Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1919-02-03

hammock with you instead of on a
root garden, these sitting nights.
You know nothing of summer heat
Your cool, grass grown, shaded viii
lage has nothing in common with the
sun-baked streets of this big town.
Some day 1 am coming back for
another visit. Will you be Just as
Kind to me, or shall 1 find you have
changed-perhaps lawful thought
married to some of those good
hearted youths I met Please don't,
Bah l should hate to find your Mrs
Somebody, instead of Barbara Hill,
2ne of the dearest playfellows man
Ter had.
Tell me all about yourself, Bah.
l am going to send you some new
books occasionally, something l am
reading. Then we can talk about it
in our letters. Would that please
you
Remember me to your father and
mother, They were good to spare
you to me so often. Really, as l look
back, / seem to have rather mon
opolized you during my stay with
Aunt Grace. By the way, she is aw-
fully fond of you. Perhaps you al
ready know it, doubtless you do. But
in view of the fact that she told me,
and that she is a relative of mine,
go and sit with her occasionally,
won't you? l see that haven't given
you any real reason that you should,
but do just the same.
Il am having some pictures taken
for mother. She has bounded me to
death for months to have my face
put on card. Would you like one?
Don't be afraid to say no 1t won't
hurt-yes it will, too. I find that I
really want you to have one.
This is quite long letter for a
first one, isn't it, Bah? Do write me
soon. l shall be looking for letter
every day now until receive it.
Very sincerely,
NEIL FORBES"
My first man letter Yet no one
could call it love letter, I thought
as l pressed it to my lips after read
ing it. How could he make fun about
my getting married? That hurt. Just
as if l would think of marrying one
of the village boys, now-after meet
ing him.
was delighted that he proposed
sending me books he was reading.
It would seem like being together to
talk of them in our letters. But what
delighted me most was that l was to
have his picture. l had tried to get
up my courage to ask for it before he
left, but couldn't. Now I was glad /
Ad not, it was SO nice to have him
offer it if himself.
Of course, l would go and sit with
his aunt. l had done so frequently
since he left, and we had spent the
entire time talking of him. Mrs.
Garter had told me all she knew of
his boyhOod, of his people. 1t wasn't
much, as they had lived so far apart,
and her brothers wife and she had
not been very congenial. But it was
all wonderfully interesting to me.
said to myself that 1 would wait
just as long as Neil had before
answered his letter. Two whole
weeks. But I couldn't! I figured
that the longer l waited to reply to
his letter, the longer it would be be
fore I received another, So at the
end of a week I sent my answer.
I spent may hours, and destroyed
several sheets of paper before l was
satisfied with what I had written.
Even then I realized it was very in
adequate as far as either expressing
my feelings, or in interest. But it
was the best I could do.
had told him how I missed him
but tired not to let him see too plainly
how much. / had thanked him in
advance for the picture and the
books. 1t was very ordinary letter
from one friend to another wanted
awfully to sign it with love" but
I restrained the impulse and simply
said: your friend, Bab.'
THE TONE OF NEIL'S LETTERS
MORE LOVING.