The Morning herald., 1876-09-04
THE LOST LETTER,
y, ,,,surp ynox rBsrrRDArs EDITION

/
= y thnse - hitter mistakes which are the great
10 1assons Of life, that such char.
,sIsv ua,er learns that self-reliance, exercised
aG.I, s;,h delibgration and humility, is the only
m.tn 1afaauard for individual rectitude. Emily,
,Ssrsfore did not write, but lived on in the
silent wasting agony Of constant expecta-
sS .;on and perpetual disappointment. Her
mother, in the hope Of affording her some
, relief inquired in letter she was writing
, ~ ber relative in London, if the latter had
lo,alv M seen Mr.. Hayforth. The answer
.r. ~ss like deathblow to poor Emily. Her
mother's correspondent had "met Mr.. Hay.
firth walking with lady. He had passed
her her with a very stiff bow, and seemed in,
eIined Iii 10 avoid her. He had not called
% sr lonp time, She could not at un un-
dsrstand % it." Colonel Sherwood could now
M longer contain his Indignation. He
% Gn,hsde the mention of Philip Havforth's
s.me ,v declaring that "his Emily was far
ns ,oo GOOD and beautiful for the wife Of q
1owsbo,n Inv tradesman, and that he deserved
.Ia % ;ndignity now thrown upon bis family
M e., ever having thought Of degrading it by
tho M remission of such union. And his
darling child would, he knew, bear up
~;,h The spirit OF the Sherwoods." Poor
Em;lv EN-, had, it is to be feared, little Of the
,uiriti Of tae eherwoods, but she tried to
hear up from perhaps as good motive.
Rnt II was difficult task, for she was well
nigh broken-hearted. She now never men
",,e,J ph;l;n Havtorth. and to all appear
l's :. connection with him was if it had
aacs aa0sr ne heen but, waking or sleeping, he
never It,, arar uerm nrssen, TO her thoughts. On
wa. va.it a indeed possible that she should never
pevar na' ~ ,ash see him again? 70. j could not
be; he would seek her, claim 2ef ~ ~ =
heart said but reason whispered tna' >. :.
was madness to think SO, and bade her o.
once make up her mind to her inevitable
fate. But this she could not do-not yet
at all events. Month after month OF the
long dreary winter dragged slowly on; her
kind parents tried to dissipate her melan-
choly by taking her to every amusement
within reach, and she went, partly from
indifference as to what became OF her,
partly out of gratitude for their kindness;
At last the days began to lengthen, ana
the weather to brighten; but spring How
ey and sunny skies brought no cores
pondiug bloom to the faded hopes and the
Joyous life Of Emily Sherwood. The only
hope she felt was "the hope which keeps
alive despair.
One May morning, as she was listlessly
looking over in newspaper the list Of
marriages. her eye fell upon wel!-known
name-the name Of one who at that very
time ought to have knelt at the alter with
her. She uttered neither scream nor crv,
but clasping her hands, with one upward
look Of mute despair, fell down in dead
lalnt For many days she was very i'll,
snd sometimes quite delirious but her
mother tended her with the most assiduous
Affection, while her comfort and recreation
seemed her fathers sole care. They were
repaid at last by her recovery, and from
that time forth she was less miserable. In
such case as Emilys there is not only the
shock to the affections, but the terrible
wrench of all the faculties to be overcome,
which easues on the diverse of the thoughts
from those objects and that future to which
they have so long been welded. There is
not only the breaking heart to be healed,
out the whole mental current to be forcibly
turned into different channel from that
which alone habit has made easy or pleas
ant 'The worst" as it is called, is how
ever, easier TO be endured than suspense;
and if Emily's spirits did not regain their
'olner elasticity, she ere long became quite
resigned, and comparatively cheerful
More than year had elasped since that
bright spring morning on which she had
Deheld the irrefragable proof of her lovers
pe'hdy, when she received an offer Of mar
'lege from gentleman Of good family and
safse property. He had been struck by
asf beauty at party where he had seen
Asl,; and after few meetings, made for
nal proposals. to her father almost ere she
was aware that he admired her. Much
avese to form new engagement, she
'S, s9ald at once have declined receiving his
auure'ses, aa had her parents not earnestly
R;es'ed p;s' the match as one in every respect
ashly elirible. Overcome at last by their
nmapoaFtonltles, na and having, as she thought,
n.y.. nv ooect In existence save to give pleas
r;l ,is !" them, she yielded so far to their
,,s ,r'lles as to consent to receive Mr.. Beauch-
,SaI aap as her future husband, on condition
;'' I;',. ne should be made acquainted with the
ss s,''ry OF her previous engagement, and
.'.. a' present state Of her feelings. She
JA.'e'y hoped that when he learned that
"S ssis 1'ad no heart to give with her hand, he
s;ulI withdraw his suit. But she was
IDs rslaken' Mr.. Beauchamp, it is true,
iasW ias That there was such word as heart,
WV ms notion that it was term much in
ss. Ssue with novel writers, and was some
nans r~ss mentioned by parsons in their SER
S;u s olt that the heart could have any
,ss1s. ,ssus 10 DO with the serious affairs OF life
rss N,sf once entered into his head to sup
Iss.; Ill., lie therefore testified as much sat-
,,aSaa v,,Gn at !. Emily's answer as if she had