The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1877-10-03
OLD LET7ERs.
By ADRIENEE sroSE

Written for the mofrlst08n 0azette.
Says distinguished writer: Life is
too busy to read over old letters, and
every day bringing its own cares and du-
ties we are left without opportunity of
retracing the past We do well. to burn
them, lest their accumulation become
burdeusome. a. -s-z----
This. does not seem to be, o. popular
doctrine, for where is the family with
out its hoard of these silent messengers
of the past
The ink is faded, and the paper is yell
low as parchment, yet no one has the
heart to destroy them. Sometimes, in
deed, the busy housewife, when taking
the "Spring cleaning-up" essays to get
rid of these intruders, but it usually
ends in their being returned to their
places to feed the moth, but not the
flame.
Did you ever sit down with the delib-
erately formed intention of destroying a
box of old letters
fancy that all of us have, upon some
dreamful rainy day, grown strong, and
resolved to destroy these silent intrud-
ers.
You sit down beside the trunk and
take them up; then with fingers hall
tremulous unite the faded ribbon that
binds them together. The rain is play
ing a soft monody upon the roof, and
the wind sounds like dirge 1t must
be this which makes your heart so ten
der, and your eyes half dim, as you open
a worn package and begin to read.
This is long, and hopeful letter from
friend who is on the eve of his depart
ure for the West. His heart is light
and beats bravely, for no shadow of the
future dims the brightness of his hori
zon. He tells you that if he makes one
half the money which he surely can, he
will return and cheer his mother IN hel
old age with every luxury of wealth
and claim his blue eyed Annie for his
bride Alas you remember the home
coming A man broken in health an6
fortune to weep above his mother'l
grave, while the girl he loved is the
wife of another. You would rather
burn that, for it is sad commentary OF
human life.
The next containS-yOur first offer
| You smile now to read that he will
certainly die if you do not consent II
bless him, and laughingly think of hi
third wife You will scarcely destroy
that, for where is the woman so old il
years and sorrow that she would will
ingly forget the day when her heart wa
all in flutter at receiving her first of
fer? You did not know then that Their
was in all the world such q thing a
falseness or change.
They warm the heart, these memorie
of our youthful trust, ere we had Learned
the wisdom that is so true, but . s.
sorrowful
You open another letter, and curl
bright and golden even now falls at you
feet. All me how woll you remem5e
them-the bonny, sunshine tresses o
your school-day idol the merry desk
mate whose winsome ways were the de
light of your girlish heart. How tn
wind used to frolic through those wilfu
tresses, while the brightest sunbeam
chose them for hiding place. Dea
Lucy all the old tenderness comes owe
you, as you read the closely writtel
pages. This letter tells of her first en-
gagement-she broke it the next week
and twenty after it I She is sure sh
has met her fate, and has visions of sing
ing in her old age,
John Anderson-my 10 john"
You cannot repress smile as yol
think what a prim old maid she now is
This bundle contains your mother
letters! filled with words of cheer ant
comfort for you, when you know tina
her own heart sore needed comforter
Bitter, binding tears fill your eyes, ant
"a hopeless pain comes into your heart a
the thought that she who wrote thes
loving words can never more come bacl
to yOu-that this dear mother sleeps un
der the daisies.
With a sigh you gather up the variOu
packages saying Not now-I canno
burn them now" and tenderly, as W,
put away the dead, return them to thei
resting-place.