Year: 1876

Letter from tho Editor to His Little


Daughter.


The following is from Blaokburn's Homer
Iiad:


As tit tribute to the memory Of the re-
Gently deceased sister in law Of the editor
in chief of the Iiad, we are permitted to
copy the following tender and unanected
letter to one of his little daughters:


New ORLEANS, February 3, 1876.
Ny Daring Little Daughter Myra Iayl:


Your very affectionate and sweet little
letter of the thirtieth ultiln0, containing
that sweet bunch of flowers gathered by
dear good mothers own blessed fingers,
was received several days ago; and since
that time have heard of the death of poor
dear and good Aunt Matilda, and have
been feeling so lonesome and sad and sor-
rowful, that l could hardly write to any
one: though l have written one letter TO
dear mother, and one to sweet little Lucy;
and row will no longer delay answering
your kind and sweet letter-which letter l
have already sent to de ar little sweet Lucy,
az send her all the letters l receive from
homeland you all ought to write her often.
You may know, my dear sweet child, that
am very sorry poor Aunt Matilda had to
die and leave US. She was q GOOD ana KIND
woman. and was dear good mothers sister,
and your kind and affectiOnate aunt; and
as such loved her very dearly. 1t would
| have been d great pleasure to us all could
she have long lived with US upon this sad
earth, the more especially so if she could
have had health to enjoy life to even an
ordinary degree; but she was SO sorely
| afflicted, and suffered SO much, that the
kind Father in Heaven has taken her
home to Himself to rest for ever, where
| she will know no more pain, and where all
of us who shall prove as good and kind
az she was, will meet her in everlasting
| peace and happiness when we shall have
| paid the debt which she has paid-the last
sad debt of earth. only wish l could
have been at home to min gle my tears with
| dear good mothers, over the grave of poor
Aunt Matilda; but when l come home
shall do this And l will 90 will you and
| dea- mother and help to beautity the grave
| of your geod Aunt Matilda. l know you
and kind mother and all my dear and
sweet daughters will like to plant beautiful
| flowers and shrubbery around the grave OF
the blessed good woman, who was your
| aunt, and who was 80 kind and tender to us
| all in lite, through all her most trying and
sore atf1ictions. But thank God! she is at
! rest now.


| And did you consider, my dear, sweet
child, when looking for the last time upon
the kind, cold, aud pain-ridden face of
| dear Aunt Matilda, that you may one day
| be called upon thus to view the breathless
| remains of your sainted and blessed mOther7
| For you are young nova mere little wait
| of an angel-and your dear mother is fast


growing old, and in the natural course OF
| years must soon pass away, and leave you


wl.hout her watchful and preserving care!
! Only nix OF that, my dear, sweet child; a


sad t! ought, indeed, and yet it must ere


long be realized; 30 go now and kiss deal


good mother, and put your blessed little


arms around her sweet neck, as you always


do on going to bed-and kiss dear mother


for yourself, aud fo: your poor old absent


father, and thank God in the fullness o.


your lender and innocent heart, that you


still have the kindest aud best of mothers


on earth, and that your dear Aunt Matilda


is now at rest forever, and beyond all pain


long to be at home with you and deal


mother, my darling little sweet daughter


and with blessed little smart and sweet


Minnie, and all the dear and blessed family


and will come as soon as l can, and ther


We will all mourn and rejoice together


mourn for dear departed Aunt Matilda, anG
r. joce that the rest of us are still spareC
, to rene III Der her in kindness, and to live II


do good for ourselves and for others; ant
we will stand out upon the gallery then


and look away out toward the rising sun
upon the grand old hills, in the direction
! OF the happy homo where your swee
, | mOtner anu pOOF huut MdI huu niA VIZ
dear family lived in health and beauty, II
) those happy days when your father frs
} knew them; and l will tell you of that hap
, py and blessed neighborhOOd, a. remem


ber it now, where your lovely and angelic
mother, then a tender and velvet-cheeke,


and silken-lipped girl, as beautiful as morn
ing and as chaste as the dew, the prid
and admiration Of all who knew her, playe'


and gam boiled in the beautiful and musica
l Ia do in ho
gushing girlhood, as tree and sinless as th'
bright-eyed gazelle Of the wild and flower.


piaIne, and laved her blessed bare feet il
the sparkling rivulets-and where you
dear Aunt Matilda. then az full Of life AM
hope az was your dear mother in her girl


hood, played with her and was happy


each as happy as the birds, and as free AM
innocent and lovely.


And just SO are you and your sweet llttl
, sister Minnie at this time, my dear an


blessed child. These are your happies


days, my sweet little angel; you are limo


cent now-tOtally and entirely innocent


and you are happy. Your tender heart AM


pure mind are yet unmarried BY the ugl
ness of the world. Wrapped in the pur


innocence of uuselfsh love, with the az


proving presence of God ever around an
permeatlng every fibre of your very exist


epce, and the unu terable affection and dt


votion of J our parents following your ever
foot -tep and const antly resting upon you
, blessed, sweet and we'll balanced head
, your every orea h constitutes the halo ant


full truilion OF all earthly happiness an
honor and glory.


Aud though you may live to be old, m.
child, vet when you die you shall be as


little child again, and the angels snail b


your play mates; and your dear and watch
: ful mother. and your devoted father. an
poor dear Aunt Matilda, with all the ble'
sed kindred ani friends who have gone be
fore, and those who shall follow, will a
meet you there, and dwell together forever


more, as little children-that is. in tn pnr
, and unseltish innocence Of childhoOd-''fo
of such is the kingdom of heaven"


Aud may Heaven p otect and preserv


YOU, my dear sweet child, and all our hun


bio household-and prepare us all to NEE


your dear Aunt Matilda in that land OF ref


whittier she is gone.


, Your devoted and sffeclionate father.
w. JASPER BLACKBURN.
The Cotton Frauds.


The grand jury OF the United States cou