Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1874-08-27

ing in chambers Go their posting tor
themselves in order to avoid prying eyes,
significant looks, well-meant but often
siye illusions and tittle-tattle; and so
Bygravc had intended to post it himself
as he walked down to his club; but, hav-
ing encountered Thomas in the very
nick of time, and Thomas not having yet
eaten of the tree OF knowledge so far as
to be able to decipher handwriting or
even print, he seized the occasion of
giving Thomas lesson in the art Of per-
| forming masters behests. He had
directed Thomas to pop the letter into
the first iron pillar-box he came to; he
had watched Thomas going the right
course: he had seen Thomas halt close
to the very spot where the nearest pillar
box stood; and he had observed with
satisfaction that Thomas promptly re-
turned and disregarded the many
chances that offered Of game or fight
| with round dozen of street-boys He
| was as satisfied about the safe lodgment
of the letter as if he had dropped it into
the box with his own hands; and he
never gave it second thought.
And within ten days he, to the great
| establishment of Thomas, started off on a
sudden to Jericho.
Let us return to Mrs. Twillett She
had just strength enough left to tear open
the blood-red letter and read as follows:
APRIL l, IS.
My DEAREST ELEANoR-Thesc very words will
tell YOU my story: for If 1t not for the
fession am about TO make and the bold request l
am about to urge l ought not and should not
dare to use them. My confession is that love
YOU for love is word that, in my vocabulary, in
cudes everything that longer words generally
used to express; and my bold request is that you
will be my wife. Many time during the happy
days spent at your side | have been on the
point of pleading my cause to you by word OF
mouth, and asking for your sentence upon me:
but could not bear to hear possible refusal
from your sweet lips. | determined to write; for
know how tender your heart is. and by writing
should spare you the pain that | know You
would feel were you to witness the effect itwonld
have upon me il you We're to tell me that
my case IL hopeless. And If 1t be will not put
you to the disagreeable necessity of telling me SO
in writing or otherwise. Let this be our com.
pact: If have hope, send me one short note and
will fly to you at once; IL have none do not
write at all / will wait week; and If by the
9Th of this month Of April receive no dear, en-
couraging hope-giving, Identifying little note,
shall know that my fate IL sealed and my future
| misery is insured. l shall go abroad, to Jericho;
there / have a friend, painter of somber
engaged in painting picture Of man who fell
among thieves He will, fguratvely, pour wine
and oil into my wounds. He will probably avail
himself of my expression for the countenance of
the wounded man himself. If | were not aware
how excellent your nature is, how lightly you
TEEN what those who haven't any of 1t call dross,
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 considerable independent income. How
ever, knowing as do your noble opinions as to
the dignity of labor. it might tell against me
rather than for me If were to suggest that my
income of e1 800 year would enable us to scrape
along Of may use the expression) without the
necessity of doing anything mental or otherwise
for livelihood: but may surely say that such
position, being regarded by the world AS an adj
vantage, would give You certain influence and
certain means likely to be of assistance to you in
your efforts to obey the generous instincts have
always greatly admired in you. External graces
to recommend me, am fully conscious ! have
none; my looking glass tells me with cruel
plainncss, and fear that am equally badly of
for any kind of personal merits, unless, indeed,
there be some small merit in having recognized
and devoted myself to the best, the ovelies, the
sweetest of her sex. Oh! Eleanor, have pity
upon and make me happy forever. Each
hour will be a hundred years us | wait for the
fatal Sth. l shall have my luggage all ready; and
If by the morning of the 9Th I receive no letter
from you. shall accept my destiny i'll silent de-
spair, and start forthwith for Jericho shall re-
turn if indeed do return, by way of Africa,
where, if do not court, | shall certainly
not shun. the deadly weapon of the savage and
the deadler fever of his climate; and should we
meet in future days pray behave to me as II this
long letter had never been written-as if there
had never been anything but friendship between
us Believe me to be- my dearest Eleanor (fof l
must write II AGAIN., your most passionately at
tachcd and devoted admirer, lover and-in any
case-friend. JOHN BYGRAvE.
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 | care
for his face? But I'd no notion he had
SO m-m--much as fif-fif-fifteen hun
dred 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 70, 49,.
Mr.. Plowman presents his compliments to
Miss Russell. Though haven't the pleasure OF
ward the letter and hope 1t will be in time.
The way it came Shady Farm was singular.
Excuse my mentioning top-dressing in connec-
ton with q lady. but having had load of the
same down lately from London. and being at
work putting it on the fonr-acre field, found
the letter quite accidentally right among the
dressing. We thought, considering what the let
ter had gone through. it might be the better for
good soaking and dsinfccting. Hoping you'll
find il not much the worse, remain yours re-
specially THOMAS PLowMAE.
"There must have been some dreadful
| mistake somewhere" murmured Mrs.
Twillett; and as the strange fate of
poor Bygrave's proposal presented
| itself wildly before her, her sobs became
| mingled with screams of laughter until
her experienced maid correctly surmis-
ing Mysteries, appeared unsummoned,
and brought her to-" So that Mrs.
Twillett was quite calm and had re-
moved 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 IA 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