Year: 1875

Why s it that love letters are considered such
very amusing affairs by all persona except those
Immediately concerned? Nothing more is need
ed to induce unrestrsined hilarity, among per.
sons Of whatever degree, than the production Of
well authenticated expressions Of what we es-
teem, in theory, to be the highest sort Of hu-
man feeling. The deeper man is in love and
the more strongly he expresses it, the more
heartily do we laugh at him. Instead Of sym
pathizing and congratulating him upon his en-
trance into ways calculated to keep the world
going we straightway treat him az a butt for all
| o sible raiilery, and az though for him motley
we're indeed the only wear. Just 40 we behave
when well -dressed man, in an evident hurry,
falls on slippery pavement. The more elaborate
the "get up, the faster the pace, and the more
uncomprising the tumble-so proportionately
grows our laughter. l. it really funny TO see
fellow creature crack his os frortis the ice,
when his only fault was that he making in-
conaiderate haste in keeping an important en-
gagement Or are they out OF mea-
sure conical-these tender things which
We class contemptuoualy ae ''love
letters"-these niasiyes which on this very
day Of grace weigh down Uncle SANS mail on





every man and woman have written, and should
write and will, and would be but half made up
II they had not written? Do We laugh at them
as a way Of getting even with circumstance for
having made such fools Of Us, and because we
detect one more hounderer in the net which
stretches around the globe Do we do it to hide
our embarrassment at detecting expressions
used by our own selves, and thought very con-
yincing and appropriate until the cold light Of
publicity inspires the doubt whether they may
not be thought ludicrous by outsiders? II
there was more candor on this subject it would
be better. II only two or three writer's Of love
letters should appear in generation there might
be some point in holding such natural curioai-
ties up toaniyersal caehinnation, but considering
that the composition of these documents is az
natural as eating or aleeping-in other words
:" as easy az lying might be supposed. there
rs no need Of making such to-do over it. Why,
for instance, should the attempt be made to
bring the people Of England into combined state
Of merriment over the humor Of an unfortunate
surgeons letters-as brought out in recent
trial for breach Of promise. English journals
Of repute devote columns to the matter, and
with the one purpose apparently Of. making the
poor dOctor's letters .arnuse their readers by
their mingled vigor and weakness. It is supposed
that ladies' like men who can die away sweet
II, yet who can 'out-herod Herod' in boiaterous
prOtestation. The minging of these elements
proves very effective upou the immediate recipi-
ent, but il convulaiyely greeted by other chaps
who have written in the same way last week OF
last year. The doctor in the case here men.
H..


ing in manner which settled folks will thnl
very proper but which the young and giddy
will very probably snicker over. Thus he con
tinually speaks about the pleasant things going
on at the hospital to which he is attached, anC
EXCUSES himself from coming to see his LADY
love on account Of various interesting e1peri
Tnenta on peoples limbs, &c. On one occasion
he writes that they had been very busy, and hal
Iuat taken off the leg Of boy who had beel
hurt by tramway cara beautiful operation


int that he hoped he should soon come and ae,
his little tiger. All men have their terms o
endearment and DR.. Sargeanta pet fancy was t.
call his Lydia his tiger. But if lie chos,
TO do 20 what business il il of other peoples


This Instance Of the Doctors devotion to lii
profession il one of many instructive things de
li''NNNN-AHS1f
have been received with a" great laughter" Ii
another letter the Doctor hopes to get ava,
tomorrow, and then the big tiger will take uI
the little tiger and kiss her." A. this point tn,
plaintiffs lawyer, instead Of hurryng owe
doubtful ground, was apparently willing to graft
fy the ailliness Of the people in court and wen
to explain that on the margin Of the lette
was & pictorial sketch by the Doctor represent
ing the two tigers embracing. This was all dis
gustingly simple Of course, but 1t made the pub
lie laughter there arc people who will laugh a
anything. Tie end Of it was that the poor Doc
tori letters were found 80 entertaining that til
Jury came to the opinion that anybody win
could write such good things onght to hay
plenty Of money and 40 awarded Miss Lydia tn
damages asked for. Now what il the explana
ton Of the state Of things Of which DR.. Sar
geants = case il an example, We have yenture
to throw some side lights on it but We feel tina
there il more in the topic still and that it i
worthy the attention Of social philosophers.