The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1885-04-25
Emma's Correspondent.

Tea and toast for supper; coffee
and cakes for breakfast; wash and
iron; bake and brew; go to church
on Sunday; to Litany on Friday
and you have the sum total of my
life, and into it there can come no
change" The speaker elevated her
feet to the fender, gave the fire Il
spiteful poke, and, resting the
squarc-cut chin upon her hand,
turned her face toward the window.
1t was by no means Il preposscssing
face; young, undoubtedly, but wear
ing that old, weary look common to
those uncongenial lives, not tenn
pered by the soothing effects of
piety. The dark eyes, meant by
nature to be tender and restful, were
full of sudden discomfort No cheer
met them from the outward world.
Brooding wrathful skies poured
down February rain; the bare
branches of the mulberry-trees, in
terlocked with sardonic groans, ever
and anon sending a shivering tingle
against the window panes.
"Well, grandmother must have
her breakfast" and the girl arose,
and, picking up a piece of an old
Waverly, began to fold it for IA ket-
tie holder, reading mechanically as
she did so, GA young man of good
position wishes to open a cores
pondence with some ladies with an
ultimate view to acquaintance"
"Bah !" with a curl of the thin
lips, chow sick / grow of these silly
advertisements. Wonder he does
not say, wealthy, intelligent-with
a view to matrimony, and thous-
ands of girls, all over the land,
would answer them, and, by so do
ing, detract from the purity and
delicacy which should characterize
our sex. | would like to tell this
fellow what some women think of
him for thus seeking to dupe into
clandestine actions those who should
claim from him the greater pity,
since they are so weak. The writ
ing such letter would be a break
in the monotony of this sluggish
life"
And the letter was written. Full |
of wrathful, scathing rebuke, signed |
simply Reproof. and sent, ere the
night closed in, to this "Unknown" |
in G.. Then the girl rested .
with a sense of duty done, nor ever
expected to hear further from her
reprimand. What was her surprise
to see in the village paper, the next
week, letter for Reproof" adver-
tlzed as uncallCd for.
lmpelled by curiosity she went
for the letter, and, not without some
trepidation, opened the compact
envelope, from which dropped two
sheets closely written. She read
them once and again, and was CON
qucred. Poor child! no such epis-
tolary feast had she ever enjoyed
before. The strange blending of
curtness and respect the manly
self vindication, sentiments of no.
Bile yet critical appreciation of her
sex; extenuating circumstances
causing him to insert the card which
had called forth her animadversions,
all, caused the girl to feel dim CON
sciousness of awakening from what
Goethe calls the critical phase of
life"
Need we say she answered? And
now you know her whole history
and you, mother, home, friend, love
environed women, pass judgment
and condemn, nor do we seek to eX-
tenuate her conduct. a being form
ed with capacities the most enlarged
yet, like bell which is said to emit
a fainter sound in the rarified at
mosphcre of some mountain sum-
NIT, so her hard life chilled every
burst of poesy-every tender off
spring of her intellect. Filled with
for il higher life, for the
companionship of the true and the
beautiful. The frozen poetry in her
heart needing but the touch of a
more congenial life to awaken into .
glorious song. Yet was her exis-
tence narrowed down to an unre-
mitting struggle with poverty and .
the care of two people, one childish
and bedridden, the other, an uncle
sordid, grasping, and narrow mind
ed.
Before her this educated "Un-
known" with his wide views of life, |
spread out a repast exhaustless as
mind. All her sensitive, visionary
nature quivering at the first touch .
of master hand which had written
"Let me hear from you again, per-
haps on further acquaintance you
will not find me such an ogre as