Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-12-20
THE OLD LOVE-LETTBR
A TIMELY TALE OF TWO CHRIST
MAS FESTIVALS.


Lam old fashioned, it is true, but
no one can accuse me of being be-
bind time, with the hours marked
clearly on my face. But We will
not dialate on this now. Talk OF
working eight hours a day-why'
look at me! work eight days a
week, strike regularly, too; OF
course by the eighth day l am
pretty we'll run do'cR.
What changes, what contrasts l
have experIencedin in my time How
this holiday season brings 1t all
back. In the old, old days | never
tired of timing Dorothy as she sat,
artistically draped in soft, cling
ing gown, in a high'back chair, al
her spiunin wheel 10y the lattced
window, with a big, cheerful fire.
place filed with green bOughs an q
flowers for a background.
Who could deny her beauty al
ter one gaze iuto the bronze depths
of her ever.varylng eyes, the pu'
pills of which dllated at every
change OF expression on her piquant
fAce. And when her era b b e d
old guardian aroused her ire, which
alas was no unusual occurrence,
her mild OrLs would change to
ipky bIackness, which was the
signal for her worthy relative to
seek the quiet seclusion Of some
distant room.
On this day, he having gone on
long ride, she was looking par
ticularly sweet, as her happiness
always increased with his distance
from home. A shadow was sud
denly thrown on the floor, and
Ernest De Lancey's stalwart form
darkened the doorway, but his
handsome presence frightened the
room-so Dorothy thought. His
calls had been frequent Oflate, and
we're always followed by a storm
from her guardian, who seemed
to cherish a special dislike for this
attractive young man.
But what a shadow fell on poor
Dorotby's face when she learned
that this was his farewell call, it
having suddenly become necessary
for him to start on a journey which
would take him away for months,
perhaps years.
The first shock being over, she
made him explain all about the
trip, and with Numerous questions
unconsciOusly prevented h IN
from speaking on a subject much
nearer and dearer to him than his
unwelcome absence. Finally, at
the first pause, he impuIsively took
both her little white hands IN his
grasp and raised them-but in a
second she had them free. her
guardian had suddenly appeared,
and, for DoIotby's sake, De Lancey
at once withdrew, his last words
alludlng to a future letter.
Months passed. Dorothy, with
a look of patient waiting in her
bronze eyes-nOw so often dlmmed
by sad mist-sat spinning, as
usual, day after day by the latticed
window. The holiday season was
now upon us, and her old guardian
one OF those charming characters
who of course never exist outside
of fiction, a man who delighted il
depending all his affability anC
pol teness outside OF his own family
this charming old gentleman hat
invited all the neighbors to
lCbristmas party.
On the afternoon Of the day ap
pointed for the festivities, as b
was standing by my open cast
winding me up, a servant brougll
a letter for Mistress Dorothy, say
ing it had Just been left at the gate
by a horseman.
Who could be writing to h /
ward 2 All that handwriting va
not uniamilisr-Ernest De Lancel
While thus pOndering he suddenl
heard Dorothy's step. lie hard
dared to deliberately destroy Il
letter, and in his indecislon
abruptly threw the missive into Il
open case and closed the door, al
d by this act sweet Dorothy and Er
est De Lancey were forever sc
u arated.
During the festivities that nigl
J after the Virginia reel, and wh
!, playing blind man's.bufl, a big 8
footer, with his eyes bandaged, r
c plump into me, and, with a cra'
eight feet of clock was spread
the floor, and the next day the at
was considered good enough
hold the wreck.
rr..oo ,.o,coI ocd thara Low