Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-09-25

LIEU us I6UuIll 10 NILS. Wul6ut. ollo lltt'
just strength enough left to tear open th
blood-red letter and read as follows
APRIL l, 1S-.
My DEAREST ELEANoR-These yer,
words will tell you my story for, if i
were not for the confession ! am going tt
make, and the bold request am about tx
urge, | ought not and should not dare tC
use them. My confession is that [ love
you, for love is word that, in my vocab
ulary, includes everything that longer
words are generally used to express and
my bold request is that you will be my
wife. Many a 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 Il
possible refusal from your sweet lips.
determined to write; for | know how ten
der your heart is, and by writing | should
spare you the pain that | know you would
| feel We're you to witness the effect it would
| have upon me if you we've to tell me that
my case is hopeless And if it be, [ will
| not put you to the disagfeeable necessity
| Of telling me 50 III writing OF otherwise
/ Let this be our compact; 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 a week; and if, by the
8th Of this month Of April, [ receive no
dear, encouraging, hope-giving, beautliy-
ing little note, L shall know that my tate
is sealed, and my future misery is insured.
| shall 90 abroad, to Jericho; there | have
a friend, a painter OF sombre SUBJECTS
He will sympathiZe with me. He is engag
ed in painting picture Of q man who fell
among thieves. He will, figuratively, 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 excel
lent 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,
[ would add, as if in my favor, that,
though | am rot rich exactly, yet L nave a
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 II | were to
suggest that my income OF Ell 800 year
would enable us to scrape along If [ may
use the eXpression) without the necessity
Of doing anything mental OF otherwise, Tor
q livelihood but | may surely say that
such a position, being regarded by the
world as an advantage, would give you q
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 L
have none; my looklng-glass tells me 50
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 recogn lied and devoted
myself to the best, the loveliest, the sweet
est of her sex. Oh Eleanor, have pity
upon me, and make me happy for ever
Each hour will be a hundred years as [
wait for the fatal 8th. [ shall have my
luggage all ready; an0 il by the morning
of the Sth Ireceive no letter from you, |
shall accept my destiny in silent despair,
and start Forthwith for Jericho, | shall
return, if indeed | do return, ny way OF
Africa, where, if | do not court, L 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 if this long let
ter had never been written, us il there had
never been anything but friendship be
tween us. Believe me to be, my dearest
Eleanor, (for I must write it AGAIN., your
most passionately attached and devoted
admirer, lover and-in my case-frlend.
JOHN BYGRAvE.
Mrs. Twillett was quite overcome. She
kissed the blood-red letter over and over
again; and she whimpered, as the tears
trcl1led unheeded down her cheeks.
e'Ifis face, the darling, what did | care
for his face But I'd no notion he had SO
m-m- much as fif--fif-fifteen hundred
a wear 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, IS.
MI Plowman presents his compliments
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. The way it came
to Shady Farm is singular. 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 letter 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
better for good soaking and dlslnfecting
Hoping you'll find it not much the worse
| | remain yours, respectfully,
THOMAS PLOWMAN.
ssThere must have been some dreadful
mistake somewhere" murmred Mrs
| Twillett; and as the strange fate Of poo
Bygrave's proposal presented itself vividl.
before her, her sobs became mingled will
screams Of laughter, until her experienced
chr iciDU hUStnl.ipc
peared unsummoned, and drought he
| to- So that Mrs. TWillett was quit
calm, and had removed all traces of tn
letters, by the time Mr.. TWillett cam
home.
While Bygrave was absent the education
of Thomas had been proceeding, and hat
soon arrived at such pitch that he knev
the difference between the two kinds Q
pllar-boxes- for letters and one, calle(
a tstreet orderly bin," for all manner 0
dirt and refuse in Fleet street and man
bitter tears did Thomas consequently wee
during his kind masters absence. n
sooner did Bygrave return than Thomas
now almost rid of his rustic dialect, re
ouested an audience, which was granted.
"Wen, Thomas" said Bygrave, kindly
s'what is it -
''Please. sir,' replied Thomas, as pal
as ghost and shivering with emotion, e
put that letter in the dust-bin.o
"What letter and what dust bin 20 aslle
Bygrave with stare Of blank amaZenent
''The letter you gave me to post jus
afore you went away, sir,'f blubbere
Thomas.
'"Ha' cried Bygrave, iercely, as hi
memory returned, and his face, almos
blaclzened by sun and weather, grew ster
and rigid; ''what did you say you did wit
it %
s:Put it in the dust-bin, sir repeate