Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1873-03-25
Selected from Burrows Monthly souvenir.
MILLY NIoRE's LETTER.


and medicines, like other folks In
our line, when anybody asks for 'em.
When the ships come IN, and the
sailors come home TO their wives and
mothers, trade goes brisk. The house
keepers do their best. and the raisins
and dried currants, and eggs, and but
ter go off finely, aud it's worth while
to lay ia ribbons for the girls, and
smoking tobacco and long pipes for
the men.
Jack and his wages make old An
Choir Port brisk for while, but at last
he sails away, and all the women seem
to ask for will, be letters, letters, letters,
letters. when they have a right to eX-
poet 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 Please, Uncle Gun
ter, it might have got mixed up and
overlooked somehow ;" often and often
God help the poor souls AFTER
Jack lies at the bottom of the sea, and
nothing VIII ever reach them but the
news Of his ship-wreck. But plenty
of letters come after all, and some
times we have to read them for The
folks. Job and I. and so we get to
know something of their lives.
Mi!ly More could read and write
herself, but still | always knew when
she had letter from Will Massett. l
knew it by the handwriting, and 1
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 aprouful: and I
I-rso.-- rr-horn %
that he bought were TO 90. And |
used to keep Job from fishing down in
Pullman's creek of afternoons, be-
and Will liked to walk. Counting
time comes but once in lifetime, and
| 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
10 be married.
1t was sad day when that ship
sailed. Mrs. Captain Rawdon and
her girls were crying from the
Port and five from the Hill were there
TO see her set sail
1t was a grim day, and the voyage
was TO be long one.
1t was under an old sycamore that
viii took Milly TO his breast.
Don't fret, darling" he said, 4" III
come back safe and sound. | couldn't
drown now; I've too much to live
fpr.n
Poor boy! In spite of that, the Col
den Dove went down III mid-seas, and
only three men reached Anchor Port
to tell how Captain RawdOn and the
rest were lost, at dead of night, ill a
most wOeful storm.
Captain Kincaid brought the news
to Mrs. Rawdon. He stopped at our
store to tell about it, \ nice old man.
a bachelor still, at fifty-eight, and As
handsome, with bis white hair and red
cheeks, as n 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 10 get
everything 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 Kincaid's
vessel was in port, and we had plenty
of custom. Job served the people
while tidied up. l found half the
last mail in the sugar-boX and clothes
pins in the ground coffee canister, and
/ Just dumped them out.
Gather up your letters, Job, said
I. =" What possesses you, old man ?"
And he laughed and piled 'em up
And / made vow to myself that I'd
keep the sugar-hoX full after that, so
that he shouldn't use it for the mail.
l had twenty-fOur pounds of sugar
known rs coffee crushed" because it
was prepared especially TO use in cOf-
fee. That was the finest sugar Anchor
Hill folks often bought, though | had
little cut and powdered by me i'll
case Mrs. Rawdon, or Mrs. DIR. Speer
or the minister's lady should send in;
and took the paper up and tilted
over the iapanned box. pouring il III a
nice smooth stream, when who should
come i'm but NIilly More. She was not
dressed carefully, and her eyes were
red with crying.
She asked for some tea, and while
Job was weighing it. she whispered to
me;
"Oh! Aunty Guntcr have you
looked to-day? Isn't there a letter
from Will? He said he couldn't die.
| ,lon't feel as if he could. Mightn't
g My pet" says l, it's a year ago
that the Golden Dove went down. 1t
isn't likely. And He don't let those
live that want to always. 1t isn't
likely. dear, but III look"
| took the letters in my hand, one
by one, Many of them would make
hearts glad before the shutters were
up that night, but none for AIilly; il
couldn't be expected, of course.
told her so, but / took her into my
little back parlor, and made her sit
down there.
/ talked as good as I could to her,
but what good does talking do?
"Oh, Aunty," says she. know it
seems as if ] was a fool, but [ walked
up hoping this morning. 1 don't be-
lieve he is gone. can't, l can't"
"Whcn baby died-the only one we
ever had--I thought l never should
believe t." said |. But had job.
aud you have your mother and sister,
Milly."
At.that she burst into tears, and put
her head down on my knee.
4" must tell you," said she. "They
want me to marry Captain kncaid.-
He's cOurting me. He tell in love with
me the night he brought the news TO
Mrs. Captain Rawdon; L was there
sewing ard heard it all. Oh, how
cruel to fall in love with a poor girl at
such q time. And he asks me to be
his wife. And mother and Fanny
shall always have home, he says,and
YOU know how poor we are. And
they're angry ut me for saying no.
And how can l, how can /, when my
heart is in the sea with Willie?'
Captain Kincaid ~ | said, and |
couldn't say any more; she took my
breath away. She was nice pretty
girl but the Captain was rich. elegant
and stylish. An old family lie came
of. too. 1t was an honor for Milly
More.
Not Just yet, - said I, after while.
Perhaps you'll feel better. He's old,
| know, but he's a splendid man.
"Tou, too ~ she said. "Y0u, too!
Nobody understands. 1t isn't as if [
had made nm my mind like MI the