The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-07-10
Love by Telegraph.

Miss Pearl Silverly was telegraph operator
at Jones's station, and Lucy Lorilard opera
tor at Nineveh, the next point of commune
cation, with nothing but the distance 10 pre-
vent their intimacy. They had never met,
however. except electrically, and were total
strangers to each other till one New Years
morning, when it occurred to Miss Pearl to
send the following telegram to her nearest
neighbor and tellow-laborer: ITO Lucy Lor-
illard--A happy New Year: Pearl Silverly"-
partly because she was idle, as hers was a
branch route, with very little business and
less pay, and partly because she was in need
of friend and friendly word, She had
been lately in the habit of amusing herself
wondering if this Lucy Lorilard found life
pleasant, had father, mother, lovers, and
friends, and was like herself in nothing but
In being telegraph operator.
The answer returned promptly: "Thanks.
The same to you and more also. If wishes
were horses, etc."
''Rather slangy," thought Pearl, but good
natured. guess she has brother at home"
And so the ice, once thawed, had no chance
to stiffen again after this. There was little
business, as said, going over the lines from
Jones's Station to Nineveh, and as the opera
tor at the last named place seemed likewise
to have unlimited leisure on hand, the two
held frequent electrical tete-d-tetes, and Pearl
began to feel as if she had known Lucy Lor-
lizard from infancy-as if they had gone to
school arm In arm, and learned their lessons
from the same book.
Pearls home, if it deserved the name, was
in her uncle's family, where there were three
cousins and an aunt, but no uncle now;
home where she hardly felt at home, where
she enjoyed no companionship, where she
was perpetually harassed and ANNOYED,
where her opinions were ridculed, and her
sentiments and tastes received no sympathy !;
a home where there was no room fer expan-
sion except in the way of ''long-suffering
and bearing all things" She always had a
dread of returning to this roof tree at night,
a sort Of ecstasy at leaving it in the morn
ing, especially after this new friendship had
begun to coruscate across her days. To be
sure she ate her daily bread and slept the
s-eep of the just at aunt Hidden's, but she
hoped and aspired and lived at the telegraph
Office, since friendship is as much nece ssity
to the human being as good dinners and soft
coucheS. She could never exactly tell how
it came about, but gradually, from exchang-
ing pretty civilities and pleasantries and the
news of the day across the wires, she found
herself presently telling this Lucy Lorillard,
upon whom she had never set eyes, almost
everything she knew and felt and suffered or
enjoyed, and receiving experiences and con-
uuCbCCo duu NOluo VI COnIOIG Ill T6tuTu HULL
said Lucy Lorillard. Nothing was too triv-
ial and nothing too great for the two to dis
cuss across the lines between Joness station
and Nineveh, which had suddenly sprung in
TO remarkable activity, and which at one
time caused Lucy to remark, Geographically,
"Our lines have fallen in pleasant places .
while Pearl answered, 'When am here at
the Office and can rap out message to you,
I forget who am, and feel no longer home
sick for home that doesn't exist, and alone
in the world. You are in my thoughts,
sleeping or waking. If it wern't for you,
dear Lucy, I think my heart would break.
No one can tell how grateful am for your
friendship"
Lucy: "You silly puss! Grateful to me,
indeed! l receive great deal more than ]
give. am so happy that you think OF me
sometimes. Keep thinking. To live in your
own thoughts is kind of Immortality
s'Come! Who's silly nowP Anybody would
think we were lovers"
Lucy: $50 we are, aren't we? wonder il
we shonld know each other if we were to
meet by accident"
81 should know you, of course-see if !
wouldn't. You've got great dark liquid eyes,
such as poets rave over, with dark curling
lashes, and Pickering color on your cheek,
and thick waves of light brown hair; you're
tall and slender, and have fatal dimple in
your chin. Therer'
ssYou've omitted my principal feature !;
otherwise you latter my poor face and fig
ure."
sob, aquiline nose; and, let me add, you
are fond of perfumes and Jewels"
u am fond of one Pearl, certainly"
'tNow it is your turn to portray"
"Lucy:"Wel, your eyes are large and blue,
like forget-me-nots.
"Aunt Hidden says they're like burned
holes in a blanket. Don't deceive yourself"
"Your nose is Grecian'
1T has earned me the name of Pug at
home, however-not willing to contradict
such a Daniel as yourself"
'sYour complexion is like the lily"
'Pad, by your leave"
'Your hair is a skein of yellow floss"
"Pardon me; they call it unmitigated red
at Jones's Station; but no doubt they are
color-blind.''
Sometimes they conversed in this novel
manner about the books they had read, and
the Journeys they would take when their
ships came in; about the music they thirsted
to hear; about Now and Hereafter.
ut struck me Odly the other day." tele-
graphed Pearl, ''that had never heard your
voice. Wonder if should recognize it.
When listen to the 'Irdumere2 which
somebody plays next door, 1 seem TO hear
You speaking TO me-
Lucy: 'sYou shall hear me some day-to
some purpose"
Il hope so. Would any one believe that a
seen each other could be so sweet? l some
times fear that it's too good to last"
Don't you ever come to Nineveh, shop.
pingw
''No. Pm too poor. don't mind telling
1t, because l suspect you of the same infirm-
ity. Don't you ever come to Jones' Sta
tion?"
1'Often-in spirit"
81 used to be so miserable before 1 knew
you! used to think there couldn't be any.
body SO unhappy. The beggar woman had
her child, the old crones at the work-house
were friendly with each other, the hump.
backed girl in the alley had sister; and
now I-have frfendv'
Friendship is love without the wings,
the poet says. Wouldn't you rather say I
have lover?'
''Now you're teasing. There's no love
worth having without friendship for foun-
dation." as ff-- 49,
"Amen."
Later.
'Pm going to eonfide to you how foolish
I've been. l was invited to a ball-a county
ball. Cousins Liz, Belle, and Fan accepted
mduc buclT SOWuS-SuCu U6duLl6S ptnK aDO
blueand sea-green tarlatans, like sweet clouds.
felt like Cinderella and sat down and had a
good enjoyable cry after they were gone. ]
had nothing but my old brown alpaca to wear
I couldn't sleep half the night, thinking Of
what had lost-such giddy galops, such may
quadriles! though of course l would have
been wall-fowerw
"The flower that all are praising."
"No; nobody but you."
mo? l fancy you resemble the woman
heard clergyman praise in his sermon last
Sunday, with whom he said it was pleasanter
to meet than poem Of Browning's, Paul's
epistle, or chapter Of Epictetusp'
81 shan't listen to such flattery. Our meet
ing will be one of disillusions."
Sometimes the kilograms were after this
Pearl: sWhat are the latest things out in
suits at Nineveh ?''
Lucy: "The young men,
mo trifng. How are overskirts ?'
VERY much pulled up.''
Perhaps you can tell how they dress the
hair now?"
"With brush and comb still.'
81 mean is it worn off the forehead DOW ?''
sit is very much worn off the foreheads oil
the young ladies who erimp, and off the
crowns of the men who live in their hats
GLOW 40 you wear your own, pray9"
splendid! Have you such thing as