The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-18
TIE LETTERS We RECEIVE.
Written for the Sunday journal.

Written for the Sunday journal.
I have an abiding. though unavowed, affection
for postman. No winged cherub. though
often Cupid's messenger, is he. His hair 10 red,
but what of that7 He stoops ungracefully be-
meath his burden, unlike that other messenger OF
the gods. him of the winged feet but what of
that? He helps TO make my daily sunshne-or
cloud One little thin sheet. dropped by that
guileless postman. turn a fog into golden
mist, or vice versa Our postman's sister COM
plains that Folks blame John for not bringing
'em letters. But he can't help 1.-THE doesn't
write EN-" He blows q shrill whistle on his
round. O, that delirious. musical whistle
winch the girl across the street can hear so far
awayi She runs ont every morning In red
wrapper TO get her letter. and every noon comes
demurey over TO the box on the corner, to
drop it's answer IN. ls 10 aston,sn1ng Mnae =
some letters bring, q sense of brightness and
appreciation that warns and stirs the cookies OF
the heart. Queer how lovers look hrst at the
two ends of their letters. The gist or the matter
lies there. perhaps.
The public perusal of love-letters In breach
ofpromise suits, by the way. must have a chill
ing tendency upon ardent amatory correspond
ence; must abbreviAte too-efusive use or pet
names. Who does not pity the dignity or an
august millionaire. who but for his love-letsers
and their attendant malaria. might have been
spared the pointing of the moral, There is no
fool like an old one" The judge who sits upon
SuCn SUITS sn0ul0 review the CORRESPONDENTS III
private 1t would be exhausting, but ne could
take an occasional stimulant, and solace himself
with the thought that he is saving the sensitive
puollc ear. Not that the public ear wishes TO
he saved. It loves to be tickled with the reve-
lation of its neighbours affaires du cBur; but it
IS good neither for the ear or the neghbor.
Inc very personality of some of your CORE
spondeDts is inspiring. You can see them in
your nimble fancy smiling and nodding
approximately at your modest salies of wit. that
You feel moved TO tell them all you know-or
more Such CORRESPONDENT should be chez
ished for he is as rare as honest man. You
forgive man who comes see ron and
says nothing. For she smiles when she says It,
and shows such fascinating dimp.e Or he
looks so exceedingly wise, you needs nnst think
He keeps the Golden silence of the Greek,
He can, but viii not speak
But to sit deliberately down and say nothing
in cold blood-or inks objectionable Of
Tense. We would not dare to be so stupid in
can write letter OF coincidence that is not
mockery2 Who write love-etter that is
not q delusion and suarea i confess to a cold
pers piration at the sight of either.
There are. however, TWO species of communi-
cation more graceful epistie than By word
of mouth-a dun and cogent bit of sarcasm.
You read the dun and reflect upon ways and
means You can read the sarcasm and swear
ferveDtly with none to modest or to make YOU
afraid.
However welcome an epistIe NAV be in the
bosom of your family, where you are on your
native heath, and your name is MacGregor,
distance from home lends it a charm in direct
II.
Your father writes oftenest. but he disdains
news His stronghold is advice, but he tells
you he misses you. and he puts funny little
kiss the lower right-hand corner of the page,
that dear old pater! Your mother writes tbs
news-who has taken advantage of your absence
TO die, be born, married, and what 'sshe
said, and The said" and they said !" and what
they all said after they had said that She
sends samples of her spring outfit. the latest
antics of the family cat. and the fad in
and makes herself personal col
umn and the ''city in brief for your benefit.
Then there yonr brothers letters. He
loves you. Sometimes you imagine so, and
SO metmes you feel quite sure. But his letters
are apt to be brief affairs and mostly about him
your absorbing interest IN that topic. But how
does it happen that he never tells you what you
want to knowl You write him list of questions
MS long as the page. Not even echo answers.
You know he used to be engaged TO girl. and
then he engaged to another; but when,
where and why the transition2 Or do the two
affairs still progress in parallel ines2 Dead ST.
inga What are the thoughts that chasing
each other through the brown head2 Grim
silence.
But Christmas letters. All mel That time
when Thousand leagues lie between and
my yule-logi The gifts from him we'll
enough, bnt Rugged and cried over nv letters,
--one from each one of the family. They said
they loved rae-every one-they said they were
proud of me--yes they wrote it though they.
never would have said il to my face. They urged
me- to do something better, be something nobler.
They said they PRAYED for every night and
the paper was blistered with two loving. salt
tears. What better gift could the Christ-child
send me than such letters9
ELEANOR IGLEHEART.