The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1907-01-25
FORGOTTEN
LETTERS

@ulte recently, according TO tine
public prints" a INST Ex-l-t-d
P-r-s-n-ge." as Thackeray would put it,
had occasion TO regret the writing Of
certain letters.
He may, if this be true, console him
self with the reflection that there are
many, many others. There is a man
in Washington who, only the other
afternoon. experienced perhaps a keen
er modification over certain letters
that he had written than any Excited
P-r-s-n-ge" ever did.
1t was a rainy afternoon, and his
wife was doing some e-Christmas
rummaging in one of her old trunks.
From that trunk she plucked a pack
age of old, rather faded letters, neatly
tied up in cerise ribbon, and then she
came downstairs to where her nus
band was attempting to read the
newspaper. There was a certain ma
licious twinkle in her generally ami
able eye.
"You used to care for me in those
days was her curious way of open
llS lHe conversation.
"Huh?" said her husband, looking
up vaguely from his paper. What's
that?"
Used to love me them she said,
untying the packet of letters and pull
ing n of them from its envelope.
What days? Whatchoo talking
about? Whatchoo got there?" he
asked.
"oh, some letters" she replied
placidly. Some of your"
oh, rubbish, Matilda!" he broke in.
please femme alone. I'm reading"
Here's II of them, written shortly
after we were engaged" she went on
unheedingly. 81 am not a wealthy
man. she quoted from the faded page
but l can, at least, my darling, strew
the path for YOU adorably dainty feet
with wild roses and poppies-'"
"Oh, I say" he broke, in, flag that,
won't you? What's the answer to all
his? Please femme lone. Can't you
see that I'm reading?"
And here's another passage" she
went on remorselessly. When look
INTO your dear violet eyes I feel, stir
ring within me, the ~awakenings of 3
new life, the moving harbingers OF
something higher and"
please cut it out, my DEAR" plead
ed the husband, his face reddening.
Horrible rot! Wish you'd femme
lone"
Here's another one, written about
10 minutes later-you used to write
me about nine letters a day then, you
know, dear. You say here: When ]
hold you in my arms, and inhale the
dewy sweetbriar fragrance of your
sunny hair, / feel as Paris must have
felt when he clasped Helen to his
heart in the golden antique years"
"Oh, for Heavens sake. can that
rot, won't you, please M%atilda?" the
nan begged, but it vas no use.
And then you go OF to say: Never,
since the Chaldean shepherds watched
their focks in the dusks and twilights
Of the ancient world, has been
worshiped as I worship my Matilda.
Never since"
Great Caesar, what a muff, what a
m%uttonhead, must have been!"
groaned the husband. What "a"
Why, I think it's real nice, really
said his wife, with a sort of RETROSPECT
tive smile on her face. 81 couldn't
understand a good deal that you
wrote, of course, because you know,
1,.r1 -,,aI nnr -Hnri1 nnH
stylish writer, my dear, but Well,
here is something that [ understood,
though: AT the outset of the dear
Journey which we are to take, hand in
hand, l promise you that never once
shall you hear so much as an unkind
word cross my"
Say, look here, Matilda, that junk
all runs for Sweeney. Please forget
it. What the deuce is your idea in
springing it On me now. when"
This sounds nice, too: Those
precious, lily-white and hyacinth-
sweet hands of yours shall neve have
to be soiled with"
Tell you one thing-I'm going to
% out O. here, Matilda, if you don't
drop that. 1 won't sit here like a fiat
head and listen to you unreeling that
kind o."
you used to think so much of my
ears, too. Listen to what you said of
EN- here: They have the dainty,
elusive tint of such a b%eauteous sea-
shell as that in which Venus must
have risen from the sea, and"
There may have been worse lob
sters than 1 was when l uncoiled all
of that superheated steam, but if there
were I'd like to have a peek at EN-
lust for the sake Of"
"And my nose, too, you used to be
so fond of: Shaped like Clytie's, and
with the most adorable little solitary
freckle perched right on the bridge,
and"
Its hard to believe that L eve took
my pen in hand to scribble such in
fernal gibberish. Don't believe l wrote
such stuff at all. Don't believe 1 ever
was such a noody-naddy as TO-"
$3.50 --- ST I