The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-11-20
THAT LETTER.

AT thirty -lVe Farrell cambridge had en-
gagged himself to marry Grace Harrison.
She was ten years younger than he, which
according to his theory was quite as it ought
to be, for he had always had notion that he
would like to be the head Of his household,
and he had observed among his friends that
those who had married ladies decidedly
their juniors seemed to command a defer
ence from their mates which husbands
matched more equally in respect of age did
not secure without considerable effort, If at
all. In these leyeling days, when hus-
band could no longer count on the prestige
of sex which stood his forefathers in such
good stead, it behooved him, according to
Farrell, to avail himself Of such assistance
toward the maintenance of marital authority
as the principle of seniority, itself also some
what in decay, could lend.
would not convey the idea that any I'M
romantic degree of common-sense had en-
tered into Farrel's engagement. 1t had
been real loves affair, and doubtless if the
young lady had turned out to be some years
older instead Of younger than himself, he
would have had no difficulty in discovering
some theory equally plausible for reconcil-
ing that fact with his ideal of the marriage
relation.
From the lady's point Of view, on the 9TH
er hand, there are disadvantages as well as
advantages connected with marrying a hus-
band decidedly maturer than herself. A dis
advantage is that he has probably sown more
has probably got done sowing them. Now
Farrell had never had a bad name for fast
living and had never deserved one, but there
had been passages in his life which he would
have been excessively panic-stricken to have
had come to the knowledge of Grace. Nor
would the panic have been merely an I'M
worthy cowardice. He had done with his
past. He was about to begin with her new
life. He wanted to feel this new life separate
and distinct from the other To have had
any painful mutual consciousness between
them regarding the past would have taken
away much of the inspiration for new de-
parture in living which her unsuspecting
confidence gave him.
The engagement had been short one. A
certain morning about a month previous to
the time fixed for the wedding. Farrell sat
writing Il letter to his betrOthed-for he
lived and did his work in a large city some
hundreds of miles from the New England
village where she resided with her parents.
As he was finishing his letter to Grace an
errand boy brought him in a note. He tore
it open, glanced it over quickly, and then
frowningly read it again, as many as three
times. Then, muttering between his teeth,
ats the last time, any how" he wrote a
few words OH piece of paper and folding it
up with the communication he had received
put them together into an envelope. Then,
putting his letter to Grace in an envelope
he directed both and went out to the Post
office. The office was busy and crowded
with coming and going people, for it was
near time for closing the noon mails. Farrell
took his two letters from his pocket and
dropped one of them through the narrow slit
into the letter box. 1t was the one addressed
to Miss Grace Harrison.
He was about to drop the other after it
when it struck him that it was heavier than
he had thought, and at the same moment he
recalled that tie letter to Grace as he drop
ped it in had seemed rather light. He felt
of the letter in his hand more carefully; he
raised it against the light, then quickly tore
it open. 1t contained his letter to Grace.
The envelope directed to Grace which he
had just dropped into the box contained the
other letter. Yes, by peering into the slit
through which he had dropped it he could
see it lying there. 1t had fallen face up. He
could see the direction. 1t was very plainly
written. He always took particular pains in
writing to Grace to write very plainly, for
she had scolded him for his illegible hand.
LII was very sure, confoundedly sure, to go
straight to her. The stupidest clerk, the
blindest letter carrer, could make no mis-
take about that.
AS he stood stupidity peering through the
slit at the letter lying at the bottom of the
box within, he was iostled by man with. a
letter to drop. When the man had gone
away Farrell looked through the slit again,
and saw that his letter was partly covered
with the other. As he observed this he was
again jostled by boy with handful of let
tiers. The boy looked sharply at him. 1t
occurred to Farrell that the boy suspected
him of wanting to rob the mail. Well, he
did. That was just what he wanted to do
He would have done it in q moment if he
could have got his arm through that slit.
He stood aside out of the rush of people
and leaned against the wall, trying to think
what he should do. He holds still IN his
hand the misdisected envelope containing
his letter to Grace. Let us glance at the adj
dress:
Mr.. ROBERT FREEMAN,
SteaUdrd -- Club,