Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1888-07-08

n Il began Serl0usly 20 CONSIDER WHAT ]
should say in reply to the long letter which
l carried in my bosom and read daily. In
order to be udistnrbed, / carried pspel
aud pen to the fugleman's DON ut the
castle, and wrote my letter in the sitter
moons, whenever / could snatch an hour
from my work. What was / to say in an
swer to the many tender protestatiops Of
Ralph? And how was l tospeak Of Mathews
Tell him." said the fugleman, "that
Mathew is q villain. Last Tuesday week
there was q run to Coldstream-lace and
bIandy-Mathew stood in and found the
ponies. Yet he is q villain"
"And what about yourself?r / asked.
GAs for me-" he said, II always said
that once the boy got his foot on the lowest
ruDd, it would not be long before he was
on top of the ladder. Half way mp and
more he is, | reckon, by now. So that
am not surprised 10 hear Of his good for
tune, and only wish I was young enough
to be his fugleman. Tell him that first OF
all. But Mathew is q villain. Next you
may say that Pm well and hearty, and
likely to continue in the way of grace,
such being my constitution and my habits.
Mathew, his cousin, is a desperate villain.
Tell him that. You may tell him next
that if he still regardeth eggs / have got
such q collection for him as can't be match
ed. As for Mathew, he is a rogue and q
villain, Fish, tell him, are plentiful this
year, and offers there he in plenty. Yes.
terday / trapped badger, and / know of g
marten opposite the hermitage. The birds
are wild, but l had good sport with his
worship last winter, and hope to do some
thing bS myself when the nights draw out.
Say next that 1 send him my faithful re-
spects and humble good wishes; and
Mathew il o villain. And as for your own
pretty sell, you sit down and tell him tina.
there isn't q strsighter maid, nor one more
beautiful, on the banks of Coquet; while,
I'd for eyes and shape and rosy lips"-
Indeed" I cried, 81 shall tell him no
such nonsense. No, l will not tell him
such nonsense"
"Why, he loves thee, sweetheart. Say it.
child, to please him, so lonely lie is, and
so tar away from rs. / wish he had thy
picture Just now. with the pretty bushes
on the cheeks and all. A girl ought to be
proud for such as him TO fall in love with
her."
"Is he truly in love with ms?' I said,
with tears coming into my eyes, because
now that the words were spokeo | knew
very we'll how much | longed for that very
thing. why, be says he wishes me hap
piness with my husband. As if I could
take any husband bat Ralph"
"T~here-there," he cried, ''tell him
that. Tell him that, and il will make him
happy and bring him home"
"You think such q little thing as that
would bring him homer"
There's one thing" said the old man,
(which women can never understand, and
that's the strength and power Of love
There was a man in Lord F~alkland's regi'
ment-but 1 cannot tell thee all the story,
There was q young gentleman in the
Fourteenth. when we were stationed al
Gibraltar, in love with q Spanish lady
but of that at another time. What did
the soldier care that he got 800 the next
day? And as for the young gentleman, he
would have done the same-and always
said soft another dozen of duels was tC
come after it, aud him to be pinked in
every one. C%heerfully he would have
done the same for such another charmer,
Alb be would, and more; bat m never
understand"
With these mysterious words did he en-
courage me a. to the force and vehemenct
among men of the passion called love.
Ii Ralph was only home again, We
should have a protector. Thought of thi,
and hesitsted no longer. Yet twas an
uumaidenly thing which l did, and to this
dsY / am uncertain AZ to whether | was
justified by all the circumstances IL was,
besides. n dangerous thing TO d., because
am convinced that nothing more effectuslly
turns aside the fancy of a mar for n wo-
men-which is n delicate and tender plant,
even at its strOngest--than the Thought
that she is lacking in the modesty and re
serve which are the choicest virtues of q
maiden. Yet I -au that danger, though
imperiled the most precious thing to me in
all the world, the heart of my Rliph. But
there is a time 10 speak, a. we'll as q time
TO keep silence. What / said was this:
DEAR RALPa-I have now received
your letter, and / thank you for it with
all my heart. My father hath lost all in
London, and is now returned to his native
place; we are therefore, poor indeed, and
have nothing to live upon except the an
auity which he long ago bought for my
grandmother, who fails daily; when she
dies We shall have nothing Also, my
father is afflicted with a strange belief that
he is rich. This makes Us unhappy.
Mathew hath spread abroad a rep rt that
the mill is his, and not youTs at all, by
reason of a second will, which nobody has
seen except himself. i fear that you viii
have trouble with your cousin. The fuglc'
man is well and hearty, and bids me tell
you''- Here | set forth a many OF the
messages a. l could remember. "As re-
CARDS myself, he babe me say many thing
out OF his kind heart, for he loves me; but
| must not write them down. My deaI
Ralph, do not say again that You want ne
To have a husband. l shall never marry
any husband nor love any man, except
yourself, if you still continue to love me.
Indeed, there il no moment of the day--ii
you will not think me unmaidenly to con-
fess this thing-when you are out Of my
thoughts, and l pray night snd morning
for your safety and speedy return. Ma
thew has asked me to marry him, and is
augered because / refused. He has spread
abroad reports that you are now a high
waymsn. Will you come back to us, dear
| Ralph? / am in great sadness, and | am
afraid that Mathew some mischief.
Yet l would not mar your fortune by call
ing you away from the work you have in
hand. Mathew threatens mewith revenge,
ami Barbara, his sister, bids me read pass
ages in tn Holy Scriptures which threaten
woe 70 sinners. l an afraid what they
may do, though j cannot think that they
can do us any evil. 1t makes me unbap-
py b o think that any can believe here that
YOU have become a h~ighwayman. Yet l
keep your letter secret, aud n one knows
where you are. The fugleman says that a
villain must have rope enough TO hang
himself. Alb, Ralph, if you could come
back TO rs. Bot the quiet country would
be tedious to You after your splendors and
the pleasure Of an active life. But whether
YOU come home or whether you stay, You
must always believe that l am your loving