Year: 1871




#sE*


We took lunch one day at the
| Willows (the day that / sent YOU the
| flowers }. unaceompanied by any gen
tleman, and spoke to no one while
there except the waiter. The only gen
tlemen who have called upon us are
Mr.. Tompkins, once only; Piltons,
several times Strowbridge, twice (all
boarding here }; DIR. Rogers, once
Mr.. Parmile an old gentleman who
had room at mothers in Virginia J,
twice; and Drury Malone called last
night. Seth Cook L have never seen
but the once of which / have spoken.
This is the solemn truth, so help me
God! Do you now believe in my love?
Do you now think that my life is hap
pier or gayer than yours? Have you
as much of which to complain as I
have? Oh, no, nO-a thousand times,
no! Heaven help me my heart
seems breaking. How could / write
what could write, except that loved
you? And this 1 always said: this l
could say without letting you see how
bitterly l felt at being kept from you
by her. You wish to know what |
promised myself not to say to you P
We'll, you shall hear. | promised my
self not to reprOach you for my Danish-
ment and her presence with you, fer
you have consented to he with her
when you know the bitter, CALLING
feelings itsbrings to my heart, prom
ised myself to remain away from you
without complaining as long as you
thought best and until you told me to
return; TO never urge her separation
till you saw fit to send her, although
you have shown a great want of firm
ness with regard to her. This is not
said as a reprOach, for l can imagine
with what you have to contend, and
OH, my darling, my precious darling,
it is this thought, this knowledge of
what l believe you are and have been
suffering which makes the dismant-
ling of my house and heart bearable
or pardonable. | did not think when
[ first learned from your letters the
fact, that | would never forgive it and
declare that L would never write again.
Feeling thus, did not write to you on
Yesterday, for which / am sorry
Judging from the pain felt yesterday
IL not getting letter from you, know
what my silence will cause you; but,
darling, l am to Danish all doubt and
jealousies from my heart. 1t is very
hard to do





1t seems to me that
you might have made her choose be-
tween you and then if she insisted up
on despoiling my house of almost
everything in the shape of furniture
which 1 held sacred, then you ous ht
to have remained mine-all mine
Doyou think l could ever wish any
portion of the furniture back in these
rooms after she had desecrated it with
so much wrangling? Never! Now,
answer candidly, darling. Do you
think your dear body will or can
ever seem so purely and entirely
mine as before it rested beside
another? Great God! Just place
yourself in my position, and then an
swer me, Darling, darling, l will Try
Tot to feel this way. Poor, weary
darling! poor head! if | could only
rest it for a moment upon my heart!
| know you are suffering. know you
are weary. will try, oh! l will try
not TO grieve you. And when you tell
me she is gone, and may come back,
oh then how i will try to make my
poor darling happy again ! How |
will make the dear old looms ring
with music-heart music! Let her
take it all-the dear old bed, the chairs
in which you held me in your arms
yes, let her take them. She can't take
your heart, and shaH't take our happi-
ness. We Will cOnsecrate tie new fur
niture. You shall kiss mein every
corner of each room, and hold me in
your arms in eaclI chair, x


& X x
There, defy her to prevent it, you
darling! God bless you, my darling,
don't doubt me again. You must feel
that / love you, else | could never so
easily forgive your broken promises,
but it is because [ have faith in the
future. / trust you, believe yeli.7-
You will never break another promise
will YOU? | will write again to-
night, my precious one.


Yours, forever and ever,