The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1898-07-14
A DOUBLE ERROR.

1.-THE managers of st. Jacobs hospital
solicit old newspapers and magazines for
the entertainment of their sick and con-
Valescent."
In response to this advertisement in one
of the most widely read newspapers in B.
there came daily to the above named In
stitution great variety of publications
One day there appeared among the rest
q newspaper with these words written up
on the margin, 81 wish you very good
morning and a right speedy recovery,
then the full address of the writer, Miss
Louisa Lobstedt, North street This
greeting elected a few days later the fol-
lowing answer:
So there is really in the bright, happy world
outside one kind soul who has thought to
spare for us sick ones! l am the unfortunate
one who has received your greeting and hope
that your kind wish will soon be gratiied and
that at a time not very distant shall leave
this place restored to health. you have
ever been seriously i'll have ever endured
such pain 1 now suffering, you will GER
tainly heed the request of poor invalid and
not rest satisfied with the few words of kind
ness which have made me 30 happy. If there
were only some congenial soul here to whom I
could speak freely with whom 1 might
chat little now and theni But just now there
is no one here who can help to pass away the
long, weary hours, and SO beg you again not
TO let me hope in vain for answer. In the
L y
gratefully, BERTHA N1LLMERs-
In this way "a correspondence was begun
which very soon developed into a most in
teresting one for both young ladies. 1t
brought out a lively Interchange of
thought. Letters few back and forth, in
which the two impaired to one another
unreservedly their respective circum-
stances and expectations.
Louisa Lobstedt wrote her new friend
~. Il
that she had position, at small pay, In
largo confectioner's shop, where, working
from early morning until late at night,
with only short rest at noon, she was
quite tired out; that her employer made
such unreasonable demands upon his help
that he was much disliked. She wrote
that she had few acquaintance OF her own
age and no real friend, and she congratu-
lated herself that she had conceived the
idea of sending that greeting through the
newspaper and putting her name to 1t,
although that last was rather risky. What
If her address had fallen into wrong
handsl She hoped also, she wrote in one
of her later letters, some day to find time
to visit Miss Bertha at the hospital and SO
to become personally acquainted with her.
Bertha Willmers in the meantime replied
TO these letters in the same frank, hearty
way. She wrote that her home was in
II. and that three months before she
had come 70 B. for the purpose of earning
her living as a teacher of music and the
languages. In the course of a few weeks
she had fallen i'll, and, at her earnest re-
quest, the people with whom she boarded
had brought her here to the hospital.
'fHow happy it makes me to think am
soon to see you'll l do not doubt that we
shall become the dearest friends, and yet
am going to ask you to defer your visit
for a little while. And why? You will
think me foolish, vain. Well, call it
feminine weakness, and yet before my i'll
ness l was always being complimented
upon my pretty, fresh, healthy looks, and
you can readily understand how five
weeks of severe illness would change one.
Who knows but you would be utterly dis
gusted with me when l want SO much to
make as favorable an impression posi-
BILE upon my new found friend. Just as
soon as am somewhat better and little
more like my old self l will write you to
come"
A week later she impaired to Louisa the
delightful news that she hoped very short
ly to leave the hospital entirely recovered.
Her first visit would 30 to her dear new
friend, but before she could do this she
would have to make very, very serious
confession. Amid protestations of the
deepest esteem and love on her own part
she begged Miss Louisa to promise her one
thing in advance-viz, that whatever the
confession might be, she would allow it to
make difference in their relations.
Never was Bertha more surprised in her
life than at the answer which followed
Immediately upon this. Thus it ran:
MY DEAR DEAR MISS BERTHA-With hand
tremulous from anxiety and excitement
write these lines, for either they begin for US
both a new and happy life or else all is over
between US, and how can bear that God alone
knowsl For, oh, let me confess it, love you'll
Yes, love you with all the fire. all the passion
of my being. Following the impulse of a
wanton humor, l appended to my name upon
the newspaper which a happy fate threw into
your hands the little word Miss" i contin-
ued the joke in my first letter, and by that
time my interest in you had already become
too great to allow me to confess the truth,
which would not only put end perhaps to
the correspondence which had become neces-
sary to me, but would also debar me from ever
meeting you face to face All, my dear Miss
Bertha, do not be angry with me, do not cast
scornfully from you the deep, fervent love
which fills my heart. EternalIy yours,
LOUIS LoBsTEDT.
In fever of anxiety she awaited an an
swer from the woman whom he had de-
ceived 1t came on the following day and
ran thus:
DEAR SIR-Unfortunately cannot spare you
the disappoin tment which these lines will
cause you, they will show you that, not
withstanding the deep affection you feel for
me, can never be yours. Like you, out of
tender regard for the weaker sex, / also took
refuge in a little subterfuge. Hoping for
personal acquaintance in the near future am
most cordially yours,
BERTHoLD WIILMERs.
From the German.