Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1895-03-05

O'sr-It Would Mako You Feel
Better to See HSr,
II was asked what gives the visitors
vt Clear Water the greatest and sweetest
pleasure should answer, letters from
bome-lettcrs from kindred and friends.
We get our daily mail very early in the
morning, and 1t actually induces habit
Of early rising in the household. Long
before breakfast the family and the
guests cungreeate in tho large room
where the mail has been assorted upon
the center table: With earnest hopes
and eager eyes they scan the letters and
see look Of disappointment il the
expected ones are missing, but they
rarely fail, and soon the fortunate ones
have settled down to an enjoyment that
10 pure as love and welcome a. charity.
know OF no pleasure that can be given
as cheaply as the persual Of kind, loving
letters from dear ones at home, and
there is no excuse, no apology that will
atone for q neglect Of writing them.
because their long absent children do
not write to them. for 1t betokens lack
OF fllial love or hardened heart. 1t
Is a sure sign Of selfish Indifference.
Needn't tell me that he 10 . splendid
young inah-so handsome, 30 gentle.
manly. II he habitually neglects to
write to his mother / have no respect
for him. l wouldn't trust him as
lashier or clerk. Once nor twice year
does not satisfy. Once a month is .
stingy makeshift, when we consider
how easy it is to do, and how little the
cost compared with the pleasure it gives.
have known venerable mother to put
her sons letter carefully away among
her dearest treasures and get 1t out
again occasionally and wipe her spec
tacles for another reading. Why. 1t
would pay boy athousand-fold to look
in upon that mother as she reads his
letter, especially If 1t was good long
one, and came from his heart. Itwould
pay him to see her read postal card If
it had nothing on it but my dear, dear
mother" and God bless you" and his
signature. Young men, why don't you
carry some postal cards in your pocket,
as you travel from place to place, and
every day or two pencil fcw lines
while on the train and hand to the con-
ductor? He will mail it on the train.
He always does it for me. So, then,
there is positively no excuse, and IL you
think st. Peter will let you in at the
golden gate you are mistaken. Honor
thy father and mother" is the only one
of the Ten Commandments that has q
promise in it. Shakespeare says: "How
sharper than serpent's tooth 1t is to
have an ungrateful child"
All this is about letters from children
to parents. But there are other letters
that should be writtan-letters from
friends to friends that always give
pleasure. The best quality Of letter
is that it should be willingly written.
How often do we hear it said: Oh, I've
got to write some letters and had
rather do anything in the world than to
write letters" Well, of course, there
are some correspondents like schoolgirls
and transient friends that are not par
ticular desirable, but, IL q letter is
worth writing at all, it should be we'll
written-carefully and thoughtfully
written. There is q world Of character
in q letter. The other day one OF our
household received letter from .
young lady in Atlanta and it was 50
bright, so newsy, 30 genial that it went
the grand rounds. Everybody read it,
and each one said: "Well, Mary does
write such beautiful letter. She is .
very superior girl" Most people regard
writing good letters as gift, but it is
not Itis a pains-taking, thoughtful
task. Thousands of letters are not
worth the postage. Sheridan said that
easy writing was curst hard reading, "
and Pope said:
"True ease in writing comes from art, not
As those move easiest who have learned to
dance"
have observed, though, as q general
rule, the most gifted takers are the
poorest correspondents. The pen is too
slow for their wits. One of the most
genial companions and truest friends I
ever had never wrote me letter, never
answered any, and had the Same old
excuse that he had rather take . whip
ping than write . letter.
What blessing is the privilege. Two
cents-only 2 cents, to be carried 1000
miles-only s cents 10 cross the Atlantic
ocean. / remember when it was quite
q tax to pay for letter from another
state to Georgia. 1t was IS cents aud
was paid at the end of the line-paid by
the one who received 1t. and IL 1t was .
poor letter he felt like he was cheated
imposed upon. Many . tlme whom I
was the postmaster's c1erk have l
handed out letters and they were in
spected all over and handed back with
the remark, "Well, you can keep it un-
til get the money" In that day there
were no envelopes. no mucilage-most
Of them were sealed with waters that
cost IS cents bog. MANY were sealed
with soft rosin from the pines. In fact
the mucilags business 10 OF rather re-
cent origin. 1t is said that its discovery
wa6 accidental; that the adhesive sub
stsaoe used in England on envelopes
and postage stamps was not only ex-
psnsive but waa poisonous, and became
very unpopular. About this time Z
srocer's store burned down in London,
"a altar the ffre had ooola6 dovrn the