Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1897-06-11
LETTER NO. 1.

ApRIENNE TO HER SCHOOL FRIEND BLANCHE
I'm quite out Of patience with you.
You promised to spend a fortnight with
mamma and me In the country, and you
knew perfectly we'll that you wouldn't
be able to keep your promise. Why
didn't you tell me the truth about it? /
suppose you think a married woman
should not converse with young girl
about such things. At least that's what
mamma has Just told me. In the first
place, m no longer q little girl. was
eighteen my last birthday, and it's years
and years ago that l unlearned my no.
tions concerning the usefulness OF the
stork family. 1t would have been a
very simple thing for you to write me
few lines explaining the situation to
me. Have we ceased to be friends,
then, because, forsooth a married wom-
an is not supposed to have young girls
for her friends2 Indeei, you take a
very serious view of life. How much
older are you than 1? A year at the
most. But you are now a married wom-
an and must weigh your words lest you
dispel the Illusions of the marriageable
maiden. Trashl My poor father had
no such silly ideas, and that's another
reason why his death was blow to me.
Do you want to know my opinion on
the subject of educating young girls?
They should be brought up by their
| father when that father is an honorable
and intelligent man, as mine was.
| Why do the mothers spurn the CO.
operation Of the fathers In this matter?
Why are they continually saying TO the
men: "You don't understand anything
about educating girls.
And then why do they. the very next
day, intrust not only the education
but the very destiny of daughter to
man whom she has just met-often
mere boy, without any experience him
self and completely ignorant Of the
character, aspirations and ideas Of his
| intended9 The change would be much
| less abrupt and dangerous were 1t from
the hands Of a father to the arms of a
husband. Yes, l mean it, for saw
how your husband put his arm abound
you when you went into the garden for
moonlight STROLL
| Oh, that ridiculous moon, with its
swollen mo,her-o f-pearl Jack Pudding
countelancel When l look at it-and
I've been looking at it great deal
fews days past-I can't help saying to
myself what hasn't it seen and what
hasn't it heard since the first love-scene
in Eden? But how delightfully."- dis
| creetl 1t never tells tales out of school,
but calmly continues to chase up the
sun without ever catching him. How
patienti After we are gone 1t will con-
tinue to do so. Others will look at 1t
and dream and hope. and hope and
| dream, and SO on forever. How pro-
voking it is not to amount to anything
morel At times, dear Blanche, I've a
great notion to betake me to convent, to
get into one of those big white, wooden
gowns, which never flt, to stop talking,
stop thinking, stop living, in fact, just
| let time wear me away. But unfortu-
nately in. converts they don't wash
| themselves from head to foot every
morning. II it werent for that I'd bury
myself in one Of them at once. I'd be
willing to give up my hair, which you
may recollect is very beautiful, but
never could got accustomed TO the idea
of not having feet daintily white and
scrupulously cared for. l go to see
Sister Ursula sometimes, and while
chatting with her the other day 1 made
known to her how my yearnings and
hesitations were always graphing with
each other. l declared myself strong
enough to triumph over these moments
of weakness, provided the bishop would
permit me TO have next my cell dress
| ing room such as l have here. I'm
possiblel" she exclaimed. -the rules
forbid 1t. And, besides. my daughter,
she continued, your thoughts should