The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1881-06-02
THE LOVE LETTER.

"Well, whoever heard the like" cried
Fanny Harper, as she entered the parlor
and threw herself on the sofa. "Guess.
mamma, If you can, what has just hap
pened."
I'm sure I don't know. Perhaps
Sam and Tom have been quarrcling,
Dear me, what torments those children
are!'
"No; they are both at school. Guess
again, mamma"
"Well, then, I dare say that odious
Mrs. Sharp has been limiting that wear
false hair. False hair, indeed! then,
why"
"No such thing" interrupted Fanny;
''ten times worse!''
F'Ten times worse!" cried Mrs. Harper,
turning pale. "Oh Fanny, tell me.S
"Well," said Fanny, sobbing, Julia
Somers is engaged"
Engaged? Well wonder what peo-
pie will come to next!''
eyes, really engaged. If there was
girl in whom thought I could place
perfect confidence, it was Julia Somers
Only a month ago she joined Off anti
matrimonial society, Oh, mamma, how
can girls be SO foolish! Poor Julia!"
Why, what can you mean, Fanny?"
asked lady who happened to be present.
els 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, L believe"
s'Is he intemperate?"
Mercy, no! How could you think of
such thing? His morals are good
enough"
''Perhaps he is an ignoramus, then,
''No, no, no; he is q very fine young
man, as rich as Croosus, very sensible,
and so handsome! 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 (she had turned
an old maids corner)
II confess [ cannot see tho 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 in requisition on q
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 n
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 Somors 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
[ speak except when he asks question,
for [ am determined to hate him with
all my heart"
To hate George Thornton-the man
who adored her Julia, who was so hand
some, so sensible, so brimful of love and
kindness for every living thing! Rash
resolved In the space of one hour Fanny
had opened out her heart to theinfuence
of his thousand-and-one good qualities,
and he understood her. The week
passed pleasantly, and Fanny went home
and wrote verses.
It was very odd, she thought, and my
reader, you must think as she did that
certain persons of the masculine gender
were constantly interfering with her
private reflections If she walked she
feared meeting some among the num-
ber; if she remained st home she was
sure they would be there to torment her:
if she read, the hero of the novelist OF
historian would take the shape of the
Mr.. Thompsons, the Mr.. Smiths and
the Mr.. Jones of her acquaintance; if
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 rejoiced--at least she said SO. One
morning Mrs. Harper and her five
daughters were seated together in the
parlor, when aviolent ring was heard q
the door. 1t was not time for papa's re
turn, but that was not papa's ring, they
were all sure. Great, therefore, was thei
surprise when Mr.. Harper, putting ant
painting, rolled into the room. bearint
high above his head letter with Rrea
masculine seal. ...