Morning journal and courier., 1882-01-11
Anonymous LOve-Letters


 Probably no conspicuous actor, singer, or preacher has succeeded in escaping th st strange and exciting niissive, the anonymous love-letter. These professions are especially the victims of feminine adoration there is something peculiarly fascinating to a wUmAn's mind in personal appearance before the public. The average run of women apPre- ciate the charm of physique much more readily than the power of brains, or even of genius. Thus men of lstters of science composers, and artists commonly escape the affliction of feminine worship in any great abundance. But the man who has a roman tic appearance, charming manner, and has used bis brains to make these gifts of nature agreeable to the public, becomes at oncs target for the eyes of the women. They have only to go to a certain public place any day any night, and they can contemplate their idol at leisure. But consider when a whole theater or opera house full of people are ad- IniEing this man st distance, how excifing it would be to be one singled out of the crowd-to have some sweet and secret under standing with this heroi
 "who on earth are the women who write me these letters ?n said 8 well-knoWn actor only the other day. Here is one who says only seen me twice on the stage. am con stantly getting these things bat don't care about loveletters from women don't know. Who can they be 2"
 Easily answered; When Anonyma writes letter of this kind she can venture to sign it |; but women who have names dare not use them. These foolish creatures, who excite themselves over one-sided intrigues, belong to good families. have regulations that cam not be sacrificed, and are made intensely timid and yacillating by their education and surroundings. They long for the forbidden things of the outer world-for the excitement of unknown adventure, the thrill Of unfami- loy Aa~~a zAzR l. toward intrigue and a taste for secret pas sions They long for the experience of some desperate amour but they have not the courage to carry out any of these adventures, which seem to them so appetzing. They yearn silently after the unattainable; but they cannot refrain from dabbling with it.
 Augusta looks at her own blonde beauty in the glass when she comes home from the theater, and wonders whether that dark hero thought her handsomer than the other wo- men in the stalls. He certainly looked at her. Oh, if she could only tell hin how she admires him! how she could love him if she might. Why not tell him The fond fool writes her letter. A terror, the fear ot true coward who has not the courage of her con- victions, seizes her when she comes to the signature. She leaves it unwristen- But the theater has new, strange excitement for her now. He has had her letter: be has read it perhaps it is in his pocket perhaps he keeps it next his heart She forRets that the actor gets loye-lettsrs in the same quan- tity as parson gets sIippers. He could not well carry them about with him Augusta writes again it relieves her heart She tells him when she will be at the theater. It is so delightful to fancy him looking for her. And so she holds her dream at arms length, re- yelling in it as heartily as any open sinner, but never daring to avov it. She has deli. cious excitement sometimes, whan she tells herself that one day she will sign letter. But that day never comes After all the men who get these amorous epistles need not grieve that they are unsigned. The woman who will write anonymous lovs-lettsr. though she may be duchess or princess. is not worth knowing certainly not worth loving.