The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1876-06-15
rmn rosr orricE.


for letters. aud we direct any envelope
that hapens 10 turn up, and hand it ont
and they pay postage We hsd all sorts
Of things at The fair ish ponds aud grab
bags. Il was mean TO put 50 many tracts
In those, do say; and, as ] told You, we
KEEP, tic post office, aud don't know
how Il came into my head 20 write two
letters, just alike Meet me at lhe oak
tree II you have not forgotten Che past,
aud put them into pink envelopes; but
we wrote trash Of all kinds, Of course.
The oak tree was Just outside the room
where we held the fair, tho big room
Of the academy; and there was nice
bench therei so il struck me to write The
notes.
Give one to lady and one to gentle
man, said l. Aud Ann Lunn who De.
| liyered the letters, laughed merrIy.
Whoever gets those will be sure to so
to the tree, she said; aud almost as She
spoke, up came DR.. Steelwaggon, the old
bachelor in Bluehill, and putting his head
in at the window, said slowly:
Young ladies' are there any letters for
me?
/ Yes sir; one for DR.. Steelwaggon,
cried Ann tossing me. a pink envelope,
and addressed It. lie paid a liberal pos
tage-he was sure to do that-and away
he went
| Watch him for hall an hour, and you
will see him go to the old OAK said Ann.
And sure enough, in less time than that,
we saw him make his way out of the hall
and sit down under the tree in the noon
| light.
Men never lose their vanity, said Ann.
DO women? Let us discover, said |.
Aud ] saw old Miss Barnet coming
toward the office, and directed the other
pink envelope to her.
In moment up she came smiling "a
pretty old lady in black silk, with the
incest littlerufiies ofreal lace at her neck.
Have you letters for me, my dear? she
said.
One, Miss Barnet, said Ann.
She handed out the pink envelope num-
Der two, as she spoke.
II were Young lady, should think
this was love letter! she said, as she
walked away.
win she go to the oak? asked,
We shall soon see, said Ann.
And though she did not 80 so soon, it
was not long before we saw her gliding
out of the hall and walking very slowly
indeed to the bench where Dr. Steclwag
gon sat.
lie arose as she came near; be bowed.
She courtesied. They sat down together.
After while they arose aud walked
away arm in arm.
Didn't tell you?
OF course when they met they had
chat, said l. They were two old neigh
| bors.
But Ann would joke, and say all sorts
Of things Of course.
Well, we were busy with the fair, and
forgot all about that little incident soon,
and when the fair was over there was
still good deal to do, until one day we
all went up to the minister's house to
count up what we made, and talk things
over, when, as we were counting the
gains of the post office, the minister's
wife suddenly cried out:
4 Oh, girls, we are to have wedding
here tonight. And The post office brought
4 it about. Miss Barnet is 10 marry DR.
Steelwaggon, aud all because OF two let
/ ters they got at your Office.
You see, long ago, when she was a
pretty girl, and he a handsome young
man, the two were engaged, and loved
each other dearly. But they quarrelled
somehow, as lovers do, now and then,
aud separated. From that day to this
they have never spoken TO each other.
But neither Of them, as You know, have
ever married, and lately Miss Barnet told
4 me tDb iihl DtSh " tuiih th"f tNS 'P9S
tor must have loved her more than she
thought, else he would have had a wife.
Men can always marry II they please you
know.
And then she knew very well there
had never been any one to her ike the
Doctor.
4 She thought as she walked about the
fair how happy the old couples looked
arm in arm, and perhaps he thought 20
TOO. Indeed be had told her 30 since.
And when she walked up to the office she
was thinking how handsome he was yet
sud when she opened her letter and read (;
Meet me at the oak tree il you have
not forgotten the past.
1t gave her quite a nervous feeling, and
after awhile she walked slowly along to
tie door aud looked out Tie moon
shono brightly over The lawn, aud there,
under the oak tree, in the middle cat the
doctor himself Had be written her let
Ter? She walked on toward the tree,
not meaning TO seem 70 zee him uzless be
spoke; but be did speak. lie arose and
bowed.
Miss Barnet, be said, hope see you
well.
Aud she said
Thank you, quite well, Dr. sLeelwag-
gon.
And these were the first words they
had spoken since thirty years ago.
: she hAd said 10 him;
: Itis perfectly certain that We haye
. made a great mistake ID thinking We