The Jennings daily record. [volume] (Jennings, La.) 1900-1903, 1902-04-08
The letter That Came
NY WILLIAM WENDHAM.
downright. 1904. by Daily Story Publishing COD


Joseph Major" said the little man |
in the gray serge suit, to the clerk IN
side the postoffice window, who. TAX
ing a second glance of kindly inquisi-
tiveness at the gentle face outside.
handed him several letters.
The little man hustled away handling |
over the letters until one OF them
caused him to stop in his steps. IL was
a scared and yellow envelope, bearing
in its whole appearance, in the craInp-
ed handwriting and in the stamp up
in the corner a look of years, as II II
had dropped, meteor-like, from the
far-away past.
The man Stood turning 1t over In
his hand, regardless of those passing
and repassing him, many or wnoh
turned curious glances toward hlm'
On his face expressions OF amazemehl'
pleasure, sadness and CONSERVATION
succeeded each other with kaleldo-
scopic rapidity. A moment afterwaro
he walked away from the postoHce,
and, crossing the street, to a slnah
triangle of grass adorned with shrup-
berry and seats and decorously named
a park, he seated himself in retlreu
spot. and with trembling myers anu
ast-going breath, opened the envelope
AS he glanced at the first lines his
face grew white and drawn ana ne
stared at the contents as if he were
looking at a ghost. He leaned BACK
and his hand sought his forehead as
| il seeking to brush away cobwebs from
his brain This was what the letter
was. written in an uniformed and
girlish hand:
q. 9.
Dear Josepn:-I cannot. tell You how bad felt
he the @ar a hoe a had no you to
word to you before you went. Bnt -
! it all, and that was something. though | don t
why should have started before ,1 fh
| and / proud of you for it. -
never see n' YOU again; that at any moment. even
now yon may be wounded and suffering: ,t ana no, l.
| it. And losing poor mamma. too. Just at th,s
time feel If had no one to turn ,n, to but ut
| you know mamma died and they brought her
ono the e h ll' OF course Joseph You can rely
| upon You need never have doubted It. but
| every thing uncertain while mamma was
| Ill and i felt that my first duty was to her
and could not say any thing NOR aeft s, men ~
| hut that she is gone belong whoiiy To
| When shall see you again. and when will
these terrible troubles end When rci , 81
the dreadful battles and particulars , Wh riss
ing my heart beats 50 that 1t seems that IL
|
| tect and keep you from harm.
Your loving swestheaIT, pprsroS
His eyes fingered over the signature.
All those gentle, loving words he had
so longed to hear and never had they
reached him during all the weary
wears The words rang in his ears
His heart beat them out in its pulsa-
tons. and his eyes saw them wherever
he looked. The bitterness and sad
ness of it all filed his heart with ach-
ing and seemed to crush his very soul
He sat gazing at the green grass
the trees, the singing birds and the
children playing about him, but he
saw none of these--only the tragedy
of his life!
Thirty years before he reflected anC
saw himself boy, just entering man
hood, hard at work on the farm witt
a step-father who had little use TO
him except as working machine
with no mother, sister or close kin t
look to in those years Of longing TO
companionship; but with one frien'
the sweet, black-eyed girl, to whom
his sensitive nature had turned TO
sympathy.
Again he heard the roll of the drum
and felt the thrills that went through
him Wnen. as a boy, ne uedIu u III
country's danger and the call for me
and yet more men. Again he drille
as a raw recruit and marched ava
to the war, the one pang at his hear
being that The girl he left benin
him" was not there to listen to hi
last goodbye. She had gone wit
her mother in search by the latter fc
relief from the dread disease whic
had blighted her life and in the hun
, rying changes from one place to al
Other. he did not know where to addres
, her And so he had left a letter fc
her at her home. to which she wa
soon to return.
He recalled the weary weeks an
months of war and of waiting for til
letter which had never come; the hol
, ror of battles, the inconsistencies an
privation; the gradual growth of tt
idea that his sweetheart had prove
faithless, Sensitive and proud as /
had ever been. his boyish pride ha
/ forbidden him to write her again. Il