The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-11-19

ueT your bedrt IN, anu Dy WrltlnB SnOulu
spare you the pain that know You would
feel were you to witness the effect it would
have upon me IL you were to tell me that my
case is hopeless. And IL 1t be, will not put
you to the disagreeable necessity of telling
me so in writing or otherwise. Let this be
our compact il have hope, send me one
short note, and will fly to you at once; IL ]
have none, do not write at all. / will wait q
week; and If, by the 9Th of this month OF
April, ! receive no dear, encouraging, hope.
giving, beautifying little note, l shall know
my fate is sealed, and my future misery is
insured. / shall go abroad, to Jericho there
have q friend-a painter of sOmber sub.
jects. lie will sympathize with me. He is
engaged in painting picture of a man who
fell among thieves. He will, fguratively,
pour wine and oil into my wounds. He will,
probably, avail himself of my expression for
the countenance of the wounded man him.
self. If l were not aware how excellent
your nature is, how lightly you esteem what
those who haven't any of it call dress, in
comparison with moral worth, and how great
a sin you consider idleness, would add, as
If in my favor, that, though am not rich
exactly, yet have a considerable iudepend-
ent income. However, knowing as l do,
your noble opinions as to the dignity of la
Dor, it might tell against me rather than for
me If were to suggest that my income of
one thousand five hundred dollars year
would enable us to scrape along (if might
use the expression), without the necessity Of
doing anything menial or otherwise, for a
livelihood but may surely say that such a
position, being regarded by the world rs an
advantage, would give you certain means
likely to be of assistance to you in your ef-
forts to obey the generous instincts have
always greatly admired i'm you. External
graces to recommended me, am fully con-
scious have none; my looking glass tells
me with cruel plainness, and fear that l am
equally badly off for any kind of personal
merits, unless, indeed, there be some small
merit in having recognized and devoted my.
self to the best, the liveliest, the sweetest of
her sex. Oh! Eleanor, have pity upon me,
and make me happy forever. Each hour
will be ahundred years as l wait for the fatal
Sth. ! shall have my luggage all ready; and
il by the morning of the Sth | receive no
letter from you, shall accept my destiny in
silent despair, and start forthwith for
Jericho. / shall return, if indeed l. do re-
turn, by way of Africa, where, if l do not
court, shall certainly not shun, the deadly
weapon of the savage, and the deadlier fever
of his climate and should we meet in future
days, pray behave to me as il this long let
ter had never been written, as il there had
never been anything but friendship between
us. Believe me to be, my dearest Eleanor
(for must write it again), your most passion
ately attached and devoted admirer, lover,
and-in any casc---friend,
JOHN BYGRAvE.
Mrs. Twillctt was quito overcome. She
kissed the blOod-red letter over and over
again; and she whimpered, as the tears
trickled unheeded down her cheeks:
His face, the darling, what did care
for his face! But I'd no notion he had
so m-m-much as fif--ff-fifteen hundred
a year of his own. But what does it all
meanY'
And she turned for explanation to the
other letter, which ran rs follows:
SHADY FARM, May 20, 1S-.
Mr.. Plowman presents his compliments to
Miss Russell. Though Haven't the pleasure
of knowing you, miss, I thought it my duty
to forward the letter, and l hope it will be
in time. The way it came to Shady Farm
was singular. Excuse my mentioning top
dressing in connection with q lady, but hav-
ing had load of the same down lately from
London, and being at work putting it in
four acre field, we found the letter quite ac-
cidentally right among the dressing. Pray
don't be frightened at the color; It's only
Condy's fluid. We thought considering
what the letter had gone through, it might
be the better for good soaking and disin-
fecting. Hoping you will find it not much
the worse, remain, yours respectfully,
THOMAS PLowMAN.
"There must have been some dreadful
mistake somewhere" murmured Mrs.
Twillett; and as the strange fate of poor
Bygrave's proposal presented itself
vividly before her, her sobs became min
gled with screams of laughter, until her
experienced maid, correctly surmising
histories, appeared unsummoned, and
brought her to-" So that Mrs. Twillett
was quite calm, and had removed all
traces of the letters by the time Mr..
Twillett came home.
While Bygrave was absent, the educa-
ton of Thomas had been proceeding,
and had soon arrived at such pitch that
he knew the difference between the two
kinds of pillar boxes, one for letters, and
one-called "street orderly bin," for
all manner of dirt and refuse in Fleet
street ; and many bitter tears did Thomas
consequently weep during his kind mas
ter's absence. No sooner did Bygrave
return, than Thomas, now almost rid of
his rustic dialect, requested an audience,
which was granted.
"Well, Thomas" said Bygrave, kindly,
what is it,"
"Please, sir" replied Thomas, as pale
as ghost, and trembling with emotion,
" put that letter in the dust bin"
"What letter, and what dust binw
asked Bygravc, with stare of blank
"The letter you give me to post just
afOre you went away, sir" blubbered
Thomas
"Haw cried Bygrave fcrccly, as his
memory returned, and his face, almost
blackened by sun and weather, grew stern
and rigid; "what did you say you did
with itp'
"Put it in the dust bin, sir" repeated
Thomas, in low but distinct voice.
"The boys mad" muttered Bygrave.
Why, he continued, in loud voice,
I" saw you post it myself; at least, /
saw you go almost up to the pillar box
and"
"The wrong pillar box, sir, please" in
terruptcd Thomas, with groan.
"GOod grociousW roared Bygrave,
starting up from his seat and clenching
his fist, "you don't mean to say you put
it in---in---"
"Yes, sir, yes" said Thomas, with
fearful eagcrness, and approaching as if
to meet, rather than avoid the impend-
ing blow---"in the pillar box where all
the rubbish is put"
you've spoilt my whole life, Thom-
as" said Bygravc, hoarsely. "What
dye think you deserve p
"Killin', sir, killin'," responded Thom-
as, with sob, but with an honest, earnest,
fearless look into his masters face !;
" that's what deserve"
"Then consider yourself killed, my
boy" rejoincd Bygravc, with sad smile,
unclcnching his fist and laying his hand
on the boys shoulder. at was more
my fault than yours. 1t never occurred
to me that anybody could mistake one
for the other. But / ought to have
recollected that you were quite stran-
ger, and might never have seen what the
street orderly bins wcred use for. And,
when / come TO think of it, they are
a Al ~ N