The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1889-07-19

4uu anu dluustllcut- BQL lIas--., u 49,
names and addresses seemed to say TO him
that he might write if he chose. One of
these names had struck him as very pref
ty, and the handwriting was indeed neat.
He had amused himself with picturing
the writer to himself many times, until
he felt partially acquainted. To her,
therefore, he would indite a very general
letter, and if she chose to reply and a cor
respondence grew out of it, it would give
new interest to the days that must yet be
passed before he could return to his regi-
ment. His letter, addressed to Miss
Lille Meline, was not an eloquent epistle;
it simply told the story of the writer's
loneliness, the gratitude of himself and
comrades for the interest shown in the
comfort for the Union soldiers, and the
satisfaction it would give the inmates of
hospital if ''any OF the young ladies
should feel at liberty to relieve the dull
ness Of their life by an occasional letter. "
1t was net long before he received a re-
ply in a handwriting which he promptly
identified. He was more excited when he
opened the envelope than he had been for
a long time, and far more than he had
supposed he could be over a letter from a
stranger. Like his own, it was very
simple epistle "The girls were de
lighted" it said, "to know that their
work had done some good. The soldiers
deserved everything, =" and so on, s'and If
he cared to herr from her, why, she would
write, although she was only a school
girl" And then, asking that he would
tell something about himself, she signed
her name, Lille Meline There was this
P. S.: "What Is the name of your regi-
mentgn
Surely this sort of correspondence was
sufficiently mild. Neither party to It had
the intention to begin anything like a
Irritation by mail Indeed, Lille had pur-
Posely conveyed the impression that she
was very young, so that there might be no
temptation on Fred's part to change the
scope Of his letters. She was a school
girl, eighteen years of age, home now for
her vacation As she bad meant, be rot
the impression that was much younger, a
mere slip Of a girl. That was Just the
thing. He could write freely about him
self TO amuse her, and her letters and her
sympathy would be none the less pleasant
because OF her youth.
Now, I am bound to confess that the
correspondence which followed was not
in any way very remarkable. In looking
it over, have been, perhaps, as rluch in
terested in the handwriting, tbs faded
letters, the dates, as in the little glimpses
Of personal history and character which it
reveals. It does not greatly concern our
story to follow it. Rapidly it changed,
both as TO form and substance. 1t came
to be ''My Dear Miss Lille" and "Dear
Mr. Raymond" 1t was no longer general
and formal, but personal and sympathetic.
Had they fallen in love with each otherl
That would have been very absurd in
him, seeing that she was only little girl,
as he supposed.
While neither had intended it, and as
yet were unaware of it, they had entered
upon a state when only touch is needed
10 change their warm personal interest
into the deepest and tenderest passion.
Thus a few weeks passed, and Raymond
was permitted to join his regiment.
But while he had only sought to
tighten the WEAKNESS Of hospital life in
the beginning, he now found these letters
none the less adapted to the Frightening
Of camp life, and they were still con-
tinued. But as his regiment was often
on the move and the mails were IN
certain, they were less frequent and
regular. With the battle Of Chickamauga
they came to an abrupt end. Lilies
letters were returned, with the sad in
telligence that Raymond had been killed
in battle. IF she had heretofore de
ceived herself with regard to her interest
in this soldier whom she had never seen,
she did so now no longer. 1t was IN the