said I.
What possesses you, old MANI"
And he laughed, and piled 'em up.
And | made a VOW to myself that I'd
keep the sugar-box full after that, so that
be shouldn't use it for the mail.
had twenty-four pounds of sugar
known as s'cofee crushed" because ii
was prepared especially to use in coffee
That was the finest sugar Anchor Hill
folks often bought, though l had little
cut and powdered by me, in case Mrs
Rawdon, or Mrs. DR.. Speer, or the minis
ter's lady should send in; and I took the
paper up and tilted it over the japanned
box, pouring it in in nice smooth stream
when who should come running into the
shop but Milly More. She was not dress
ed carefully, and her eyes were red with
crying
She asked for some tea, and while Jol
was weighing it, she whispered to me:
"Ohl Aunty Gunter, have you looked
to-day? Isn't there letter from Will
He said he couldn't die. don't feel al
if he could. Mightn't he write, after all
Do look"
"My pet" says I, ''it's year ago tina
the Golden Dove went down. It ism
likely. And He don't let those live tina
want to, always. 1t isn't likely dear bu
I'll look"
took the letters in my hand one b,
one. Many of them would make heart
glad before the shutters were up tina
night; but none for Milly. 1t couldn't b
expected, of course.
/ told her so; but I took her into m
little back parlor, and made her sit dow
there.
talked as good as could to her; bu
what good does talking do?
ooh, Aunty," says she, 81 know
seems as if was fool; but walked u
hoping this morning. / don't believe b
is gone. / can't, can't"
"When the baby died-the only one W
ever had thought I never should b.
lieve it" said I. But had Job; and yo1
have your mother and sister, Milly."
At that she burst into tears, and put he
head down on my knee.
81 must tell you." said she. s'The
want me to marry Captain Kincaid. He
counting me. He fell in love with me tn
night he brought the news to Mrs. Car
tain RaWdon; I was there sewing an
heard it all. Oh, how cruel to fall i
love with poor girl at such time! An
he asked me to be his wife. And mothe
and Fanny shall always have home, b
says. And you know how poor we arr
And they're angry at me for saying NJ
And how can /, how can I, when m
heart is in the sea with Willie?'
Captain Kincaidp' l said, and
couldn't say any more; she took N
breath away. She was a nice, prett
girl; but the Captain was rich, elega
and stylish. An old family he came Q