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‘STANDARD LETTER-WRITER.
x
ing, but the one of Tuesday seemed to me more
daightful than all the others put together. It
expreased your anxiety that we should not be
long separated, and pleaded so earnestly for an
early marriage thatit made me almost miserable
to say no.- But my dear » While anxious to
relieve your anxiety, [am equally anxious to
consult your best interests, and prove myself a
true friend now, as I. hope to prove myself a
true wife in days to come. You know as weil as
T do that although money cannot buy happiness,
we cannot be happy without money, that is,
without an income sufficient to maintain a heme
such as you have been accustomed to. We
might, as you suggest, begin married life in
furnished apartments; but £ am afraid you
would soon grow weary of such a life, and wish
that we had waited a little longer until you had
2 httle cottage of your own in which we could
de exactly as we pleased. Now, we are both
young and able to wait a long time. You are
rising in the world, and if burdened with a wife
your progress would be slow, you would have
less time and thought to devote to your busi-
ness, and I would be miserable knowing that f£
was the cause thereof. No, my dear sewe
musn’t dream of marriage yet awhile, not until
Iam convinced you will not suffer by marrying
me.
Write soon and say you are not angry with me
for speaking so plainly and so much against my
own wish.
And kelieve me
Ever yours sincerely,
(————_)
No. 32.
Fixing an early Day.
(Address ————————__)
(Date in full__———______)
My DEAR (OR DEAREST) --——:
I need not hesitate in saying that your
proposal is very agreeable to me, for indeed it
is much more so than I can express here, or
could tell you even were you at my side. People
generally disapprove of early marriages, and
were I differently situated I daresay I would
agree with them; but, as itis, I think there is
great justification for the step. Besides knowing
each other as we do, I think our prospect of
happiness 13 quite as bright as that of those who
wait longer. At any rate, I believe you to be so
good and true that I have no fear of the future.
Troubles may come upon us, of course, we may
become very poor; but, whether you may be
richer or poorer, I shall always strive to be t
you a true wife.
Everything ic say about a house and house-
keeping is all I could desire, and I sincerely
hope I may be found deserving of ail your care
and forethought. Now as to that other very,
very important matter, what shall I say? It is
comparatively easy to talk about what may be
coming, but to fix a date, or to speak more
womanly, name a day for our union, 1s a task of
some difficulty. I have it on my lips, and yet it
seems hard to write it. Why, I don’t know. 1
am sure itis simply naming the day when m
greatest earthly happiness will begin, and
know that [ am doing you a great injustice in
not replying at once to your request; but I am
very far from tampering with your great kind-
ness and love for me. But you know women
have not the decision of men, and I am buta
woman. I must now, however, name the day,
come what will, and if I say I have named
the very earliest.
tite tome soon, |
nd ever believe me,
: Your affectionate
|
t No. 33.
Letter postponing Marriage
t _ (Address:
(Date in full
«My DEaR (OR DEAREST) ———:
You wili be grieved to hear that my
dear uncle has been suddenly, and we fear
seriously, seized by his old enemy the gout. We
had a letter this morning from aunt asking papa
to go to at once, and from the tone of the
letter, much more than the words, we have all
imagined the worst. I hope we may be mis-
taken, but you know Dr, said that one or
two attacks more would take uncle from us, and
this is the second since then. Iam sure I need
not ask you to join with me in postponing our
marriage for a time. I eaid so to mamma, when
ebe spoke about it; so you will regard this more
‘
)
!
A.
a
as an annoa»cement of poor uncle’s illness than
as & requ4s¢ from me.
Ever believe me,
Your affectionate
(
No. 34.
mrsuer to a Gentleman who proposes post-
poning Marriage.
(Address ————————_)
(Date in full————_——_}
My DEAR (OR DEAREST) ———:
What you say in your letter has not
caused me the slightest disappointment, and I
gladly accede to your wish as regards postponing
our marriage. 1 thought it only right to explain
the circumstances to my father, lest he should
put a wrong construction on your conduct. I
told him you were suddenly involved ina law-
suit, and until it was settled you were unable to
call what you possess your own, and he, as you
might expect, commended your prudence, and
bade-me say that he cordially sympathized with
ou in your trouble. As for myself, I would
ike to say much to relieve your carea, but am so
distressed on your. account that words fail me.
But the lawsuit may, and I sincerely trust it
may, turn in your favor; if, however, it does not,
and you have to begin the world afresh, my
feelings will remain the same, for nothing can
change them.
And believe me,
I will always be
Your *Heotionate
No. 35.
Letter to a Gentleman going Abroad.
