The Hickman courier., 1881-05-13
THE LOVE LETTER.

Fanny Harper, as she entered the parlol
aud threw herself on the sofa. Guess
mamma, if you can, what has just hap
pened.
I'm sure L don't know. Perhap,
Sam and Tom have been quarrehng
Dear me, what torments those children
are!''
'No; they are both at school. Guess
again. mamma.
"Well, then, 1 dare say that odious
Mrs. Sharp has been limiting that wear
false hair False hair, indeedl then,
why"
''No.such thing interrupted Fanny;
"ten times worsep
''Ten times worsel' cried Mrs Harper,
turning pale. ooh Fanny, tell me-
"Well, F" said Fanny, sobbing, Julia
Somers is engaged"
Engaged? Well wonder what peo-
pie will come to next!"
"Yes, really engaged. If there was
a girl in whom l thought 1 could place
perfect confidence, it was Julia Somers.
Only month ago she joined our anti
matrimonial society. Oh mamma, how
can girls be so.foolishi Poor Julia!'
sWhy. what can You mean, Fanny?''
"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.
is he intemperate?'
-" Mercy, not How could you think of
such a thing? His morals are good
enough.
Perhaps he is an ignoramus, then,
or"
mo, no, no; he is very fine young
man, as rich as Cresus, very sensible,
and so handsome! Half the girls in town
are doing for him.
"Indeedl Then why is sJulia so much
TO be pitied?"
"Why, because she is to be married, s"
said Fanny, impatiently (she had turned
an old maids corner).
''I confess / 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-hghters, and the twenty
lamp-lighters were in 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, T" thought Fanny, "Tm deter
mined to have as little to do with her
husband as possible Not a word will
/ speak except when he asks question,
for 1 am determined to hate him with
all my heart"
70 hate George Thorntop-the man
who adored her Julia, who was so hand
some, so sensible, so brimful of love and
kindness for every living thingl Rash
resolved In the space of one hour Fanny
had opened out her heart TO theinfluence
of his thousand and-one good qualities,
dnt BC uCI. 1u6 week
passed pleasantly, and Fanny went home
and wrote verses
1t 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 at home 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; 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 violent ring was heard at
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 their
surprise when Mr. Harper, putting and
painting, rolled into the room, bearing
high above his head letter with a great
masculine seal.
"a letter from a gentleman, as know
by the flourish he has made on that great
M" cried Kate, standing on tip-toe and
irving to read the address written on the
letter
"A love letter, did you say9" cried
Matilda.
''Oh. its for me then," said Fanny,
decidedly.
For me, you mean," cried Lucy.
who bore the only pretty face of the
family.
isn't it for me?" asked Ann, as she re-
membered that Mr.. Gustavus Thorp had
walked home with her the last time she
was caught in a shower.
The matter was speedily settled, how
ever, by Kate, who had contrived to gain
possession of the letter, and was reading
Miss Francis Harper" in no gentle
voice.
''Give it TO me directly, and don't tease
me so, Kate" cried Fanny.
''Wait minute till I've found out who
it's from, said Kate, peeping under the
seal Let me ee-Thom-Thomasl
There, do take it."
My dear reader did you ever write. re-
ceive or read love letter?
Not /, thank fortune" growls the
cross old bachelor.
Nor i. sighs poor Aunt Nabby.
That's secret, !" whispers pretty El-
len
Well, then to you who know nothing of