Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1888-09-12
Her Love Letters.

Although crippled now, and old,
leaning on her cane, she spoke as viva
ciOusly as school girl, and it did me
good 10 see her CHEEKY face and pleasant
smile. This Is what she said while 1
sat on the veranda steps in the June
twilight at her feet:
We had been married only six
months when Alf, who was searching
my trunk fer peHholder one Sunday
morning, found the letters we had
written during courtship. He tumbled
them upon the floor without a word.
L was glad to see him take them out.
1t was rainy day, and I thought it
would be delightful to review those
coy notes together.
Alf opened few and glanced
through them while was putting the
room to rights. He gave a kind of
snort, caught up the bundle and
started for the kitchen.
"Where are you going?" cried.
''Going to burn 'eml' he replied.
You may believe that stopped him
very quickly.
''Do you suppose want you to keep
this ridiculous sheeIP" he inquired,
holding up letter.
Then followed colloQuy. Just what
VIC oalQ L OUL L hIO"
that In effect told him this: There
were two hundred and fifty-eight of
his letters-half a peck of exclamation
points. of combustible vows! A new
Cupid at the head of every letter,
waiting to throw his steep fight in
many an airy wheel down through its
troplc contents It'll on the signature he
lightsl Myriad pleadings breathing
"a ntat IN Of inlr
them? Neverl
And Alf retorted that love letters
were mere popcorn; that courtship was
In fact kind of Fourth of July, and
whatever fire crackers were let OF in
the way OF letters might be remembered
AS pleasant and exciting, but that the
empty shells were better swept up and
destroyed than left to litter the
premises.
l told him he should never burn
those letters.
Then he read one or two OF my own
aloud, and asked how 1 would like TO
have my grandchildren ind them in
the attic some day and show them TO
the neighboIs. And 1t really did seem
wiser to burn those two, but no more.
Now why ara men always ready 10
women cling to them?
Is It because men lack sentiment?
Or because their ideas change from day
to day and the older In the light of the
new appears stale and poor? Or is il
because In the ardor of courtship their
Ieentlment takes a more ethereal flight
than after-thought approves? When j
asked Alf he said very plainly that the
reason Is thls-a man makes a fool OF
himself in courtship, and don't want 10
be reminded of it afterward.
think that women are more shy and
undemonstrative, and therefore per-
haps less apt to write what they must
review with scorn, although we are
iplenty frank enough. But woman,
conservative herself, prizes mans out
spoken ardor, anu treasures all it:
manifestations.
Time after time Alfred brought VI
the subject, using argument, ridicule,
entreaty, until only fifteen of his are
| left-the fifteen dearest ones which
would never part with. He keeps five
or six of mine, and yet l think at heart
he does not highly prize them.
L am somewhat older now than
was then, and after all Judge it besi
that We destroyed them. In the deeper
joys of advancing life the comfort OF
those mementos is but slight, while
their exposure to the world by accident
or malice might annoy US. 1t is best
do believe, to burn all such letter.
after marriage. Their mission Is &C
:omplished.
But from love OF old associations, !
will not destroy those fifteen OF AL
tred's.