The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-03-12
ABOUT A LETTER
Written in SCHOOLGIRL Style, It
Makes Trouble.

Makes Trouble.
The letter was from Melinda Smith
to her mother. Melinda was a pupil in
a young ladies' seminary at Florence
vile, and her mother, who was a sensi-
bic woman, and not at all anxious to
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 angularity was
the aim of all the fashionable letter.
writer's of the day, ''but it's clear and
readable, and that's the most care
for. I've known girls to come home
from bOarding-schoOl with their heads
full of all sorts of learning, and when
it came to writing a letter they couldn't
write one that their own mothers could
half make out"
Having made these remarks while
readiusting the hairpin with which she
had opened the envelope, Mrs. Smith
put on her glasses, and drawing the
lamp trifie nearer, began reading the
letter to Mr.. Smith.
There were four well-covered pages,
and Mrs. Smith took them in regular
course. They ran in this wise:
Dear Ma: / was very glad to get your nice
letter. The box of goodies, 100, came all
had n regular spread that night on the TOP of
Minnie Hawkins big square trunk, and in
the midst of it who should walk in but Miss
PAYNE Our Professoress of Mathematics
% al o. QyEyffI Y 81 first mi ETa
proptiated her with a big wedge of your CO.
coanut cake and she thawed at once. Such
time as we hadl Minnie
(Here Mrs Smith turned the leaf and
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 esecondpage eranlengthwise.)
died the next dav in fit. The funeral was
held yesterday afternoon, and we girls formed
q procession and mournfully followed her to
her last resting place. Then we passed round
the hat and collected enough to put up
very pretty headstone, with the Inscription
'requiesc0t in peace" 1t is really very arts-
tic, and l hope she may rest in peace, for
life was burden to her, the girls teased
her so.
/ wish you would send me "a dozen or so
ekethandkerehiefs. Ny new roommate,
forgCts to return them; but she
(Here the page ended and the reader,
in a dazed state of mind, passed on to
the neXt.)
and l expect to go in peasant costume to the
masquerade party next Thursday night. 1t
is to be "a very select affair none being in
vited outside the seminary except Prof.
Drury's two nephews. / did intend to repre-
scEJ evening ana wear my, Dlue terIatan,
spaDglcd with stars; but the last time wore
it Sue Mason and Della Rhodes rolled up old
Tab, the seminary cat, in the train, and in
trying to get out she tore it all to rags. felt
thoroughly provoked about it; but poor
thing! She
(Here the last page was reached.)
is such darling that 1 haven't the heart to
The girls, out of study hours, can talk of
nothing but their costumes for the party.
Some OF them are going to be very Dctur-
soon as possible and ask her for Mnnie's
black velvet bodice. 1t was too small for her
a year ago. She said then that she should
never wear il again and that / was welcome
to it, and it is just what ! want for next
Thursday night Don't forget it please. In
A49'o' 1' wing ''''S 'o'' MELINDA.
p s. Kiss pa for me.
dead and buried: Dearl deari''
moaned Mrs. Smith, dropping the let
ter in her lap as she took off her glasses
to wipe her eyes. Il never would
have believed that Melinda could be so
heartless, she and Minnie were always
such friends ever since they Ryere ba-
bes. It'n just about kill Mrs. Haw-
kins. We must drive over thero the
first thing tomorrow morning, pa.
Strange that they didn't send the body
home, or that some of the family didn't
go on to the funeral"
"Strange!" echoed Mr.. Smith, ex-
citedly. The strange part of it, to
me, is the way Melindy writes about it.
/ expected nothing else but she'd get
her head full Of notions when we sent
her off to boardin' school; but / didn't
s'pose boardin' school nor anything
else would make her such heather.
That miserable party's completely
turned her head.
''Well, she sha'n't stir one step to
it-not with my consent" " said Mrs.
Smith, with fearful severity. Il don't
see how she can have the heart to
think of it." And before laying her
head on her pillow she wrote to that
effect to the heather Melinda.
Mr.. and Mrs. Hawkins were chatting
cheerfully over their breakfast when
Salathiel Smith and his wife drove up
the next morning, and Mrs. Smith,
who had been pondering all the way
how to break the news gently, felt her
heart fail within her.
when did you last hear from your
dear Minnie, Mrs. Hawkins?'' she asked,
tremulously, as soon as the greetings
were over.
''Oh, l don knOW-Week or 50 ago,
said Mrs. Hawkins, briskly. "Fact is,
she's so busy getting ready for party
they're going to have next week that
she can't find time to write very Of
ten
I'm afraid she'll never 90 to any
more parties, Mrs. Hawkins. She's
she How she managed TO finish
it, Mrs Smith to this day has never
been able TO tell; but half an hour later
she found herself on board the train
with Mr.. and Mrs. Hawkins, bound for
Florenceville.
They had travelled some distance in
mournful silence. when suddenly il oc-
CURED to Mr.. Hawkins 10 ask Mrs.
Smith 10 let him see Melinda's letter.
Mrs. Smith gave it up reluctantly, she
felt 50 ashamed Of Melinda's heartless-
ness. But Mr.. Hawkins had no
thoughts 10 waste on Melinda. He was
q lawyer and used TO deciphering all
sorss Of letters; and presently, 10 the
disnav Of the two women, he broke
the solemn silence with q roar Of laugh
ter.
Don't, Hiram Don'tl' eaTeated