Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21
By
Jean Hamilton
VII

VII.
AS we read it later together, give it here:
My Precious Dorothy
Since Mamma" and will be leaving tomorrow
for the East for the first time since you were born
without baby-girl, our hearts are very sore
and | leaving these few lines for Nanny
Christmas times and birthdays-but l have so
much faith in our dear Percy that | think you
hearts are bound up in you and we wish you al
ways to remember, whatever happens that you
are still our child, the only little girl that ever
came to our longing arms.
From all of this you will understand how highly
we appreciate the man whom you have chosen for
your husband; otherwise We could never have con-
sented to give you to him; how great is our con-
fdence in him that he will leave nothing undone
that will minister to your welfare and comfort.
We have adopted your Percy as our Percy
hope he will understand this and to al
ways would to his father. You two are
flesh now; what is his, is yours. what is yours
is his. l hope you will both come to understand
this and yourselves, perhaps some trouble.
| am writing all this to you, my child, because
Mamma and are living over with you two our
young days. | started in life, poor young man
and | understand and appreciate our Percys
pride and ambition in the matter concerning the
taking care himself of his wife. l honor him
for it.
have been watching him carefully for the past
year. l believed him to be the worthy son of
worthy sire or would not have entrusted to his
care my beloved daughter. | believe he will be
able to take care of you. You must not let him
think therefore. that 1t is because | mistrust
his ability, that | am making the little provision
for you that you will find in the enclosed book.
1t is trife little lovetoken which think
he will not feel inclined to deprive of the
pleasure of giving to you.
Just as am not inclined to interfere with any
of his plans for the maintenance of his wife, the
maintenance of mn daughter. 1t is only the con-
tinuation of your "pnmoney," my child, and lest
something might happen, some contingency should
arise and find you unprepared, have placed in
the bank to- your credit, the sum of twelve hundred
dollars for one year in advance, with the under
standing, of course, that you will at any time and
always draw upon your father-who loves you
better than most anything in the world-for any
further amount you may need.
Now our dear Percy may not like this, |
entrust to you dear child, the task of bringing
him to my way of thinking 1t is strange thing,
dear daughter, but it is true, that women, the
dearest the sweetest the best of all Gods creation,
have somehow fallen heir to 'the worst of it, in
this world. To be sure they are supposed to have
us lords of creation" to look out for them, but
at a frightful cost to the dear creatures.
If my son had married instead of my daughter,
I would no doubt have bought for him house
and set him up in business. ! would have. been
considered a churl most unnatural father, If
I had not If had left him to begin at the bot
tom as | did and work up, his wife and children
deprived of the comforts the luxuries, the advan
tages which l could afford them without depriving
myself.
This is an unnatural state of things my pre-
cious child, when l cannot do as much for my
one little daughter. All | can do is to my
heart in telling you this and doing what can while
respecting our dear Percys pride in the matter.
If you think best, you need not say one word to