New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-06
BILLETS-DOUX.


Rousseau gives rule for their composition, which
would make II appear a matter OF tie utmost ease
" Begin without knowing what YOU are going TO
saw" advises be, and end without knowing " hat
Won have said" That may b. all very wei. and
there are some who no doubt. have been able to do
il. The theological John Knox probably acted on
the first part of the MAXIM His first love letter
was a composition that u Is difficult % Imagine any
man could have deliberately preneditated. 1t was
enormously long, reads for the most part Ike a
very dull sermon. and its first seu.ence-addressed
10 his " UeirliDelOylt sister when aiterwaId
printed made eighteen lines OF close type. fal-
Stairs letter. duplicate copies Of which served for
the two merry wives of Windsor, may possibly
have been M extempore etfusCn, such Rousseau
recommends. II is just what the witty old scape-
grace might Ne imagined 10 SIT down and scribble
Ohband, feeling quite sure that almost anyUhlhg III
the shape OF a letter womb answer bis purpose.
" You are not young, no more am i 90 To, tnenl
there's sympathy. You are merry, SO am ha Ia :.
then there's more sympathy. lOu love sacA, 50 90
would you desire better sympathy
The ordinary blllet-dOuX however, is a tar more
serious affair than anything Faistan was capable OF
writing and whether ponderousIy spun out IN long
winded periods like KnoX's or concentrated and
,J,~t,- been the occasion VAST amount OF D-alh
c1dgsIling. Dear Mistress Scurlock,' wrote
steele d" tired OF calling you ny tbat naIhe
therefore, say a day when YOU viii take that OF,
madame, your devoted. humble servant, hcnaru
Steele" Nothing looks simpler IMAM TINS put no"
many preliminary experiments steele had inaqe'
how MANY other forms OF proposal he
had concocted and through how many
various phases this crisp, neat HsGe bllIet
had TraingIlC developed who snail say Steele
certainly has sometimes been accredited
with rather remarkable aptitude IN framing CORE
spoudence of this sort bur his reputation has been
based on his past matrimonial performances whicu
were very curious certainly but cannot be regarded
a. any criterion II ms faculty II TINS Inc before
marriage Dear PTue-' he writes u hls wl1e On
one occasion, 80 / am very sleepy ano tlreq, DuI
could not think Of closing my eyes III hdd tOlu
Won 1 am dearest creature, your mos. duecuOuate,
faithful husband, Richard steele" There are 50
many OF these singular LITTLE DiuetsdouX scattered
here and there III the published correspondence OF
TINS writer that for u time one Is inclined 10 re-
gard them genuine manifestations OF an
uxOrous disposition. Steele seems always 10
nave been writing 10 " Dear Prue these consider
ale devoted little notes. Dear Pruc don't be dis
pleased that | do not come home I'LL II oclock.-
Yours ever Forgive me dining abroad ana let
VIII carry the papers to Buckley 81 our loud de-
yoteo X $ three or four times day he would
be sending off such dispatches &c these " beg %
YOU not 10 be impatient, though IL De an houi De-
fore Won see me- There Is, however, one VI tAcse
notes " hch seems show that SUCH illusions we're
not altogether spontaneous. Dear Pruc: IL IS
strange thing because you are handsome thdt you
viii nos behave yourself with the obedience that
people of worse features co ; but that L must he
rlvIa1-s giving YOU an account OF every tribe and
minnie OF nv ume. | send this 10 iel You l am
waiting TO be seLt for again Wheh lay LoIu NH'I-
ION IL String"