Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-01-15
DELID LETTERS.

of rest, compared to the constant drag,
drag In that lonely business which took
up all his day hours in work and all his
night hours in dreams. Two weeks away
from the constant reading of letters which
were written for other eyes than his! How
he ever got into the Dead-letter Office he
couldn't say, and how ho ever staid there
| without growing wild TO the extent of pull
ing out al his hair and ramming pens In
to his brown eyes, he couldn't for the life
| of him tell. Ho had staid on two years,
and was much honorcd, in small way, as
a skillful clerk in the department. He
couldn't tell why again. In fact, his ca
reer was a series of "couldn't- oll-whys,"
which, however, were tAe cogs TO the
wheels which kept his life agoing. Casual
Observer might have told why he was con-
sidered one Of the best clerks in tho de-
| parIment, and said Observer would have
rem irkcd thIt ii WIS because he Tlere !!
I've got just 80 far without usina a name,
aud noped I'd get clear through the sto-
| ry without committing myself; but it's no
use. These pronouns are terribly acting
things, and shall have to get name for
tho che" before the last dash, or Shall be
unable 10 proceed any further. Well, Tom
will do, won't it? Toms name, and there
are lots Of Toms in Washington, aud sew
eral Toms in the Dead letter ONCE. Now,
then, we'll take another start with Tom
aud the Observer.
l say that the Observer woIld have re-
marked that it (go back few lines for the
explanation of the "it') wa, because Tom
had very tender heart in his possession.
sad thing to have u tender heart when
you're dealing with persons, they say.
Tom thought it was saddCr when dealing
with letters. lie would choke fifty times
each day while reading some earnest,
heartfelt epistle which. despite the love anu
fidelity mothers hand had buried in the
lines, bad miscarried, nor would ever
reach dear sons eyes. Or perhaps it
was a.hri', stIOng caIl-sirong in tears
. ii struns in love, which world never
bring blck to the homc-iold strdying
daughter.
Tue letters Tpm read with a hearlache
which spread like neuralgia, and somehow
filled his whole body with an untold pain,
were by the thousand year; uut his in
terest in the sad cases WAS never ila2gIng,
and lie always made a good push To have
the letters which came from loving hands
| foT loved ones lake one more chance Of
reaching their destination. II Toms sue
cesses had been each block of granite, the
Washington Monument would have been
! completed over eleven months ago.
Tom was to have two weeks vacation
two weeks commencing in two days. lie
wasn't often idle, but this morning he had
one Of the batch OF letiers-epistolary
corpses-and sat thinking Of anything but
his work. Where should he go in vaca-
tion? There was no mother, or brother,
or sister waiting for him TO come home.
Thore were no kisses of welcome waiting
for him among the green hills or by pleas
ant singing waters. Where should he go {?
IIeisho! lie couldn't make up his mind.
With a shake like cat awaking, he came
back TO his work auk gazed on the one let
ter from many in pile before him, be had
semi-unconsciously taken MP. Thc direc-
ton of the letter was as follows:
MISS CLARA L. BENNETT.
ct. ALBANs,
Vermont.
The pos,-mark bore the name Of Provi-
dence, Rhode Island, and date of July 90.
On the other side Of the envelope was
pretty monogram of three letters, f. II,
w, or w. II. T., or II. w. f., or some
combination, Tom couldn't decide which.
So he opened The letter and read;
"CLARA-My heart is nigh breakin
May l not come back? l was wholly
wrong; but my love for you made me un-
reasonably eXactiug and unwilling to yield
Forgive mo for Heavens sake, and say |
may come 10 you. | will wait one week
more in Providence, 10 hear from you. d.
write. FRANK"
No date and no signature. "Just like q
man in love r. said Tom. "The only thing
settled is that the first letter of that mono
gram is an f., a blue +. That doesn'I
amount to anything. I don't know thG
second leter-I mean which ii is" Some
how he was led To put the letter one sidt
instead Of throwing il in tho waste recep
tac!c. He thought he'd like To look al tha
monogram once more, 1t was such pretty
monogram.
Five, six, seven, eight, nine more letters
read, and nothing in the shape of business
yet. Number ten was In a small delicate
haud, directed as follows:
MR.. FRANK II. WENDELL,
ST. ALnANs,
T Vermont.
This letter bore date OF July 81, and post
mark, Fiichburg, Massachusetts.
! Tom had quite forgotten for a momen
T. the other 81. Albaus letter, but of a sud
4 den he cried to himself "Hullo! 81. Alban
is full Of business to-ddyw lie then open
: ed and read:
my DEAR FRANK: l only hope yo
: have gone back 10 ST. Albans, for heavel
!. alone knows how else this may reach you
n l take my only chance, ii seems to me
left for happiness. l must write, since IN
heart Will not let me sit longer, and fee
on my own sorrow without breaking
u Dear, since you went away from me o
= that sad, sad night, not one moment q
n peace, no day wuen a song was pleasant (
bPa.. no day wheu could sit silently gll
uHs come 10 NE. Only longing for You.
Y was proud aud angry that you could nc
j. trust ne; aud though could easily hay
IA explained, | would not. /, for that shol
half hour, believed 1 could bear every
q thing, since l bore your harsh words "a
they then seemed.) Now l know / wa
l. wrong. Darling will you not write 10 M .
~ just one word TO say you forgive me, an
b II you can, say you still love me? Snall
: never see you again? Dear heart, l WI
II never anything hut true to you, and that
= can show If you will cone TO me or let nj
write TO you. VIII you not write to me
just one letter, and will bless you eac
Dr. day l live, if God makes me to live thol
a sand years.
4 Always being, am still, only yours,
CLARA Il. DENNETT,
" Wallace street, Fitchburg
Of p. ST. am with my cousin, passing Il
4 summer, and, unless L hear from yo
lrnG i naN ssafV, -, ll,as,