The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1881-06-01
THE LOVE LETTER.

IHE LUf II LEI 4 Elh.
| "Well, whoever heard the like" cried
Fanny Harper, as she entered the parlor
and threw herself on the sofa. "Guess,
mamma, ii you can, what has just hap,
pened."
"Im sure I don't know. Pcrhap,
Sam and Tom have been quawcling
Dear me, what torments those children
are!"
"No; they are both at school. Guess
again, mamma"
"Well then, I dare say that odous
Mrs. Sharp has been limiting that | wear
false hair. False hair, indeed! then,
Why"
"No such thing" interrupted Fanny;
"ten times worse"
"Ten times worseT cried Mrs. Harper,
turning pale. ooh Fanny, tell me"
"Well, said Fanny, sobbing, Julia
Somers is engaged"
Engaged? Well wonder what peo-
pie will come to next!'
Eyes, really engaged. If there was
a girl in whom | thought | could place
perfect confidence, it was Julia Somers.
Only month ago she joined ollr anti
matrimonial society. Oh, mamma, how
can girls be so foolish! Poor Julia!"
"Why, what can you mean, Fanny?'
asked a lady who happened to be present.
"Is it possible that Julia is about to
marry man unworthy of her? Who is
the dreadful creature to whom she is
engaged?"
"His name is George something
Thornton, believe"
els he intemperato?'
"Mercy, no! How could you think of
such thing? His morals are good
enough"
perhaps he is an ignoramus, then,
Or"
"No, no, no; he is very fine young
man, as rich as Crosus, very sensible,
and so handsomel Half the girls in town
are doing for him.
"Indeed Then why is Julia so much
to be pitied?"
"Why, because she is to be married,
said Fanny, impatiently (8ho had turned
an old maids corner).
II confess 1 cannot see the great hard.
ship, after all, ," suggested Mrs. Harper.
"But there's the dinner bell"
Fanny declared, however, that she had
no appetite for dinner, SO to her own
room she went to write long letter to
Julia, in which she pointed out the
trials of married life, and warned her
against the fatal step. What did Mrs
Somers do with this letter? She read it
to George, and George twisted it into
twenty lamp-lighters, and the twenty
lamp-lighters were i'll requisition on a
certain evening of the next week, when
Julia ceased to be Julia Somers.
Months passed away and Fanny, at
Julia's earnest desire, came to spend a
few days with the youthful bride. The
bright color and the playful smile still
dwelt upon her cheek and lip as of yore,
and Fanny might have forgotten that
this was not the Julia Somers of her
early love had not the apparition of a
mans hat and coat in the hall recalled
her to her senses,
"Well," thought Fanny, I'm deter
mined to have as little to do with her
husband as possible. Nota word will
I speak except when he asks q question,
for am determined to hate him with
all my heart"
To hate George Thornton-tho man
who adored her Julia, who was so hand
some, so sensible, so brimful OF love and
kindness for every living thing! Rash
resolve! In the space of one hour Fanny
had opened ont her heart to thcinlluence
of his thousand and-onc good qualities,
and he understood her. The week
passed pleasantly, and Fanny went homo
and wrote verses.
It was very odd, she thought, and my
reader, you must think as she dld that
| certain persons of the masculine gender
we're constantly interfering with her
private reflections. If she walked she
feared meeting some among the num-
| ber: il she remained Mt homo she was
sure they would be there to torment her;
if she read, the hero Of the novelist or
historian would take the shape OF the
Mr.. Thompsons, the Mr.. Smiths and
the Mr. Jones of her acquaintance; II
she visited, what if Mr.. So-and-so
should be there? Poor Fanny!
The years of the life of Fanny Harper
were many. Her younger brothers and
sisters wondered that she had never had
an offer, and Fanny herself wondered,
and reioiced-at least she said so One
morning Mrs. Harper and her five
daughters were seated together in the
parlor. when aviolent ring was heard al
the door. It was not time for papas re-
turn, but that was not papas ring, they
were all sure. Great, therefore, was their
surprise when Mr. Harper, putting and
painting. rolled into the room, bearing
high above his head letter with a great
masculine seal.
ga letter from q gentleman, as know
nv the flourish he has made on that great
NJ" cried Kate, standing on tip-toe anc
irving to read the address written on the
letter. -,
"a love letter, did you sayp" cried
Matilda.
ooh. its for mo then," said Fanny,
decidedly.
"For me, you mean," cried Lucy
who bore the only pretty face OF the
eIsn't it for me?" asked Ann, as she re-
membered that Mr.. Gustavus Thorp had
walked home with her the last time she
vaa cau0ht in q shower,