Connecticut western news., 1874-10-09

to make, and the bold request am about to urge, ought not and I should not dare, to use them. My confession is that love you, for love is a word that, in my vocabulary, includes every thing that longer words are generally used to express and my bold request is that you will be my wife. Many g time, during the happy days I spent al your side, have been on the point o1 pleading my cause to you by word oi mouth, and asking for your sentence upon me; but I could not bear to hear 8 possible refusal from your sweet lips. I determined to write; for know how tender your heart is, and by writing l should spare you the pain that know you would feel were you to witness the effect it would have upon me if you were to tell me that my case is hope less. And if it be, I will not put you to the disagreeable necessity of tell ing me so in writing or otherwise. Let | this be our compact if l have hope, send me one short note, and will fly to you at once if I have none, do not write at all. I will wait week and if, by the 9th of this month of April, ] receive no dear, encouraging. hope giving, beautifying little note, I shall know that my fate is sealed, and my future misery insured. I shall go abroad, to Jericho; there l have a friend, a painter of sombre subjects He will sympathize with me. He is en- gagged in painting picture of a man who fell among thieves. He will, fgu- ratively, pour wine and oil into my wounds. He will probably avail him. self of my expression for the counte- nance of the wounded man himself. If I were not aware how excellent your nature is, how lightly you esteem what those who haven't any of it call dross, in comparison with moral worth, and how great sin you consider idleness, I would add, as if in my favor, that, though am notricE, exactly, yet have considerable independent income.
 "However, knowing as do your noble opinions as to the dignity of la- bor, it might tell againstm me rather than for me if I were to suggest that my in- come of E1 ,50O year would enable us to scrape along (if I m ay use the ex- pression), without the necessity of do- ing anything menial or otherwise, for 8 livelihood; but may surely say that such position, being regarded by the world as an advantage, would give you a certain influence and certain means likely to be of assistance to you in your efforts to obey the generous instincts I have always greatly admired in you. External graces to recommend me, 1 am fully conscious have none :; my looking glass tells me so with cruel plainness, and I fear that I am equally badly off for any kind of p personal m er- it's, unless, indeed, there be some small merit in having recognized and devoted myself to the best, the 1ov,eliest, the sweetest of her sex. Oh Eleanor, have pity upon me, and make me happy for ever. Each hour will be 8 hundred years as I wait for the fatal 9th. I shall have my luggage all ready; and if by the morning of the 8th receive no let ter from you, I shall accept my destiny in silent despair, and start forthwith for Jericho. shall return, if indeed I do return, by way of Africa, where, if I do not court, shall certainly not shun, the deadly weapon of the savage, and the deadlier fever of the climate and should we meet in future days, pray behave to me as if this long letter had never been written, as if there had never been anything but friendship between us. Believing me to be, my dearest Eleanor (for I must write it again), your most passionately attached and devoted admirer, lover, and-in any case-friend,
 s'JoHN BYaRAvE."
 Mrs. Twillett was quite 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 I care for his face But I'd no notion he had so m-m-much money as fif-fif- fifteen hundred year of his own. But what does it all mean ?"
 And she turned for explanation to the other letter, which ran as follows:
 "SHADY FARM, May 20, 18-. MT. Plowman presents his compi- ments to Miss Russell. Though haven't the pleasure of knowing you, Miss, thought it my duty to forward the letter, and hope it will be in time. Excuse my mentioning top-dressing in connection with lady, but having had load of the same down lately from London, and being at work putting it on the four-acre field, we found the let ter quite accidentally 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 bet ter for good soaking and disinfecting. Hoping you'll find it not much the worse, remain,
 Yours respectfully, "THoMAs PLoWMAN."
 "There must have been some dread full mistake somewhere" murmured Mrs. Twillett; and as the strange fate of poor Bygrave's proposal presented itself wildly before her, her sobs be- came mingled with screams of laugh ter, until her experienced maid, cor rectly surmising mysteries, appeared unsummoned and Drought her to. 3 So that Mrs. Twillett was quite calm, and had removed all traces of the letter by the time MT. Twillett came home. While Bygrave was absent, the edu. cation of Thomas had been proceeding, and had soon arrived at such 8 pitch that he knew the difference between the two kinds of pillar-boxes; one fol letters, and one-called 8 "street orderly bin "-for all manner of dirt and refuse in Fleet street and many bitter tears did Thomas consequently weep during his kind masters absence. No sooner did Bygrave return, than Thomas, now almost rid of his rustic dialect, requested an audience. which was granted.
 "Wel, Thomas said Bygrave, kindly, "what is it ?'
 "Please, sir," replied Thomas, as pale as ghost, and shivering with emotion, "I put the letters in the dust. bin."
 "What letters, and what dust-bin ? asked Bygrave, with stare of blank amazement.
 "The letters you gave me to post just afore you went away" blunderei | Thomas