Alfred B. Chambers

“ I well know how delicate a matter it is for a third person to interfere in lovers' quarrels, but as the happiness of my daughter is at stake, it is my duty as her mother to try and bring about a reconciliation between you. I will not question which of you is at fault; all I wish is to see the smiles return to my child's face, and tranquillity to her heart. She is evidently very unhappy, but tries to conceal it even from me. Dear Mr. Felton, if you really love her, as I am sure you do, you will come to Katherine on receipt of this letter, and you need have no fear of your welcome. ”

“ But since you suggest it, I consent that we call our engagement broken for the present. I agree to it only because you want to feel perfectly free, and I do so in good faith; you are free. Whatever the end, I shall never blame you; my faith in your sincerity and true nobility stands undiminished. In my own mind I consider our engagement as merely suspended. Doubtless time will show you what mere trifles—nothings, we might say—are dividing us. ”

“ My only thought, all the time is not for myself, but for us. You won't forget it, darling? Do you dream sometimes of the little home we have planned? Can you not see it all? Is it not worth waiting for? Oh, dearest, do not forget that you have drawn my whole heart out of me—that it is all in your keeping, and that you are mine, mine. I live only in you, night and day, waking or sleeping. I love you so that it is pain not to have you, not to hold you.
Yesterday night our friend Max took me around to a reception or party or something of the kind at his fiancée's, Miss Lord. ”

“ Do you think you could be happy as the wife of a poor man? would you be content to wait until such time as my income would justify me in marrying? would the knowledge that my heart is all your own induce you to feel a corresponding affection for me? or am I asking too much? Would you be afraid to enter into a long engagement, an engagement of perhaps two years? Although I am not in a position to maintain a wife at the present time, my prospects are encouraging, as my uncle has promised to take me into partnership early next year, which will materially improve my position. ”

“ Your letter of yesterday was duly received. It made me very sad, and yet proud of you. You are proving so honorable and chivalrous! I am deeply sorry for this business failure. But cheer up. You have, as you say, youth on your side, and you are lacking neither in brains nor in courage. These are treasures that nothing and no one can wrest from you, and with them the future is bound to turn out bright and prosperous. I understand you wish me to act in relation to our engagement as my judgment and heart dictate. ”

“ She wants to see her son's hand-writing, for to her loving eyes, his angular, awkward, and even misspelt, letters are a thousand times more beautiful and symmetrical than any letter any typewriter ever produced. What ardent lover would care to receive a type-written letter? Do not lovers fondly linger, and dote, and dream over the very characters wrought by the hand they love so well? A letter from a lover's hand is a revelation that no machine-written letter can ever be. ”

“ But I have been trained to regard the rights of parents with such respect, that it would add largely to my delight in this important step of life if I might count on your hearty consent. You have known my family for years, and on that ground, am proud to feel assured that there will be no difficulty whatever. My business position and prospects are such as to assure all the joys and comforts of a happy home, should your daughter do me the honor to share my lot. ”

“ Great as my attachment is, I must tell you, once for all, that I detest jealousy in a woman, and should soon cease to care for one who tormented me by repetition of such accusations. If, during our engagement, you are to feel aggrieved at my offering the slightest civility to any lady of my acquaintance, what chance of happiness is there in store for us in married life? ”

“ I have even delayed asking for your consent to be accepted as a suitor for your daughter's hand, fearing that you might consider my prospects hardly justify me in taking such a step; but I can wait no longer to declare my sentiments, and to learn what chance there may be for me.
My salary and income together do not amount to more than $1,800 a year, but with what you may be inclined to give your daughter, should her marriage meet with your approval, I have no doubt that with prudence and economy I might be able to make a comfortable home for her. ”

“ It is delightful to see how happy the young people are in each other's society; he is as devoted to her as she is fond of him. Had it not been so, in spite of our liking the young man so much, I doubt if we should have given our consent, as at present his prospects are not very good, and they will have to wait till next year before thinking of being married: thus you see it is not yet a matter for congratulations, but I did not wish you to hear the news from any one but me. ”

“ It is idle to distress you and myself with such doubts; let me rather assure you of my unchanging love, and of my confidence that, with youth and hope in my favor, I have a bright career opening before me. For the fulfillment of my wishes, I should be content to wait any time that you and your friends might consider expedient, provided you gave me the assurance that you returned my affection, and would lighten my probation by your sympathy and encouragement. ”

