Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1886-03-13
ABOUT A LETTER.
Written in SCHOOLGIRL Style, 1t
Makes Trouble.

The letter was from Melinda Smith
10 her mother. Melinda was pupil IN
a Young ladies' seminary at Florence
Vile, and her mother, who was a Sensi-
Bile woman, and not at all anxious 10
have the girl fashionably trained was
particularly pleased with the progress
She was making in her penmanship
"To be sure, its kinder up and down,
she remarked to Mrs. Smith, as she
scanned the angular characters, never
guessing that this very angularlty was
the aim of all the fashionable letter,
writer's of the day, "but it clear ana
readable, and that's the most l care
for. I've known girls TO come nome
from boarding-school with their heads
full of all sorts Of learning, ana whcn
it came to writing letter they couldn
write one that their own mothers coulo
half make out.
Having made these remarks whlle
readlusting the hairpin with when she ,.,
had opened the envelope, MIS- oihl'n
put on her glasses, and drawing the
lamp a trihc nearer, began reading lhe
letter to Mr. Smith.
There we're four well-eoyered pages,
and Mrs. smith took them in regular
eourse. They ran in this wise;
Dear Ma: was very glad to get your nice
letter The box of goodies, 700, came ~
| had a regular spread that night on the Np OF
Minnie Hawkins big square trunk, ana IN III
| the midst of II who should Walk m out MISS MISS
Payne our Prolessorcss OF Maanoinn,'us @ h', :, :,
| She looked nwfully solemn ~ htst' pul We
| nronitiatpd her with big wedge ui your co
| connut cake and she thawcd nj once. Shch
| time as we bad! Minnie
| (Icre Mrs. Smith turned the leaf ana
read on in troubled haste, too shocked
with the words that met her gaze to
| stop to comment on the fact that the
lines on the second page ran lengthwise')
| djcd the next dav in IA ht. The funeral was
| held ycsteriay afternoon, and we glrls formed
| Il procession and mourniully loloWtu l non vi
| her la st resting place. Then we passed rouuu
| the hat aud collected enough TO pun UP
| very pretty headstonc, win the illsoI pl,ot
| "requiescat in peace II rs really very ut.In W
| tic and | hope She may rcst IN peace Ioi
life was a burden TO her. the girls 'e"seu
| her so, - - -.
| Observation-Disclosures. My new roommate
forgcts to return them; but she
QIcre the page ended and the reader
in dazed state of mind, passed on tt
the neXt.)
md expcct to go in peasant costume TO th'
masouernde party next Thursday night !
is to be n very select affair, none neing ~
vited outside the seminary except froi
Drury's two nephews DID intend to repre-
sent Evening and wear my blue tariatni
spnnRled with stars; but the last time WoI'
| if sue mason and Della Rhodes rolled up OF
Tab the seminary cat, in the tram ana !,
trying 10 pet out she tore II all 10 rags. TEL
thoroughly provoked about it; but, poo
thing. she
GIerc the last page was reaehed')
is such darling that l haven't the heart t
find fault with her. "a. .
Tho pirIs, out of study hours, can talk o
nothinu but their costumes for the part,
some OF them are going to be very pctul
csoo. wish you would see Mrs. Hawkins a
soon as possible and ask hor Tor M5nnie nm m
black velvet bodice. II was too small Tor h9
"A yenr ago She said then that she shoul
never wear II again and that was weicom
TO il, and it is Just What J wnnt ior nei
, haste. Your loving uS"en ',t,,,xn.
p s. kiss pa for me.
dead and buried! Dear! dear!
moancd Mrs Smith, dropping the lie
ter in her lap as she took off her glass,
to wine her ewes. II never woul
have believed that Melinda could be 5
/; hearlless, she and Minnie were alway
such friends ever since they were bi
bies. It'll Just about kill Mrs. llav
' kius. We must drive over there th
first thing tomorrow morning, pi
Strange that they didn't send the bod
home, or that some of the family dldn
n 90 ON to the funeral.
n "Stranger' echoed Mr.. Smith, c,
!, citedly. The strange part OF 1t,
j. me. is the way Mclindy writes about
| expected nothing else but she d 9
her head full of notions when we SCI
hcr off TO boardin school; but dldn
4 s'po.e boardin' school nor anNthn
I clse would make her such a heathe
That miserable party's complete
= turned her head. y
"Well. she sha'n't stir one step
q it-not with my consent, said Mi
ia Smith. with fearful severity. Il dor
# see how she can have the heart
le think of it, And before laying h
$: head on her pillow she wrote 10 lh
effect to the heather Melinda.
Mr.. and Mrs. Hawkins were chattii
cheerfully over thelr breakiasI WI
d Sala;hiel Smith and his wife drove
the next morning, and Mrs. Smi'
". who had been pondcring all the W
how 20 break the news gently. felt ]
heart fail within her.
d, when did YOU last hear from yo
n dear Minnie .Irs. Hawkinss she ask
TREMENDOUSLY. as soon as the grcetir
were over.
N. ..Oh, l don't know-week or so age
said Mrs. Hawkins, briskly Fact
shes so busy getting ready for a pa
they're going TO have next week I
She cant find time to write very
nd ten.
at I'm afraid she'll never go 10
M M more parties. Mrs. Hawkins She
III shc's-'' How she managed to an
at IN. Mrs. Smith to this day has ne
been able TO tell; but half an hour u