The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-08-20

from college, are supposed 10 exemplIly
the ideal type Of gushing SentimentalltY
Up TO this time at least they have hello
the field against all the stale and formal
illusions put out by compllers Of tom.
plete letter writer's" and other such lack
adaisIcsl books. But now comes TILToS
and his vile to take the rag of the bush
entirely. They two stand alone in thC
solitude Of their gushing originality. A
few days ago the Chicago Tribune pub.
lished five pages Of the letters written BY
these two peculiar individuals to each
other, from 1884 to 1870. They were
handed to GKoRoE ALgRED TOWNSEND
by Gen. NoRR1s, the counsel for TnToN
and by him sent TO the HMne. To say
that these letters are written in exravs-
giant terms Is no expression at all. Elk
travaganth no word TO BppJy to the gush
OF woman who addresses her husband
as II he was an incarnation Of Divinity,
Here Is specimen extract from one Of
her letters:
Don't you know the peculiar phase OF
Christ's character as q lover Is 90 precious
10 me because Of my connection and do
votion TO your learn 10 love you from
my love 10 Him. / have learned to love
Him from loving you. couple you with
Him, nor do feel II one whit irreyerent;
as q man bowed down with grief for my
sins, and as every day l adorn myself
consciously as bride 10 meet her BRIDE
groom, so, in like manner, lin imploring
hands that my sodPs love may be per-
lect."
In another letter Mrs. TILToN addresses
her Theodore" thus: "God made good
thing when he made you, my sweet, not
to be irreverent, and better than all He
gave you to me-"
But, extrayagant as are the eplstolary
demonstrations of Mrs. TrIToN, they do
not compare with THEoDoRE's. Here Is
an extract from one of his letters, dated
at Waterloo, Iowa, New Years night,
1867:
= 4 Oh, how my heart bounds at the
sight Of your handwritingl never have
loved you hall as well as during my win.
ter's separation. Day by day, and hour
after hour, l think Of you, live in you,
cast my honors at your feet, invoke
Heavens blessing on your lie, and place
you before me as my pattern OF saintship
In this world. You are darling Your
sweet letters make my blood dance with
Joy. l pour out my soul upon you 10.
night. May the New Year bring you q
horn of plenty, full oil benedictions, and
empty them all into your lapi You are
the best, the truest, tie purest, and the
wiieliest Of womenl / kiss you good.
night.
Theodore had his spells-his moods
and Notwithstanding his propensity to
gush, occasionally mood came on him
that seemed to clip his pinions very seri.
ously and make him fly very close to the
earth. Here is a specimen Of one of these
moods:
AKRON, Ohio, Jan. IS, 1860.
My Dear RJe-Ever since last October
/ have been lecturing every week, some.
times every night, and the proceeds have
all been swallowed up in my extravagant
debts. If this spendthritt tendency of
mine is ever to be curbed it must be by
your helpful criticism Of it, not by par.
allel liberality oil outlay by yourself. Il
am putting myself daily 10 as much ia.
tigue as human nature can endure, in
order, Il possible, to clear of my obliga.
tons TO my creditors, and TO keep alter.
ward abreast with the world. Your letter,
a few days ago, stating that you could not
live on your salary, made me sick at heart,
and temporarily I felt like giving up my
journey and going home. To-day you
send me bill Of $5S for Cabs clothes,
an amount which regard as so great for
family OF our resources as to be- almost
as wicked as my own OUTLAWS for pictures.
In all the three weeks OF my last absence
l have not made, above expenses, $400.
Not one penny Of all my lecture earnings
for years has ever gone into bank. Hook
upon our money.spending tendencies as
wrong. At this moment am well nigh
broken down in voice, and know not how
| shall get through with to-nights lee
ture. Am / wrong when say that II
cannot look with equanimity on squan.
dering so much money on fine dresses for
the childrenl My heart suffers pang
in saying this, but l cannot help saying II.
We must either sell our establishment in
Brooklyn or else manage it on less ex.
pensivc scale. have made a vow not to
buy another picture, and not another I'm.
necessary article, during the present year.
1t Is with something like shudder that
look forward to the prolonged slavery Of
public leCturiDg every winter; and, II
the proceeds are to be freely thrown away
by both Of US, l may as well stop 1t now,
have suffered for ten days past an agony
Of remorse at the fruitless exertion have
made by three years of speaking-Fruit.
less because their harvest has been IN.
probably spent. Judging by all the
families l visit, kROw that Ue are liter.
ally MrOloin9 dtoGy our inheritance. At
last am aroused; and / appeal 10 you to
put peremptory check upon any and
every unnecessary expenditure which you
see me make. Dress the children in calico
Tor a year, and let me get ont of my mis-
cry. Yours In dust and ashes,
THEODORE TILToN.