Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-06-06

/ nave IndIIIeU GHe lISl plu uJJle woman
whose twaddle was quite up to his
mark.
But go on, James, he continued;
want to get at the postage stamps.
think. by the way, that Mrs. Dalton
was right IN taking her daughter
home. Unless people hereabouts are
simpler or more good-natured than
they are elsewhere, they would inva-
riably say that her parents were trv-
ing to catch your son for her.
l WINGED again, and said: You
may be right; but as / have never
troubled about gossip-pOssibly be-
cause L have never been affected by
i'll thought it very hard at the
time. There was 1 deprived of the
harmless, pleasant fitting of a girl
ABOUT my quiet house; and she was
removed from surroundings that
suited her to very meagre home
Where she must have been very
much wanted by her mother. inter
rupted Jack. The fact is, James
that l suspect that you were, quite
uncOnsciOusly, in love with the
young lady.
No; replied Istoutly; of that am
quite certain; but l admit that after
l had thought over the matter some
weeks, l asked myself why l should
not marry her, if her parents would
give her to me willingly, and if she
thought she could be happy with me.
1hat, IN way, she loved me, I was
as sure as that loved her-not with
lovers love-that was as impossible
with me as seeond-sight, but with
affectionate appreciation, and cordial
admiration, genuine pleasure in her
society. / could take her from pov-
erty to afiuence, and when 1 died,
leave her Independent.
What prospect has poor parsons
daughter? He can leave her nothing
If, by some painful process. he con
trives to educate her-as it is called,
to make governess of her, what a
life is before her! / declare, / think
a girl had better marry any kind,
good man, who loves her, than teach,
teach, teach; conflict with the old
Adam in children day after day, year
after year; havingno freedom of ac-
ton, no home the while, till she is
too old for it; and after helping her
family has perhaps saved what gives
her twenty or thirty pounds per an
mum, on which to languish and die.
Dorothy, moreover, could only be fit
for very inferior situation; she had
bright parts, but no systematic
training. What was to become of
her, her mother and sisters, when
Dalton died? She might-with her
attractions she probably would
come across more than one man who
would be fond of her, but could not
marry without money. Of what use
would that be? After discussing the
matter with myself for month, l
wrote her a letter-of which Ire
member every-word-ay, even the
position of the sentences. l told her
that, though not with a young mans
love, not with the sacred love / had
given my wife, l loved her; that I
would rejoice in her presence, would
shield her as far as l could from the
ills of life, till my death, and after
it, would advance her brothers and
sisters interests, make her mothers
life easier. l told her to take her
own time to consider and to consult
her parents. Iwrote late one night,
and the next morning the letter
seemed to me too important for my
own post-bag. 1 was not afraid that
the servants or post-offiee people
would think it odd that l wrote to
her, for 1 had often done that; but
I resolved to take the letter myself,
and post it at Crossford. ThePost-
master there had married a parish
'ioner of mine; she would be glad to
see me; the walk was pleasant one,
and I was in q frame of mind which
demanded quick motion. / stepped
out cheerlly, that bright September
morning, wondering, among other
wonderings, whether Dorothy and /
should ever walk that way as man
and wife
Now, interrupted Jack, l suppose
we are coming to the postage stamps.
We are, said ], but we must come
at them our own way. The post of
fee at Crossford was a grocer's shop.
The mistress. my friend, Mrs Simms,
was, as l expected, pleased with my
visit.
Such a pleasure, 70 be sure, sir, and
YOU looking so well-fresh as a four
teen-vear-old, as my good man do
say of you, sir, special. Yes, he's
nicely, sir; thank yOu-gone to Box
ham market to look about some pigs.
There's fine, new sort they do say,
that Sir William have brought into
the country, from Shropshire. You'll
come into the parlOr, sir, and sit
down. You may well look ct all
them letters. | couldn't say how
many has been for stamps this morn
ing, land I hadn't one till half an hour
agone Master Charlie, too, he have
been for some. They left their let r
ters, and said I'd see to stamping
them; and that | will, surely.
I'll do it for you said /. / see you
want to put away these goods, and
it will amuse me while l talk to you.
So, notwithstanding resistance on
her part, began. daresay there
were between thirty and forty of
them, and l was getting rather tired
when l came to the last. / had real
Iy not looked at the addresses OF the
others. could not have told where
one of thea was going, but this
one
Was to Miss Dalton from your
soni exclaimed Jack.
If was. indeed, | replied; and l
cannot attempt TO describe my feel
;pgs 1 believe that was for some
seconds unconscious; the ground
seemed gone from under my feet.
Nv own son was deceiying me; and
l could not conjecture how far DOro-
thy was involved. The one misers-
bic consolation was that my own
letter remained safe in my pocket. L
was not committed. l conclude
that my countenance had changed,
for whom I rose 10 90, which / did