Year: 1878




faithfully, in trying to smooth over his neglec
to Helen, representing his conduct in tn
most favorable light, not openly, for tina
would have implied a consciousness of wha
she wished to ignore, but with score of littl
subtitle hints and inuendoes intended to con
vey the impression that Allan was, in truth
her devoted slave, and only kept from open
ly assuming that portion by certain advers
circumstances he was unable to control
Helen never seem to care, or to trouble her
self at all whittier Allan was really devotet
to her or not and all her dear aunts endeav
ors to find out if this Indifference was real o
assumed, were vain.


So matters went on, Allan gradually work
ing himself up to the determination to slip,
possible, out of the engagement with poor, con
fding Posy not because he didn't love her
but because it was such an absurd idea tina
he could ever marry her. How to do thi
was the trouble. 1t was necessary, first, tina
he should persuade himself that she would no
suffer from such a result. He tried yer,
hard, therefore, to deude himself into the be
lief that Posy's affection for him was only
passing fancy, kinded by his own demonstra
tions Of regard, which would be disspellet
when she found out that this regard hat
cooled off. Or-for in his selflove he coult
not bear to think of her becoming quite in
different to him-she would at any rate hav
the sense to see things in their true light, if h
represented to her, ldispassionately and rea
sonabiy, how impossible it was that the.
should marry. Once or twice he even sa
down and tried to compose a letter which
should break to her, very gently and gradu
ally, the disagreeable truth but he never sue
ceeded in accomplishing his task. 1t was
indeed, harder one than he had anticipated
Failing to write in the way he thought best
he decided that it would be wisest not to writ
at all, until he could get his courage up t.
end the affair at once.


Thus it was, that many weary weeks passet
without Posy receiving one word in token o
his remembrance. Thus it was, that after {
long, silent agony of waiting, and hoping, ane
doubling, this was the communication tha
came to put an end to her suspense.


1t was such long letter-so different look
ing from those she had been receiving from
him ever since his first ardor had cooled off
She took it, poor child, with sudden, keer
thrill of renewed hope Then, as she ran bel
eye over its pages, the tremulous, happy Aut
ter died out, and lower, lower, like leader
weight, her heart sank within her breast


"MY DEAR, DEAR LITTLE PosY.-I have
not written to yeu for long time, because
have been trying tC make up my mind to tell
you something which it is very difficult foi
me to say. | hope you will believe me fully
when I assure you Of the grief l feel in tell
ing you this thing which it Is 80 necessary fol
you to know, and which will be the harder
for me to write and for you to read, the long
IT -ii1r~-' c0warc
not to confess the truth before; for | have
known long time, my darling, that every
thing must be at all end between US. Imean
of course, our engagement, which we entered
into so happily, so confidently, and, l must
add, so foolishly, looking at it in the light in
which see it now. You, l trust, will quite
agree with the view / take Of it when ex
plain to you what mean. And first Of all
dear child, you would not be happy in the
sphere to which you would be transplanted in
marrying me. 1t is such different one from
that in which you have moved. You would
be surrounded by new faces, new objects
People, and things, and occupations, and
ideas, to which you have been so entirely un
accustomed that you could never assimilate
with or become reconcied to them; mol
could the people you would be placed among
sympathize at all with your ideas or pursuits
1t would be dull, desolate existence for you
and I could never bear to see you moping
and regretting the continual gayety and ex
ctement of your lost life. | can we'll believe
that it would be an effort fo- you to relin
quish this. do not for an instant suppose
that it could be otherwise. I will not say
dear Posy, that it is out of consideration for
you alone that have taken upon myself the
most painful duty of entering into this ex
planation. should be hypocritical if | were
to do go, and l know that your pure, truthful
soul would abhor an attempt Of mine to de-
ceive. To speak with absolute candor, this
marriage would not be favorable to my sue
cess in life. My people entertain entirely diff
ferent expectations for me, and would be
most seriously disappointed and mortified il
I should refuse to act in accordance with their
views. You recollect telling me once, do you
not, that you were sensible of difference in
our positions, socially speaking? l would
not listen to the suggestion just then. With
your sweet face before me | could think Of
nothing but my love for you. But those
words have arisen in my memory more thar
once since then, and this recollection makes
my task trihe easier than it would other
wise be. 1 would scatter these social distinc
tons to the winds, if could only feel justified
in doing it; but, unhappily, no good woulc
come of such result. Unequal marriages
are seldom, if ever, productive Of happiness
to either party concerned. There is always {
want, either open or unexpressed, of the ne
cessary elements of contentment, which mus
make itself disastrously felt.


"On reading this over, feel conscious o.
its being miserable, lame composition al
entirely inadequate effort to express all tina
1 really feel. l think could better maxi
you understand, if could talk it over witt
you. And yet do not believe that unde
those circumstances, could explain it all
One glance from your eyes would undo all tn
hardly y-attained resolution l have been striv
ing for so long. For this reason | do no
dare to see YOU I feel that it is best that w
should not meet again.


"Posy, entreat you to forgive me the pail
it may cost you to read this. can only hop
that it will be less acute than that which
costs me to write it. Forgive me, and pra..
for me-or, better still, forget me. Farewell