The Washington critic., 1886-10-12
ITor THE WASHINGTON CRITto.1


EMERALD SPRINGS, COL, June z.
My DEAR JULIA: The hour of fate
has struck. ! am in love at last, after
all these years. In the other cases the
charges they made were true. was
only amusing myself; but there were
good reasons for it, had never met q
man worthy of any deeper sentiment.
l have always told you that If
heaven sent me the right person could
love him with II tenderness and strength
and faithfulness not to be measured by
words. But there are such few men de-
serving Of such love. AS to common
place men, / dcspise them. Despise is
hardly the word. / do not take the
trouble to feel that strongly about
them. / am simply completely indlf'
ferent to them. do not look at them
or think of them. My feelings towards
poor men are much the same. Men
old enough 10 marry ought no longer
to be poor. There is no need of 1t.
Men who ever will amount TO anything
will, by the time they are thirty-iive,
into the thousands, a. least. But man
who had no claim to my notice except
his money would not interest me. The
man have had in my mind as the per-
son worthy of woman's deepest af-
faction can only be described by the
word splendid | have found such q
man, and love him.
But l think / hear you say: "Splen-
did; that is relative term. What you
think splendid might deem the exact
reverse" 1t would be just like you to
say that. You know 1t would, Julia;
you are so argumentative, and more so
than ever, now that the hour of the
meeting of the Concord School of Phil
osophy draws near.
However, will tell you about this
splendid man. | will describe him
you, and you can judge for your
self.
AS to his personal appearance: I'm.
agine Il man six feet in height erect,
and with shoulders broad enough for
symmetry. but not so broad as tD give
the impression of a stupid. yoke. bear
ing OK. In flesh he is of that "health-
full reduction" Lew Wallace tells about
in "Ben Hur." There is about him all
that stirring vitality, that magnetism
of healthy, active, perfect manhood so
fascinating to both men and women. lie
has dark, though slightly pale face,
with all its strength and beauty uncov-
cred by the inevitable and repulsive
beard His nose is rather large, with
nostrils rs sensitive us those we see in
high.spirited, thorough. bred Arabian
horse. But his eyes, Julia, his eyes;
dark, like the night, wide open, full,
perfect in shape. and color, and size.
They are now dominated by mock
ing light, now softly tender, speaking
thousand things, merry, audacious,
passionate. l like his eye brows best
of any feature on his face. They are
dark, straight, and not too heavy to
look repulsive. His brow is the brow
of statesman, and of shrewd, far.
seeing, cool.headed, l.comprehending
man. His hair is dark, and of that soft
tineness that bespeaks Il refined and
poetical nature.
Now you will say: "Is that all? Is
your splendid man simply man of fine
physical proportions?'
Wait, my child, till have finished
. Let me tell you that in all my varied
wanderings l have met no man tina,
excelled him in that charm of conver'
satOn, which alone results from the
wide and varied reading and experience
of person with brain of unusual
yigor and power. don't say that al
persons with such brain so excel
But l do say that where such Is the
case, the world is given being whose
destinations are as unlimited as they
are rare and irresistible. This man ha:
mind to comprehend, to assimilate
10 thoroughly digest what he reals.
He has liberaity and originality OF
thought and expression, born partly OF
his nature and partly of the life he ha'
led. He is man that the West make!
If there is brought to the West the
right stuff to work on, At home, in
the East, in our own dear Boston, ther,
could not be such n man. He is pro
duct exclusively of the free and glori
Gus West. He has won high honOrl
here. He will win yet higher, and hC
is not a poor man.
This, Julia, my dear, Is the mar
poor Toms illness has brought me ou
here to see. You know how loath
was to leave home now. But Tom
who has been such good brother Il
me, needed some one to take care o.
him, and | was the only one who coulC
go. And here | am, in six weeks tim
In love with man | know absolutel,
nothing about except what have tolt
you. A man with physique like thu
gods; voice strong, musical, pleasant
tender or vehement, as its owner will
or feels. A brain and will like tn,
heroes of old He is here on buSineS'
from his home in an adjoining State
Tom is well acquainted with him.
Now, again, fancy you lift up youl
voice and say; "a very incautious pro
ceeding for person of years and ex
periencc."
! suppose you are right, Yet | havt
always believed that half the charm o
falling in love was to be able to do 81
without caution If you stop to con
slider, II Is wearisomc Premeditatioi
nnnihilates the charm, the freshness
the bloom.
But listen to me. This Is how
happened: One afternoon | was sittnl
by Toms bedside when n servan
came and asked if he felt able to Sc
Jack Leonard. Toms face Instant.
frightened, as he replied
T. "Yes, indeed. He is the best fellow
in the country, Kate he added, turn
ing to me. "l'm glad | feel wei
enough to day to see him"
just then he was usheIed into tn
room and we were soon engaged in