(Adaress———__—_——.—
(Date in full
My DEAR ———+
You will get this I hope before the
steamer leaves New York, and perhaps it will
comfort you to know that there is one here pray-
ing fervently for your safety on the voyage out,
and during your stay abroad. I wish I could
say farewell again, as it was said when we
parted, but as that cannot be I must content my-
self by writing it. I feel assured that you are
sad enough, without being made still more so
by any words of mine, and I would fain write
cheerlully to make, if possible, the moment of de-
arture less painful. But when the heart is
ow, as mine is, the words will ring, not merrily
but mournfully, try as I will, Yet I could not
let you leave us for so long a voyage without a
hne of comfort or without telling you how much
you are missed already, and how anxiously I
shall count the months and the years until you
are on your way home. Ah, me! whata time of
watching and waiting! But you will write often,
very often as you’ promised, and thus make
the waiting less sorrowful.
And now, my dear —--—, good-bye, and that
God may bless and prosper you in your exile is
the prayer of
Your ever affectionate
. No. 36.
From a Lady to a Friend after Marriage.
(Address
(Date in full
My DEAR ———:
left home, as you know, not in the
best of spirits, although the only reason I had
for feeling sad was the separation from old and
dear _associations.. My husband, too, experi-
enced a feeling of a similar kind; so on that
int we were in entire sympathy with one an-
other, until we reached our destination. Then
the change of scene, the meeting with nice peo-
ple, and the delightful weather caused a re-
action, and we were soon briskly at work sight-
seeing and pleasure-making. We were not,
however, unmindful of home. On the contrary,
we often wished that you and were with
us, enjoying, as we were doing, the sweet air
and the the quiet beauty of the little hamlet.
We left on the —-— and made our first at-
tempt at housekeeping, an attempt which [ can-
not say has been so far successful, but J.
has been so thoughtful and so constantly with
me that the trouble incidental to married life
seem as trifles, not worth thinking of. You will,
perhaps, ask me whether I would not free my-
self from my cares and be single again were
that possible, rather than continne in my present
state, And [I answer, “No.” I might say
“*Yes ” were I mated to some one else; but, as it
is, lam so happy in the enjoyment of eB
confidence that 1 wouldn’t change again for a
queen’s ransom.
You must come and spend some time with us.
when we have got all the tradesmen out of the
house, and then I can tell you all about our
trip, who we met, and all the rest of it. Give
my love to all our friends,
believe me,
Sincerely yours,
(—
No. 37.
Congratulating a Lady on her Marriage.
(Address—.
(Date in full————____+
My DEAR 3
You are now married and, let me add,
happy, and it is to wish zoo joy on the occasion
that [ am writing this. The course of true love,
m your case, has, I am sure, ran very smooth
indeed, and, if it continues to tlow as sweetly
through your new life, you will be among the
most envied of women; and I think it will, be-
‘cause I know your husband’s character to be
simple, honest and manly, and your own—well,
I shall only say, you are as worthy of his de-
votion as he is of yours. You may be certain
you have well wishers in all directions, not alone
among your prosperous friends, but in a little
host pf young and old among the poor. You will
be sorely missed, my dear ———, but there is
not one of your friends selfish enough to wish
you free trom your present lot. We regret your
absence, but we rejoice that you have such
fair prospect before you of rest and happiness.
e shall see you occasionally and hear from
you often, let us hope—that is, ere your respon~
sibilities increase, and then we must pertorce
become less exacting. I will not add more now
—not more than to wish you a sweet, calm life,
the mistress of a happy home. .
ear — ,
Believe me,
Ever sincerely yours,
er ile haa
———)
No. 38.
Before leaving torn. ‘
(Address—- —
(Date in full———————-}.
My DEAR ———:
Ihave this year been denied the pleasure
of anticipation—the most delightful of all pleas-
ures in my opinion, John had quite made up
his mind that it was impossible to leave business.
and I, like a dutiful wife, agreed with him that
1t was impossible. Fancy, then, my surprise
when he walked in last night and coolly told me
to pack up and be ready to start for P. to-
morrow. I could almost have cried with yex-
ation, I had planned nothing; weeks had rolled
past and not a single castle had I built, and of
course the packing and the bustle have not left.
me a moment to dream of the delights of P——.
Lam writing during one of the lulls of prepara-
tion, as I wouldn’t for the world leave town
without saying good-bye, wearied though I am.
We shall stay a month, John says, but really
there is no certainty when one’s husband is in
business, more especially since the introduction
of telegraph wires into every civilized nock and
corner of the world, I think the telegraphiets,or
whoever are the responsible people, might have
regarded the Highlands as _ sacred, and allowed
visitors to recruit quietly for afew weeks with-
ont being liable at any moment to be torn from
the pure mountain air and plunged twenty-four
hours after in the smoke of the metropolis.
But I musn’t complain, nor must I write another
line, for the din has begun again, and I am
wanted,
Good-bye;, give my love to everybody at
home, :
And Believe me,
Ever yours sincerely,
No. 39.
Letter on Arrival.
(Address ————
)
(Date in fulh-———_—__—__}
My DEA
R——. .
We arrived at our destination yesterday
and found our old nest empty. was ve
thankful, for the people are the dearest old
couple in the world, and tho cottage, or “ hut”?
as John calls it, besides being a model of clean-
lines, ig at the foot of a great mountain clothed
opie ements cement Qin ateettn
fase ae fm, rN
ea
