The Washington herald., 1914-05-02
Old Letters.
nx EMonY }. HAYNns.

BY EMORY J. HAYNES.
The occasional sale of old letters of historic per-
sonages always raises the question, What good9 The
market value is the fancy of certain people to own
letter by Eliot apostle to the Indians for instance.
Probably you and would not value such letter at
cents. But as we know there is limited number of
people who do value an Eliot letter, we can always
find market. One never knows how much Bene-
diet Arnold letter viii bring But it will always be
marketable. 1t is one of the freak values of this
world The old coin, old postage stamp and to de-
gree the old masters fancy in painting all of the
same general ilk. -As man thinketh, so is he"
Have you ever been entertained by one of these
Icollectorsi He will do you great compliment He
invites you to his library. He is all a-tremble with
excitement as he meets you and brings out of
his manuscripts His face is shining. His hands
embrace the ancient paper with caress that few dot
ing fathers give to their pretty children. His
eyes feast upon the yellow pages and he wonders at
your lethargy ~
Because you would not offend your friend you
"Ohl Ali" over his treasures, while in your own
secret thought you know you Stimulating rascal
for it all bos to you If those letters belonged
to you, you know how soon you would turn them into
an' automobile pay your college boys, sophomore
bills with the price thereof. Five hundred dollars for
"a George Washington letter telling why he planted
pOtdtOSS ulIec IceI apart nOW MUCH nc IcdLLcu
last fall his hogsl
But is it so very different from valuing string
of pearls at half million dollars? pearl is not
useful button. Many see little beauty in pearl
Many ice drop has far more refractive beauties.
But the pearl has market value. A market value,
say you? Here in my drawer lies OF my fathers
last letters to What has the market to do with
those words of affection? l reject the market. 1t
has rights here. This letter is wholly mine, all
the private comments mutual lives, all the
priceless of his love- his faith, his prayers
This letter shall go to my children prove the high
excellence of the whom ! have often de-
scribed to them.
Speaking of old letters, who of US does not carry
the crudely written letter of little child: Days
and go and disturb it not But day does come,
and then, when in pensve mood we let this scrib
bled missive fall full open the desk. The rising
tides of the soul cleanse u.s. The past lives again.
We the tiny sheet, and carefully replace it.
There is price for such treasure.
There is tremendous force imprisoned in an old
letter 1t is like the trumpeters bugle hangs idle
at the saddle bow sleeping force that presently can
call troop the charge. The old letter that can
tell its tale of a great wrong, just cause that
should have its champion, fault that should be
atoned, a VOW that should be kept Forgotten is
the appeal till the letter is read again. Silent the
mons till reads and the heart gives leap
of resolve
Have you not the letter that would make you brave
and strong and true. right you are wavering
How recently have you opened the letter of long ago
that would make your muscles like steel and your soul
a knight'ss You should use this power. The faith
once reposed in you by some whom you valued
higher than all other mortas-is this narrative of
confidence in you spread many pages? Reading
all this again, you thrilled to high resolve. Who
has not such old letters that sacred as the
Scriptures?
Most of are afraid OF the old letter. We prize |
it, preserve it, but dare not read it There is
emotion in those pages, and we are too prosaic we
do not wish to be inspired We have no time for |
tears ecstasies. We expect to have the time We
hope we may some day be in the mood for reverie. |
but not And leave the letters unopened Then
too there is penitence in the letters and we are not
ready yet to repent.
There enough good old letters in the world
today to change it from winter into eternal summer |
They hold all the worlds warmth of love, truth and
high resolve Even the mother letters alone would do
this if they given the chance These old letters
here in this city would rescue every errng youth and
establish them in virtues. What say we? Will we
not give these grand old letters their opportunity?