The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1875-02-19

herself. Many time during the next Tort
night when she thought of that letter her
foolish heart gave jump and startled her /;
many time she wished II unwriiten. just
a. tar older and wiser people have wished
before her. Indeed. when one stops Ia
/ philosophize about life and society. il seems
a matter Of question a. Ia whether women
really ought ever TO learn To write. From
( the standpoint of social economy, does
not that widespread accomplishment ON
I the whole cost more than il comes TO:
am afraid il does.
But the world still moves, for an the
silly little women, and their love affairs
and letters. who revolye with il. Joseph
ine Beacon and the rest of her family had
sailed week. when one day Mrs. Gray
selected from the letters her man brought
from the post-oflice-iOr Nelly had given
up walking down Tor the noon mail or any
other mail lately-a thick white envelope,
with an elaborate monogram stamped on
the flap. directed in mans hand 10 Nelly.
and pOstmarked Boston. That young wo-
man turned very pale, and then blushed
10 the roots OF her hair a. she received the
letter; she did not mean TO do either, bu;
these involuntary signals If trepidation
fitted in with her wicked little plot admira-
bly,, though Ih,y were only symptoms OF
the absolute fear and dismay of her evil
conscience Mrs. Gray could not but no.
tice the astonishing blush. which deepened
and spread as Nelly. after carefully cutting
open the cover, proceeded To read this
mysterious epistle. A look of mingled
amusement ard dismay followed the blush,
then she turned to poor Mrs. GRAY. and in
a very faltering manner, pinching her
thumbs tightly first with one hand and
then with the other. while the letter fell
10 the table by which she stood, she pro-
ceeSlel in this wise:
= \ on see, mamma, thought | ought
10 help you little; you want 30 much 10
have me marry distinguished man that
I've thought good deal about il. | think
girls are in hard place the people their
fathers and mothers want them 10 marry
don't ask them, and then they are blamed
because they want 10 marry people who
do ask them. What on earth is girl To
do: | thoughtabout il ever so much, and
didn't see any way out of II but TO act
for myself; so just wrote q letfer-well
II isn't so dreadful. after all. 1 don't see
any great harm in telling man how il j.
you aren't allowed TO marry nice. re-
spectacle young man. there Nelly sObbed
effectively. and went on with ehasrlv
frankness.l be-becauSe your mother
wants YOU To marry somebody that i.
wonderful, distinguished. intellectual or
poetic. or something; and that you don't
see many such people; and that you've
heard great deal OF one of 'em. and biz
knowledge and his essays on the Greek
little things; and you've got thirty thou
sand dollars Of your very own; beside.
some people think you're pretty, and
every body knows you're only nineteen.
and 80 wouldn't he like TO write 10 YOU
and Sf.-f
Mrs. Gray sat in her chair bolt-upright.
Ike a petrified woman. She stared at
Nelly with great dark eyes, black a.
ghosts: Dsst that little wretch eyes were
cast down like q young Madonna's. and
the letter which she had picked up from
the table she now held OUT 10 her mother.
And then 1 got this letter. I'm sorry.
but. You see. il can't be helped. Won't
You read il. please -
Mrs. Cray took the letter silently and
mechanically and read il through. IL was
manifestly written by a gentleman. deli
cately expressed. with no suggestion of
contempt or amusement The man said T
he could not reply in the affirmative 10
this young lady's suggestions. a. he was
already engaged 20 a lady whom he hal
long known and deeply loved; hut il he .
might offer little advice TO his fair young
friend. il would b. 10 have patience and \
II her mother found she was firm IN her 4
already formed attachment. no doubt she I
would consent In time to the marriage 4
she now deprecated. and he must be per- K
united Ia sign himself. faithfully and r. \
spectfully. your friend. Herbert Dyver.-
Now Mrs Gray was good woman, and
never used explosives. but the occasion 4
was too much for her.
Good Heavens :" said she. dropping
the letter a. IL it had been retl-hot. Cor \
nelia Gray. what have You dones What
will MIR. Dyver think Of mes What will \
every body say: you dreadful, dreadful
Here Nelly began to cry-She really
do any thing else and she began
t. feel like one "hoisr with his own be-
tard ~ but il was too late 10 help il.
:" I'm sure no body Will marry YOU now.
not even Dr. Byles. should be thankful
4 he would. I'm sure,'
A furtive smile fiickered through Nelly's
ears. rainbow-fashiOn. but she sobbed a
little louder: and Mrs. Gray was too an
yry. too disnaycd. TO inspect the variable
Fisage. She went on in undated wrath.
81 shall write to Mr.. Dyver this very
lay. and explain the whole thing; and /
hall send for DIR. Byle and tell him the
whole thing; ii he wants To marry YOU, he
hall know just what he undertakes. 1
couldn't answer Ii TO my conscience not to
have him know all about it,"
When Mrs. Gray's conscience got the
upper hand of her. Nelly knew what 10
Expect; she Left her mother seated at her
iesk. with an expression like John Rod
yers's IN the primer on her face, and a
luire of note-paper before her. half Of it
'oon wasted in attempts 10 write letter
hat should at once vindicate herself, ex-
use Nelly. and assure Mr.. Divers silence.
Mrs. Gray did not understand the world
.nough to know that the man who could
write such letter would never speak of
{. A for Miss Nelly. she washed her
ace Of tears, took her broad hat. and went