National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1873-09-02
THE FAMILY LETTER.
lew sAs Materials arc Prsesred-Hsv
They are Uscd-what Becomes Of ii,
kssu1s.

lIsw the -RIaierials arc Prsesred-Hsw
They are Used-what Dccsnes Of the
IFrom the Dsnbury NswaI
The family letter Ia written On Sunday.
The reason that day Is selected Is not alone
because % tho leisure itprcsents. The quiet
Of tho day Its relief from all influences that
lrritate or agitAtc, frees the mind from irrel-
evant and sntagonistlc matter, and makes IL
prominently at occasion for communing
with distant loved onos. In nine cases out
OF ten the letter Is written by the head Of the
family and OF those sent an equal proper
ton Is addressed 10 his wlfe's folks. We don't
know why II is that man so rarely writes 10
his own folks, but % Il d not ths province Of
this article 70 treAt ON that subject, we will
pretend We don't caro-. The hour being
selected for inditing the letter, the nrst thing
70 pG IL s Ss p.psi Tasss . sT;y;
keeping such things. Il g either N the table
or stand. Here The wrltlng-papsr and odd
screws and nddle strings and broken locks
and nsh-lines and grocery receipts arc kept.
Thcrc may DO other things, but II there arc
he will sec thcm. Tho sheet Of paper 10
Cd, and the search commences for the Ink
and pen. Tho former u invariably found
on the mantle ucxt TO the clock, aod IL
Immediately laid on tho table convenient
TO tho porspiring man, who sarcastically
inquiries II the letter Is to DO written
to-day or next Sunday. This inspires the
wife with now zeal In tho search. She goes
over the drawer again, because she knows be
wouldn't sec anything II II was right under
his nose, but II 10 not there, Then she looks
over the top Of the bureau, and lifts every
thing on top Of the front-room table, and
says II seems so singular It can't DO found,
when she saw 1t only the day before, and
thn, ~ a H. La r.. -
the pantry, and aftcr exploring tho lower
shelf In vain, stands upon chair, and caro-
fully goes over the top shelf, where the mcdl-
cine bottles and unused cans are stationed.
After she has done this she starts upstairs,
and pretty soon returns with the pen, and
takes II 10 tho sink 70 wash the grease from
= but does not succeed in quite e.cing tho
TO observe thst anybody who takss pen
holder to lift hair-grcaso from bottle Il too
pure and Innocent Tor this world. Everything
now In readiness good-humor Is restored, the
wife takes O soat. opposite, with her elbows
on the table and her chin In her hands, and
10 mysteriously calculated to both encourage
and repress the writer; aud no grasps the
pen tightly between his fingers, and stsres ut
the paper with an Intensity that Is entirely
unnecessary. The dAtc-line starts OF glibly,
and then suddenly ceases % it reaches tho
date Itself. He puts the holder In his mouth,
and Immediately splits 1t out again, making
Of berganiot, and pcttishly asks her II
she knows the day OF tho month. OF course
she does. Il Is the i8th-or Is it the-but no
1t must be. She hcsltetes, staressa It him,
wayers, aud Is lost. She don't know whether
1t Is the 18th or the 18th, but the almanac
This occasions delay Of fifteen minutes
during which he makes ninety-iye passes at