The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-05-18
A copy of this epistle has been saved, and
rms as follows:


and precious favor came promptly to hand and con-
ten is noted. we-lhat is your sainted mother and
mysefare glad TO hear that the draft for $3.50 came
promptly TO hand and trust that the balance OF so
which you retained after paying Nine Brimborions
bill will be sufficient for you to purchase laces
bellows, bonnets shoe ties and hosiery suitable to the
season and the fashi ons. We Chat is your mother
who is still unable to write by of sore finger
and myself hope you Will not spare any expense TO
clothe yourself equal to your schoomates we note
what you say about Mary Ricketts, new silk dress,
that cost SIS You are to see that SIS and 90 her
$50 500 better. drawing us tor the balance If
short. Raise the Rckett girl or bust. We trust YOU
are careful Of Your health and do not tartake too
and music le ssons are the same We frust thai Won
wrap up ARMY when you g. out, and are careful
about your fa nes Ia that deadfa ea,tern climate and
always wear your rubbers. The wheat crop tbis wear
will average nearly forty bushels to the acre or SIM
ply each inhabant Of the state with forty-four bar
tation. With the Pacific railroad finished and he
effete nations of Europe and Asia knocking at tbe
Golden Gaze for breadstufs, the time is not far dis
taut when the state will be entirely se-proiucing
We often picture you dear child sitting yonr tasks
your brieh eyes occasionally dropping in Ieverie as
wander with us throus these din woodsWGod,s
first tenples-and eathe with US the infinite peace
OF solitude, OF reflect that long before we had being
or existence these grand old monarchs looked down
| on others as they look down on us? Do you? We
hope-that is, your mother aud myself trust you do
although we earnestly beg and implore you not to
dream of visiting us here. For the society is quite
untitled for person OF your age and sex. Murder
not unfrequenty stalks abroad and sluice robbing is
as common as the red hand of the assassin. Scarcely
day passes that we do not consign some victim to
tho silent tomb Consumption is epidemic and small
his prey. The face of beauty fades quickly through
pestilential fever now quite commOn, and the
qusite daughter Of one OF the first families has been
taken for an Indian squaw by reason of the same.
Freckles are paramount. The hair withers and falls
the teeth likewise the same. Much as we hope to
behold that darling face, we could not expose you
such certain ruin. Your mother tainted on reading
your request to visit her. fear 10 her present state
value DaTeDts, love hannah this idea from
mind. In few years prCbably,we win be able to once
more clasp you in our arms by the Atlantic shores.
YOUR AFFECTIONATE PARENTS.
Six weeks had elapsed and the dutifu an
swer to the above, confidently looked for by
the guardians, was due. Nevertheless, as the
time approached some nervousness on the
part of Fleet was manifested by that gentle
mans unrest and his frequent visits to Cap
tain Rats, to whom all letters addressed to
| their deceased friend were delivered. ''Noth-
ing from the young lady yet, suppose"
Fleet would say, indiferently. "No" the
captain would respond quietly. 81 reckon
it'll take her about two weeks to get over her
disappointment. Then she'll write sassy
like as motor mebbee not at ALL" Fleet
turned pale, then red, and then bit his NOUS
tache. ''You don't think, captain" he asked
with an affected laugh, shat we were little
just a little too hard ?" mot too much for
peace and quetness," remarked the captain
gravey; "women don't take half way 'no;'
they can't believe man means it," he added,
''any more than they do" Nevertheless, the
captain himself grew little anxious, and hay
ing to visit Sacramento. left strict orders with
his comrades that he was to be recalled
promptly on the arrival of Miss Fanny's reply.
But his visit was not interrupted, and it
was nearly three weeks later that he mount
ed the box seat of the Pioneer coach to return
to Lagrange. As he settled himself beside the
driver. after the interchange of few compli.
mentary epithets, his eye glanced down to-
ward the wheels, and was attracted by an OPP
en- letter, and part of female head obtruded
from the coadh. The fair reader had evident
ly thus sought to evade the gloom of the
coach's interior, and possibly the prying eyes
OF her fellow passengers, while she perused it.
