Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-04-06
MILLY MORE'S Letter,
How Et Happened She Didn't Have
90 Wait Three Months.

How It Happened She Didn't Have
20 wait Three Months.
I'm Aunty Gunter. Job Gunter is my
husband. y e keep the Anchor Port Post
Office and a store, and sell groceries and
garden sass, calico, shoes and medicines,
like other folks in our line, when anybody
asks for 'em.
When the shirs come In and the sailors
come home to their wives and mothers trade
goes prisk. The houskeepers do their best,
! and the raisins and dried currants and eggs
and butter go off finely, and its worth while
to lay in ribbons for the girls and smoking
tobacco and long pipes for the men.
! Jack and his wages make old Anchor
| 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 q right to expe t 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 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 sometimes we
have to read them for the folks, Job and l,
and so we get to know something of their
lives. E
Milly Moore could read and write herself,
but still always knew when she had let
ter from VIII Masset. / knew 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 apronfull; and l knew where
the packages of candy that he bought were
to go. And l used to keep Job from fishing
down in Pullman's creek of afternoons, be-
cause l knew that was where Milly and
VIII liked to walk. Couriing time comes
but once in lifetime, and always liked
to see it prosper.
At last be sailed away, second mate of
| the Golden Dove, and when he came
back from the voyage they were to be mar
ried.
Twas a sad day when the ship sailed.
Mrs. Capt. Rawdon and her girls were cry
ing from the shore. Twenty women from
the Port and five from the Hill were there
to see her set sail.
1t was under an old sycamore that Will
took Molly to his breast.
"Don't fret, darling" he said, ''I'll come
back safe and sound. couldn't drown
now; I've too much to live for"
Poor boy! In spite of that he Golden
| Dove went down in mid-seas, and only
three men reached Anchor Port to tell how
| Capt Rawdon and the rest wers lost, at
dead of night, in a most woeful storm.
Capt. Kincaid brought the news TO Mrs.
Rawdon. He stopped at the store to tel
about it. nice cid man. A bachelor
still, at fifty. eight, and as handsome, with
his white hair and red cheeks, as a pic
ture.
That was twelve months ago, the night l
went into the store to sort things out, as
always did Saturday nights. Through the
week Job used to 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 Sskew. 1t was warm
autumn night, and Capt. 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 clothespins il the ground coffee CAMS
! ter, and L just dumped them out.
"Gather up your letters, job" said l;
''what possesses you, old manw
Aud he laughed ard piled 'em up. And
l made a vow to myself that I'd keep the
sugar-box full after that, so that he
shouldn't use it for the mail.
l had twerty-four pounds ofsugar known
as "coffee crushed" because it was prepar-
| ed especially TO use in coffee. That was
! the finest sugar Anchor Hill folks often
| bought, though had a little cut and pow
| dered by me in case Mrs. RaWdon or Mrs.
| DR.. Speer or the minister's lady should
send in; and l took the paper up and tilted
it over the japanned box, pouring in nice
smooth stream, when'who should come in
| but Mlly Moore. She was not dressed
carefully, and her eyes were red with cry
| ing.
She asked for some tea, aud while Job
was weighing it she whispered to me:
"Ob! Aunty Gunter, have you looked to-
day? Isn't there letter from Will He
said he couldn't die. don't feel as if he
could. Mighn't he write after all? Do
| look"
"My pet" says I, otis year ago that
the Golden Dove went down. IL isn't
likely. And He don't let those live thai
want to always. 1t isn't likely, dear, but
I'll look"
l took the letters in my hand, one 10y one.
/ Many of them would make hearts glad
| before the shutters were up that night, but
none for Milly; it couldn't be expected, Of
| course.
1 told her SO, but took her into my
little back parlor and made her,sit down
there.
talked as good as 1 could to her; but
what good does talking do?
| "Oh, Aunty," says she, 81 know it seems
as if was fool, but 1 woke up hoping
this morning. mt believe he is gone.
l can't, can't"
"When baby died-the only one we ever
hail thought never should believe it,"
said 1. "But have Job, and you have
your mother and sister, Mily."
At that she burst into tears and put her
head down on my knee. ID -.-
81 must tell you," said she. "They want
me to marry Captain Kincaid. He's court
ing me. He fell in love with me the night
be brought the news to Mrs. Captain Raw
don; | was there sewing and heard it all.
Oh, how cruel to fall in love with a poor
girl at such a time And he asks me to be
bis wife. And mother and Fanny shall al
WAYS have home, he says, and you know
how poor we are. Aud they're angry at
me for saying no. And how can l, how
can /, when my heart is in the sea with
WiIlie?"
"Captain Kincaidr' said, and l couldn't
say any more; she took my breath away.
She was a nice, pretty girl; but the Captain
was rich, elegant and stylish. An old fami-
ly be came of, too. L. was an honor for
Milly More.
'Not just yet" said L, after while.
"Perhaps you'll feel better. He's old, l
know, but he's splendid man."
"You tool" she said. "YOu too! No
body understands. 1t isn't as if l had
made up my mind, like all the rest. Viii
will always be living man to my mind.
| don't think anyone ever loved but me-
Nobody understands-nobody."
kissed her and coaxed her, and | said
no word about her changing her mind; but
for all that kept thinking Of it in kind
of maze.
) Captain kincaid! Such gentleman as
that! Old as be was, could she fail to SEE
, the honor?
/ But when l told Job, says he: 4
, "Jerusalem! a young pretty girl like
Miny! Why don't he go after some wild
der or an oldish gal? Milly is too youn.
for him. Poor VIII! What a pity
| They lust suited each other"
! L couldn't help it, though. Mrs. Captain
Kincaid would have things that Mnly
Moore could never dream Of--silk dresse