“ The straggling, imperfect penmanship was beautiful, seen by the eyes of love. While love and tenderness endure, love letters and letters sent home must be written by the hand, for there is often as much impressiveness in the form of a letter as in the accents of the voice. In short, good and careful letter-writing will always form an important element in a liberal education. A gentleman is nowhere so much a gentleman as in his letters. ”

“ Your kind note of yesterday has just come to hand. I have great pleasure in accepting your invitation to the garden party of Thursday evening next to welcome your pilgrim brother back to his home and friends. I have so many pleasant memories of happy hours spent at the Laurels, that I shall look forward to this occasion with most cheerful anticipations. Moon or no moon, we shall be sure to have a delightful time. ”

“ Indeed, should either of us cease to love the other it would only prove how wise we were to put our affection to the test by waiting.
My mother, I am sorry to say, entertains a prejudice against long engagements; she has no real objection to this particular one, however, as she has a personal liking for you, so I think she will not oppose the realization of our wishes, as she will know that my happiness is so deeply concerned, and together I hope we shall make her believe that she approves of our attachment and of our engagement. ”

“ I cannot help feeling a little shy in answering your letter, but trust we shall not long remain strangers to each other. Phillip has often talked of you, and is so anxious that we should meet; but I am sorry to say mamma cannot spare me just now, otherwise I should have been very pleased to have accepted your kind invitation. I quite appreciate all that you say in praise of your son, and think I love him almost as much as even a mother could wish, and indeed you may trust me to do all in my power to make him happy. ”

“ It is a matter of much regret to me that the friendly interest I have taken in you and your dear little children should have led you to imagine that I entertained towards you a warmer feeling than that of friendship; perhaps it would be kinder to tell you at once that my 137 affections are already engaged, although there is no immediate prospect of my marriage, and the engagement is at present only known to the members of my family. My heart being devoted to another, I felt at liberty to manifest an almost sisterly liking for you, in my endeavor to cheer you and lighten your sorrow. ”

“ Circumstances that have just come to my knowledge compel me, as a matter of duty, to break off the engagement between my daughter and yourself. I have desired her to hold no further communication with you, and I have been sufficiently explicit to convince her how unworthy you are of her affection and esteem. ”

“ Whenever typewriting is not used, excellent penmanship is very desirable, but not absolutely essential. The penmanship may indeed be poor, but the arrangement of the several parts of the letter, the neatness, and finish, may be such as to give it an attractive appearance, while, on the other hand, the letter may be clothed in the most elegant penmanship, and yet the construction be such as to stamp its author as a careless and indifferent person, devoid of precision and order. ”

“ We were exceedingly pained to learn from the newspapers of yesterday that, after a long struggle, you have been compelled to yield to the resistless pressure of these hard times. Success in business is often a mere accident and merits little praise, and in like manner, failure in business is often the sad and only return for a long and patient fight against tremendous odds. In these days of merciless competition, the spirit of fair trading seems to be almost buried out of sight. ”

“ The brief happiness that has been mine is a memory sacredly cherished for its own sake, but the disappointments, the struggles, the sorrows of my life have served only to prepare me to appreciate the nobility, the sweetness and the truth of your nature, and my own need of you. ”

“ At present I can hardly realize the happiness of knowing that I may soon call you mine; it is the fulfillment of my most cherished wishes.
Believe me, dearest, it will be my one thought and care to render your life a happy one, and if we both love and trust each other we may, I hope, look forward to a bright future together. I was much gratified by your father's message to me, and I shall hope to run down to R—— on Saturday next as he so kindly proposes. ”

“ I did not rightly understand my own feelings when our engagement took place, and mistook esteem and friendship for love. Much as it costs me to make this confession, it is my clear duty to tell you I can never entertain the affection for you that one has a right to expect from a future wife. ”

“ Those whom we have loved and who have loved us will not rejoice to see us sad and lonely for their sake. Surely we should not wish them, in that brighter world where they have gone, to be sad for us, and shut out other love and friendship. ”

