The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1895-07-18
A DELAYED LETTER.

A DELAYED LETTER.
They were tearing down the Ccntervilie
courthouse. One of the workmen found u
letter upon which was the faded address
Daniel H. Carter
"Why. it's to old Preacher Carterr' said
some one.
"How do you>knowf" asked another.
"Why, it's Daniel Fl. Carter and his
names Daniel Henry 1t must have been
sent years before he went to preaching.
Let's open it,
.'Open itY'' said the second speaker sis
that letter addressed to you? No, sir. It's
addressed to Daniel II. Carter, and he's
the only man who has any right to its con-
tents. That envelopes got q United States
stamp on it, and 1 don't care how long it's
lain there. 1t means protection to what
aver it carries. That stamp would hold
good day after Judgment
The speaker was evidently a of
weight, for his argument was particularly
effective, for there were murmurs of ap
prevail in the crowd and voices that said in
several tones and keys:
1--WE amt got no ight to open it -
1.-THE squircs right"
BETTER send it to its OWNER
cit might cost the county something.
! anyhow said young sprg of the law
benefits Mr.. Carter was prevented from
taking advantage of by this delay"
The upshot of it all was that the letter
was sent across to the building which had
| been fitted up and was doing service as
postoffice in lieu of the old one and
| sent out by the carrier who had the Rev.
| Daniel III. Carter upon his route.
The Rev. Mr.. Carter was an easy good
natured bachelor, and had been pastor at
10 for OH oil hn SiT1fp
| he returned from creditable service as chap
| lain of regiment during the civil war. 1t
was true that he had passed by all the re-
| ligiously inclined spinsters and charitable
| widows in the town, but in spite of this
almost objectionable offense he was well
| beloved and deeply revered, and the church,
with the experience of many years, had
| grown used to its bachelor parson.
| That morning when the postman rang
| his bell he went to the door and received
| his letter with his usual smile and ''thank
| you
To him the envelope seemed rather dusty
| on on3 edge and q bit old fashioned, be
| imagined, but then, some years had passed
| over the Rev. Daniel Carriers head and his
sight was not SO good as it had once been.
| So, without curiosity, he laid the letter
| down on his study table and went down to
| breakfast.
The bread, butter and eggs We're partic-
| ularly good that morning, and the tea was
| just to his taste, SO perhaps the minister
fingered a little longer at his morning
meal than was usual. 1t was at any rate a
rather long time for a man who had on his
study table letter which had been on the
| way for nearly 35 years.
But at last the pastor made an end OF
eating and again sought his study. He
picked up the letter and adjusted his
| glasses with leisurely care. He glanced at
the postmark and let his eye roam over the
address, but he did not seem to see well, sc
he took off his glasses, rubbed and pol
| ished them and set them on his nose again
He looked at the handwriting and as his
| hand went up to smooth his brow flash
of recognition came into his eyes. His
hand dropped quickly and he looked at the
postmark again. Then with sudden gasI
and the perspiration standing out upon his
| brow he dropped into chair. Only for 6
moment ne sat there staring into vacancy
and then with trembling fingers he tore
the missive open and devoured its con
tents with his eager eyes.
When he had finished it, the letter drop
ped from his grasp and he put his hand:
over his face. His frame shook with sob
and the tears trickled between his fingers
When his paroxysm Of grief had about sub
sided his voice came mufffed from behind
his hands in these words:
"Great God thank thee that thou has
revealed to me this thing"
He picked the letter up and read it again
| 1t ran:
| BELMONT.
| MY DEAR DANIEL-What! Ashamed to com
and tell me yourselfi Timid boyl Have yol
not that love your 1t shames my maid
| enhood to write thus; but, as you say, one cal
| write SO much more boldly than one can talk
Yes. will be your wife, Come to me when yo'
| will: it cannot be too soon.
ELIZABETH DEERING
Elizabeth Elizabeth cried the min
lister. "How have paid for my cowardice
1 thought you had met my proposal wit
scorn and deemed it unworthy even of al
answer and was glad to go into the hea
of battle and care for the suffering and dy
ing, to bury the dead, and-to try to for
get. But in all these years have not for
gotten!'
Then suddenly thought occurred t
him, and he sat bolt upright in his chair
moment moro he had his hat on an
was out of the house. Had any of his con
| gregation met him as he went wildly fly
ing down to the station they would sadl
have considered the ACCESSIBILITY of retain
ing such a piLifully demented creature a
the pastor. His hat was set far back O.
his head his hair flying and his coat fly
ing wide and an open letter flaring in hi
hand. He took the train for Belmont. TIL
l
were 80 years ago.
They had grown and he was hardly on
of the suburbs of one before he was int
the suburbs OF the other.
In the middle of Belmont they set hiI
down. Could any one tell him where
Miss Deering lived7 He asked the questio
with a trembling and failing voice. 1t ha
been past 80 years ago, you know.
Miss Decring-whati Miss Lizzie Dee
| inpp Why any one can tell Won whei
good Miss Lizzie Deering lives. It's rigf
| at the cnd''-
But the interrogated Belmontain stoo
staring at the man who had dashed off i
the direction pointed out before he had ha
time to finish his sentence.
Who shall tell what subtle instinct Dire
3 the minister to the right door? A swes
) faced, gray haired woman was sitting nes
a table sewing. At the unannounced an
impetuous entrance of her visitor she ha
rose and turned very pale
elizabeth, Elizabeth" cried the preacl
3 er, Il have just got your letter"
Miss Decring let her sewing fall.
3 81 thought you did not care for me, an
! have lived all these years SO near yo
. without daring to say word. -
8 He handed her the letter, and as the
held it between them tears dropped upon i
: elizabeth, is it too later" he said.
/ at have waited she said, because
> believed in you. / knew that somethin
4 had happened that through the mists W
D could not see. / have kept my love fires