The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-03-07
LETTER FROM LESLIE HAMILTON
TO JOHN ALDEN ,'RESCOTT.

LOVER MINE:
am sitting in my drawing room.
1t is very late. There is no more
passing before my door; nothing as
sails my ears except the sound of
the pounding wheels underneath the
car which keeps saying. "Thc miles
are lcngthcning between you-thc
miles are lcngthcning between YOU
the miles arc lcngthcning between
YOU"
The monotony OF the refrain is
maddcning. even if the fact were
not breaking my heart - my sad
heart, which keeps trying to bridge
those weary miles that arc stretch
ing out fertilizer and further from nae
to you.
Hearts. YOU know. arc never world
ly, never practical. They do not
reason. they only fecl~and that is
why perhaps they arc bruised and
hurt so often.
Tonight my heart is crying out TO
that part OF my brain we humans
call reason. that it has bascly per.
suadcd me to give up that which |
know now makes existence life. for
, tn csakc Of following out some silly
convention Of society.
| want you SO. lover mine, | want,
you so. Everything in the world
, sings into nothingncss beside the
want of YOU.
But my reason inists that we'd
dinEs must be pre- parcd for, just as
births and burials must be given
| thought and preparation. Life is not
all feelings and impulse. In fact |
am afraid we will find more RESPONSE
bility and duty in it than romano.
and dreams. Although hate it.
tonight, | know more than ever be-
fore that convention after all is but
making into Il universal rule the dn
ties imposed on mankind by ncccs-
sity and convenience. close my
hand over my ciamoring heart and
listen to the sane counscls of rca-
| son.
You know. John dear. that my
me her would NO sr have forgiven
me had ! slipped away and married
YOU without letting anyone know
as you wanted ME to do. Mothers
want to make tt. world think. a,
least, that their daughters are go.
ing to something better than they
have ever had before. and much OF
the compensation which will come
to my mother for losing her daugh.
ter will be the glo..y of sending mt
to YOU in the proper manner.
SO there must be wedding bells
and cakes. and flowers and bride
maids and clothes, and chests o.
linen and wedding presents, and tn,
round of social affairs that come be
fore. Oh. how shall hate those so
| cial affairs. for you, John, will no
be with me!
All the time am bowling and smii
/, ing and accepting Fluctuations an
81 good wishes, | sha' be wishing tina
J. was beside you in the little road
, ster, hurrying along deserted coun
A try road where the twilight shut
, down between the shadowy tree
that line its sides and the moon
family showing as it comes up owe
g the Riggs in the distance.
$ "rhe miles are lcngthcning be
: tween you-thc miles are lcngthcr
ing betwn you" How wish
could close my cars to what thos
wheels are saying!
e You will not forget anything abo,
= ME, will you. John? You will r,
t member just how my mouth locke
5 when you bent over me to kiss me
y You will remember the touch Of m
y hand-thc intonat!on of my voice
t and tho unhappncss my whole beir
n expressed when you here lcavir
G nc? could not bear to have va
forget.
II John, dear John, the umhappinc;
Of parting is mine. now. Those il
sistcnd wheels are humping alon
p not upon the iron rails but upon II
heart, saying over and over agai