“ I write to ask your consent to my marriage with Miss Ethel Blake. I anticipate all your objections, but hope your affection for me will induce you to waive them, and that my dear mother will use all her influence with you in my behalf. Need not tell you how good and amiable and charming Miss Blake is; you have seen enough of her in social circles, in C——, to appreciate her many lovable qualities. She will make the best of wives, and your and my dear mother's consent is all I want to complete my happiness. ”

“ While sincerely grateful for the high compliment you pay me in asking me to be your wife, I cannot, to my regret, entertain your proposal. I like you very much indeed as a friend, but am quite sure I should not be happy with one so much older than myself. ”

“ I have been fortunate enough to gain your daughter's affections, and, having spoken to her on the subject of my hopes yesterday, I hasten to ask for your consent to our engagement, trusting earnestly that you will not withhold it. My constant endeavor will be to make her happy, and to prove myself worthy of her choice. Before saying a word to her, I talked the matter over with my father, and he has promised to do all he can to further my wishes, and says he will allow me $1,000 a year from October next, in addition to the salary I now receive, and which amounts to $3,000. ”

“ Phillip Thompson would not be a desirable husband for you. Am sorry that you should have allowed matters to go as far as they have, as I understand from your letter that you almost accepted him. However, I have your interest too much at heart to give my consent to a marriage which would not ultimately be for your happiness, and you are possessed of too much good sense to act contrary to my opinion. In my responsible position as your guardian, I must advise you to the best of my judgment in what affects your welfare ”

“ I just received your kind invitation to attend your wedding on the 20th of August. I am greatly delighted, but not much surprised to receive this invitation. I have had my suspicions for some time that you were growing weary of a bachelor's lonely miserable life. One by one, you genial fellows are passing over to 154the realm of the married, and very soon I alone shall be left to tell the sad story.
Well, I congratulate you with all my heart. You have had a successful career; you have earned honor and competence in the battle of life, and now you have won the "dearest girl in the world." ”

“ Is it not better, in a matter that concerns the happiness of two lives, to undo a mistake at any cost than to wait until too late? We thought once that we truly loved each other, but we have found, during the period of our engagement, that in many grave respects we are not congenial. ”

“ Notes are principally confined to the briefest of communications, as the frequent and necessary repetition of the pronouns—she and her, for instance—or the surnames of the writer and recipient of the note becomes tedious; and when it is imperative to write in the third person, it is most desirable to construct each sentence with a due regard to an extravagant use of pronouns, and never at any time to resort to the vulgar expedient of attempting a sort of compromise by making the initial letter of the writer and of the person written to do duty for their respective names and surnames. ”

“ It is hard to become used to your being away, my precious child. The house is lonely without you. But it is for your good, and I am so thankful that we can give you this opportunity that I do not grumble. ”

“ You can imagine how happy I am; he is everything one would wish one's lover to be. I am sure you will think he is handsome. I do, of course, and every one says he is very clever. He is five years older than I am, which mamma thinks is an advantage. I hope you will be one of my bridesmaids, dear Madge; we are to be married very soon. He has taken a nice house, and you must be one of our first visitors. Papa and mamma are delighted at my prospects, and think Edward will make me the best of husbands. ”

“ Another practice of the past, now happily discarded, is that of crossing letters; only a school girl, nowadays, would cross and recross a sheet of writing paper, and two sheets of paper are used if one sheet will not contain all that is to be said. If half the second sheet of paper is left blank it is not torn off, a whole sheet being more convenient to hold and to fold, and if a few last words are necessary for the completion of a letter they are written on the margin and not across the writing on the face of the pages. ”

“ I was greatly surprised at the receipt of your letter, and can only hope you are mistaken in supposing your daughter to be interested in me. I flatter myself that she regards me as a friend, and as such have a sincere admiration and esteem for her; but it is my duty to say that I entertain no feeling of love towards her, and that I have only paid her such attentions as are due from a gentleman to a lady in whose society he is frequently thrown. ”

“ A mind well stored with useful knowledge as well as command of language, is necessary in writing a letter on general subjects. The strictly business letter requires a thorough understanding of the facts concerning which the letter is written, and these facts to be set forth in plain and unmistakable language. All display of rhetoric or flourish of words is entirely out of place in the sober, practical letter of business. The proper use of capital letters, punctuation, and correct spelling is essential to the well-written letter, and with a little care and perseverance may be easily acquired. ”