But why did the captains withered cheeks
instantly lose color, and why did he convul-
sively clasp the railing by his side. The let
ter was in bis own handwriting, and had
been mailed to Miss Fanny six weeks before!
1t was impossible even by the utmost cram
ing, and at the risk of his life, to see anything
more than bit of lace, some artificial flowers,
front of blond hair, and the fatal letter.
Yet his guilty conscience instantly recognized
in these scant facts the formidable present.
ment of the deceived orphan. Had she dis
covered the trick, and was now on their trail,
with this terrible indictment in her hand? Or
was oAO oblll III ISuOIduC6-du ISuOEdUC6
which single chance question and answer
now might dispel, amid Paintings, shrieks,
tears, and wsiling? Captain Rats grew apo
plectic with bewiderment; he dared not even
ask question of the driver, who was already
beginning to survey him with sardonic leer,
and had audibly sought information if he, the
captain, called this kind of conduct proper at
''his time O. life." s'Let the gal alone, Rats
don't you see it amt love letter from YOU
inn hn oil lodi tate
that again covered the captain with guilty
bushes. But sudden jolt of the vehicle,
little shrek, and the futtering of the letter
to the road, Jared from the readers fingers,
gave the captain providential opportunity.
To jump from the box to the road and seize
the truant epistle was the work of moment.
When he approached the coach to restore it
to its fair owner another passenger had APP
propliated his own seat on the box, and thus
gave color and reason for his exchange to the
"inside." The young lady thanked him, the
coach again started forward, and Capt. Rats
fell into the seat beside her. Here was the
supreme moment! With profuse apology,
the captain drew his knees together, slipped
into respectfully diagonal position, SO as to
oppose the narrowest point of contact with
her, and carefully busted his knees and her
dress softly with his handkerchief. The shy
est nymph would scarcely have been startled,
the coolest and most antiquated of duennas
would not have been discomposed by the SUBJ
missive respect of the captain. The young
lady, who evidently was neither, turned a
pair OF large gray eyes on her neighbor, and
sat expectant. But how the captain i'm
proved his chances must refer the reader to
his own account of the interview, delivered
gravely the same evening to bis brother guar
dams:
''When saw we was in for it, boys" he
said rubbing his knees upward softly, II
kinder measured the gal afore commenced,
to see what sort of a hand she might hold.
But you couldn't hev told anything by her
looks. And short of axing her a downright
sassy question, you couldn't get word out
of her about her own business, or what she
war up to. And then-well," continued the
Captain, with languid smile of conscious
success, 81 calkilated that this was one o.
them peculiar cases that wanted skill and
science, and I jst applied 'em, and in course
won. That's all. Yes" said the Captain,
with yawn of stifed Indifference, SITS ali
right now, boys, everything explained
'sBut how?" queried the others eagerly.
SWELL" said the Captain, lazly, 81 sorter
slipped into general conversati on about the
opery. the fashions and poetry, and slch.
Speakin' o. literatooor, told her of yarn
then, kinder keelless and easy, jist up and
told her the whole storyabout her father and
US and herself, giving her the name O. Ser
aphina, calling you and Horton Oscar and
'Roderigo.' and Fleet 'Gustavus,' and my
self sRodentio,' which is Latin for Rats
Well, if do say it myself, it wasn't no
SLOUGH of story, fur was kinder clipper
and fresh, and the other passengers was jist
about as much interested az she was. Then
sorter looked in her eye, you know, this
way" and Capt. Rats here achieved pecu-
liarly Jesuitical leer, "and said that allowed
1t wasn't true, and asked her what she
thought about it as a true story. And she
said it might be true and it might not, bat it
was quite interesting. Them's her very
words, gentlemen"
...Well. go on" said the Colonel, eagerly.
''Thats allp'
"Al! allp' shrieked the guardians to-
gether. Didn't she say anything else?
Didn't you-''
MARY" said the Captain, cooly. '.But it's
all right, boys. You'll see.''
Horton seized Captain Rats by one shout
der and the Colonel grappled the other. For
few seconds they shook him furiously.
Where is she now, you blank, blank mule
Answer usP'
T I>o3z