Smyrna times., 1873-11-26
Eli Perkins Tale of Love and Eope.
I write a personal letter to-day.

WrlC6 peTSOnal leLL6T lO'udys
This morning l met the most disconsolate
young man ever saw. His name is Mason.
He is from New York. He has been in Sara.
toga all summer. He has seemed to know
every young lady at the Spa, and has been an
immense favorite with all of them. lie has
also stood a good chance with the dashing |
young ladies from Chicago, the fipsy-hOpsy |
girls from Oil City. He has danced more, sat
on the back balcony longer, and in closer prox:
unity to beautiful young ladies, and walked
over the graveyard with more rich aud arist0
cratic girls from Clarendon than any beau in
Saratoga. And still this young man came to
me yesterday almost heart broken. His eye
had the look of despair.
Pm discouraged and sick of life, " he said;
want to die. 4"
"What-youI want to leave this festive
scene, Robert" l said, taking off my glasses
and looking him straight in the face.
Yes, Uncle Ell, am tired of life,. he
sighed in hoarse wisper. II came to Sara
worked for it day and night. l cherished it,
practced it, and worshiped it only to see its
utter failure, only to work out my own ruin
alton by it.
"What was your theory, RobertT' l asked.
"Was it to bet continually on the ace, to wa
ger large sums on the same card hoping and
believing it would some time win and make
you richp Was 1t
"Oh, no, nothing of the kind. 1t was q
social theory, Eli. You know | have blood
and family and good looks My pet theory
was to come to Saratoga and marry Q rich girl
who had bad cough-with the consumption. !"
"And you have finally become engaged to
the object of your affection, then RobertT' |
asked, becoming deeply interested in this good
young man.
mo, sir, alas Oh, no MY theory has
failed. | have been unfortunate. The first
young lady l met was from Chicago, Miss
johnson. She was sweet aud o, so affection
ate, and had just the cough to suit me. A
low, hacking cough; 1t was fairly melodious
and knew it would prove fatal to the object
of my affection in about year; but alas |"
? and then buried his face in his hand.
"What, Robert?" | asked.
ALAS in fatal moment | learned that
she had no money to go with it. She was poor,
but such lovely cough Just the sort of one
that | had SO long and vainly sought for"
"Whst then 2"
"Why, then l met the rich Miss Lily Thomp
son, of Madison Avenue. She wore laces and
diamonds and a new dress at every hop. She
just suited me. She was just the girl haC
been looking for, with just one exception"
, What was that, Robert 2"
, 20, dear there was no cough to go with it
: She was all health and money. There haC
: never been any consumption in the family,
and then he buried his face in his hands agaiI
and wept long and bitterly.
again, Ei," he began drawing closer
= lone happy day met the very object of m!
= affection-the paragon | had been searching
d for years. She was rich and delicate Sh
y !. had just the cough, the fatal consumptiv'
, cough. | had fancied in my dreams ant
. sighed for in my waking hours. Two hundred
!. thousand in her own right, and yet SO frail ant
, delicate, so near deaths welcome door, an
Roberts face shone with joyous light as h
= described the frail, rich object Of his affections
i And still you are not happy my dear friend,
: l remarked, as he brushed the ashes off hi
= cigar upon my foot. Can it be that she re
% fused you?"
'' 20, no alas, she accepted me. I took be
10 pale jeweled hand in mine L placed upon
- q 81 900 solitaire. She was too frail to spea
~ loud. She cOughed and only whispered be
= : love, while overcome with emotion her langui
= eyes suffused with tears. | was too happy
= live. But o dear Eli, was born to De d
= :. appointed. Fate ruthessly plucked the lovel
20 prize from out my grasp. Fate.
4 " But how, Robert2" | asked.
- =, "Well, in an evil moment my Lily began
q drink the water here. Not the mineral bl
ho the pure water from the village hydrant.
or she had stuck to Congress water | would
I, happy now but one fatal day she drank son
vs hydrant water. She felt better. Then 81
u, drank more, then till at last she used to drir
of ten glasses every morning. Then her appeti
70 70 came back. She began to grow stout. IL
20. 'S cough went away, her cheeks grew red, al
,ss ,t' my beautiful ruddy, hollyhock, she took
he bowling, then riding on horseback and Il
'L' morning, D, dear! | cannot tell you"
Of "Go ahead, Robert tell me all" urge
of confidently.
N. "Well this morning, Mr.. Perkins, she I
M frail Lily carried her Saratoga trunk down t.
"a fight of stairs just for an excuse. Then :
'e asked me to walk three miles over to a lal
be and when we got there, o dear she ate ha
,s;. and woodcock and potatoes, and almost an
~ tire black bass, weighing three pounds, a
,r ~. when Mrs. Myers asked her if she would
he have another she said no. she was afraid
rtv would take away her appetite for dinner. A
Oh here | am engaged to her with no prosp
3o,, ahead but just to spend my whole life mark
tic ing and spending that 5000. 900 for her. anC
ers TO get only my victuals and clothes"
can ~' And then Robert Mason leaned heavily
bv ward on his hands, while the tears trick
arr. through his fingers and pattered down on
ths white duck pantaloons, wretched, hearth
ken and ruined man"