New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-16

fond you are Of her. Yet you would not forgive me
if did not keep my promise TO forward any letter
she should write You must cheer up and try to
and you fated not to come together why then.
what can yon do but console yourself by remember
ing that there are as good fish left in the
"Yours afectionatey SOPHIE SEYMOUR"
Lads, III not attempt to define my feelings when
! read this. was all of tTemble, as old chimney
hays say. rushed To the conclusion that my dar-
ling had been urged TO accept Mr.. MoTecombe
and was gong to be married to him in due course
and the groan that echoed through Sophies letter
resounded down to the very bottom of my soul l
took up FOremce's closely written sheet and fell to
spelling it over with ashen lips But as made my
their letters is not paper cheap enough IA sersa
tion very different from the one just excited was
produced in me- 1t was kind of despair too; but
of the nature OF pure basam to my heart, after the
desperate thr0b that had first wTenched II. The et-
ter was addressed to Sophie, and dated at Dunked,
and my darling began by explaining that she had
deferred writing to Sophie until she was able to COM
muncate something positive. 1--WE have been here
a fortnight" wrote she, A." and in that time have
the point we have arrived at, and about which am
at last able to write definitely" gathered that
there had been good many scenes" Aunt Da;
with her for rejecting Mr., Morecombe, The young
fellow called upon them IN London. but did not ac-
company them TO the North. What Aunt Damaris
saw of him delighted her She was lost in amaze
ment that Florence conld refuse handsome, so
well-bred, 50 arlstOcratic youth. q vii! not re-
and papa have used to try TO make me accept per-
son / aerer could like. Between them they have
made me truy unhappy. Indeed. papa seems quite
To have lost control his temper and never neg
lects chance to speak insultlngy of your cousin.
though | have solennly declared to him that Mr..
Jack SEYMOUR has lad no more to do with my re-
fnsng Mr.. MorecOmbc than he had with the eclipse
of the moon that took place last month. The truth
is, dear Sophie, having made me iow-sprltcd and
MorecOmbe papa and Aunt Damaris have at last
persuaded themselves that am piDing with secret
love, and what do you suppose they have declded
ont l am to accompany Aunt Damaris to Sydney
next MONTH She sails on the 2Sth i'll the Strath-
more. the ship she came in, so that have three
weeks before in which to return to Clifton
Lodge, make arrangements for the voyage, and bid
you all good-by. What will you say to this I and
do you ask what Think Well, dear, cannot pre-
at home. Papa does not, am sure, mean hall that
he says. but he is crazy abont Mr.. Morecombe, and
may tell you in strict confidence he is frightened OF
your cousin-how stupid men are and | have 10
thank Aunt Damaris' for proposing this voyage,
which, OF course, is planned with the idea of cttd-
ing my mind. and making il fit TO receive the lovely
image of Mr. Morecombe. | shall regret to leave
Clifton and my friends but do not dislike the idea
when on the broad ocean. How long shall he
away it is quite impossible to guess; eighteen
months OF two years. daresay." There was deal
more in her letter than this but all tia. concerns
this yarn have given.
Well, as have said, the trnth came as kind OF
relief to me after the fears which SOphe's note had
excited | had made up my mind to hear that she
was going TO be married to Mr.. MOrecombe; and so
passionately did love her. that had that been the
news | do believe IT would have affected me as
much as if had heard that she was dying. But,
though the first movement of my mind was com
ter and found that, let her relatives worry and
bully her as much they pleased they could not
persuade her to take MIR. Morecombe, yet, when my
mind received tho full meaning of her fathers inten
ton to send her to the other end of the world 1et
positively crushed and sat like fool, staring ut the
letter in my hand unable to form any ideas, and in
car understanding
thousands Of miles of ocean were 10 be put between
my darling and me- and that many long in9hth
must pass before we should each other; II, in
deed we ever again met AS y0u know, had 10r
some time feared that a great deal of what would
prove bad for me was TO happen. had calclllateu
upon her father carrying her out of England and
roaming with her about Europe. until, as nave be
fore said. he might fatter himself he had travelled
me clean out OF her sphere. ana educated hcI mo
pTOper conception of the merits of the youth hc
wanted her to marry; but never lad rcchohcd
npon his sending her to Australia-ha is to say, to
tbe other side of the globe right away past the Cape
of Good Hope and across the southern Ocean ANA
yet, now that this thing was settled upon, Jaw
that it was more likely he should send ms danghltf
to her native land along with Der ani than thh 10
and make q martyr of himself by hauling ncr about
Spain and France and such countricsi AuSlraIa
sounds long way OIL; but even is q sam voyage
il is no serious business: and if Hawke supposed
that was at the bottom Of bis daughters refusal 81
Morccombc if ,he considered that | lad male her
fond of me and that the only chance he had 10
bring her into his way of think ing was to PIT tie
horizon bctwiXt her and me- then you cam say ne |
was iadviscd in Selling the opportunity OF MS SIS
ters return to Sydney 10 dispatch his daughter WIN
her to that place. ~
But as for e,-what was now to do, mates! For
a whole hour, maybe, sat garng at Florenccs
letter: and then something resembling my senses
coming to me- wrote four or five pages to sophie |
in which declared that my heart was broken that
| had Il dreadful prcscntimcnt upon me that Flor
puce and were never TO meet again. that as to her
one day returning. why. if ! found three or four
weeks insuppOrtablc without the prospect 0i meet
ing her how WAS ] TO endure her absence for two |
wears with the certainty of beng hnpclcSsy forgot
ten by her long before she returned Ia short my
letter came very near TO being Il piece OF dGliflh
nrycrt bcess il did good 10 WTItc.It, aud TOOK
tar. before sealing the envelope, to tell SOPHIE to
eudcavor 10 communicate what had sad 10 FLOR
eur,, that Size might know what miserable bruised
worm She would leave wriggllng on BIitannias SOIL
behind her when she sailed.