The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1893-03-24
THE LETTER BOOK.
A Scheme to Condense and Preserve Old
LETTERS

"A scheme to COndenSe and Preserve OId
Letters.
Here is something don't show tC
everybody. but | know how you viii
look at it, said my hostess as she hand
ed me thin booklet in pretty covers.
1T is some Of my brothers letters that
have arranged in this convenient way
for safe keeping
touched the book reverently Max
and ! were friends from our school days.
and cloud went over the sun when
that bright head went down in the gulf
of Mexico
Il want my little girl to know some
thing Of her only uncle, and, as Cardinal
Newman says, Tie true life of man is
in his letters, | have selected some of the
most characteristic from the many writ
ten by dear EIax and had them typed, as
you see, and some time the child will
value the book not only as a remeln.
brance. but because it shows the charac-
ter of bright and noble man"
As | glanced at the simple volume
saw it answered an end had long de-
sired-that of condensing and preserv-
ing manuscript in readable-condition
and compass at small expense. Most
of us have few old letters too dear to
throw away, and whose incorporating
bulk brings perplexity in slowing them
among our treasures, but the advent of
the typewriter has made it easy to put
these into the form of a neat booklet
with clear typewriter pages and pretty
cardboard backs. and we have the pre-
cious messages made plain for our own
eyes and at the same time fitted for
nimble hiding beyond the gaze of others
where most old letters should be.
Let those who have no sentiment in
their souls ask why we keep old letters.
a true letter is very part of the writer.
Are not the words still warm and breath
ing, though the ink is faded and the hand
that wrote them is cold? Then let US
keep these beautiful words that give as
help and strength: these tender loving
words that makes us tender and loving.
Literature is full of old letters We
are all familiar with the package-al-
ways tied with blue ribbon-that we
meet so often in the novel of our daily
reading. And will it hurt us if in the
far future when we are done with words
the little story in these letters of ours be
taken to adorn tale that shall soothe a
weary hour?
What is history but old letters, and
where would all the delightful biog-
raphies be ii no one kept their friends
letters? What an interesting book of
family history for family reading could
be made from letters of brothers and
sisters where correspondence is unre
strained and the assurance of apprecia-
ton brings out the best from each one.
and where the individual traits that en-
phasize each character is most clearly
shown!
There are fathers letters. grave and
dignifed. brt with an undercurrent of
freshness that shows his heart is still
young with his children. Mothers ten
der missives. with her heart In every line
these are too sacred for other eyes
than our own. Then the baby's letters,
warm and sweet as his own rosy lips
and altogether unique IN style. for baby
is the only one of us who is truly orig
inal.
But a book of wider interest viii be
the one containing our letters from men
and women of renown and those whose
names stand in authority on the subjects
discussed
And the best of this bookmaking is
that it adds one more tie to the family
bonds. it cultivates the home feeling and
affection thu is the anchor of our lives
and gives us one more resource for a
rainy day. MARGARET E. HOUSTON.