Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-01-04
MAN PROPOSES.

hal one solitary sovereign left. and IL
would be quite three weeks before l could
expect the next remittance from my ia
Their, VINO was so good a9 TO exc out my
own narrow income. a nice position /
was in for making IN offer of marriage!
Never mind Let the world collapse I'm
lily Simmons must be mine! l began to
write my proposal TO Miss Simmons, but
could not please myself, and several sheets
Of note paper were spoiled before had
written the first page. At length got
thus far, but the pen was II broad one,
ticrc was no blotting paper and no fire,
and the ink too; n long time to dry. had
no time to spare If I wished TO save the
post, and while was waiting it struck Inc
that might r5well write ano,e to my IA
Tier, begging him to anticipate my quar-
tcrly allowance. So put the half written
letter to Miss Simmons on one side for the
time and commenced the other. This
thought ! was going to dash off in Il mo
mems but | did not get on with the facill-
" had expected. Words require to be
well chosen in making such applications,
especially to such u nam rs my father, SO
it was some time before the first page OF
this letter was ready for the drying proc
css. Then | took up the other again, but
here the choice OF words vas still more diff
fcult. and | soCn spoiled it, and had to
commence it alreshs, Then / got nervous
and spoiled tiltoShes alco, and in fact had
consumed Il LARGO cSianity Of paper and
several glasses CT brandy and water before
/ he'd completed the two letters at ell to
my satisfaction. At length they were fin
ishcd, and l hurried OF and posted them
exactly in time, just two CT three seconds
before tho stroke of the clock.
by next days post got replies to both
Try letters at Once, the addres. of ono be
ing in my mothers writing, the other in
an elegant ladylike hand, which was no
doubt the autograph Of Miss Simmons.
How my heart beat as | opened the letter,
But fancy my CONSERVATION when l saw
that my own letter WAS returned. accom-
panied by the following short note
"Miss Simmons returns the inclOsed let
ter with the contempt it merits and regrets
that she should ever have made the nc
quaintance oe Il person at once SC mercen-
airy and so stupid
Here was settler to my hopesl What
could i moan? $50 mercenaryr' mer-
ceuary? /, who had positively regretted
tha. Miss Simmons had any ruoney at all?
Good gracious Was it possible that had
put the letters into The wrong envelopes
Such thinCa lad been heard of. broke
open the incloGure No. it was all right.
ii was my letter 20 herself. commencing
with "Adcrahle Miss Simmons" In n
state of utter Lewildermolt | opened my
mothers letter. 1t incosed n go note
and ran az follows:
My DEAr ALFRED What could be tho mean
ing OF that dreadful incohercnt letter you
wrote to .our father? We could make out from
the commencement Of it that you arc in want
OF money, but never read anything so strange
and incum2rehcnsiblo as tho latter part. Oh
my dear Alfred. how could you call your faith
CT u charmcr? lie IL naturally most deeply
mortified AT such term being applied TO him.
He says you EGIst have been tipsy when you
wrote It. hut ! know that my dearest Alfred
could never be guilty of that dreadful vice.
Your father protested that he would not send
YOU . farthing, but left yua Go note on his
desk. and / inclose it to YOU, fully believing
that lle intended me TO do so. Take caro- OF
yourself. my dearest Alfred, and never call
your father charmer again. Your loving
mother, JiMiMA PI?P,NC~oS.
What could my mother means had
never called my father charmer or any
thing of the kind. He was little, short,
quiet, high dried, matter OF fact, SNUFF
taking country attorney, an excellent IA
Their in his uudemonstrativc way, but the
last one in the worid one would think of
calling charmer. Quite unable to I'M
derstand the affair, | took up my rejected
offer and mechanically read it through.
Yes. ii was all right. recolleoted every
word as went on. What was there in this
to make Miss Simmons think me merce
nary or stupid? Nothing. Stay. though
what WAS thiss There was some mistake.
This WAS not what intended TO write to
the young lady. / recoliect every word of
that letter Mt the present moment. l shall
never forget it. II ran thus:
ADORABLE Miss SIMMoNs--I can no longer
delay the eqaest which have 10 make TO YOU.
Again and again you must have seen it trem-
bling on my lips. when either some awkward
interruption or some iiu;tering of my own heart
has prevented its being spoken. Oh. Miss Sim
mons! Oh. Enlifyt Do not refuse me. Oh,
mistress OF my soul, give Eie by return of post.
IL possible, five and twenty pounds for have
had some heavy expenses OF late, and. in a
word, as know that you like people tocome
at once to the point, am regularly hard up.
Yours very obediently,
ALFRED PIPPINGToN.
Now ! saw through it In the haste and
confusion of writing the letters, and espe-
cially through having changed from one
to the other while waiting for the ink to