"Charles sends much love. Mother, are not words very poor to express our strongest feelings? I seem always to be struck dumb when my heart is fullest, and now, when the time has come when I may suitably tell you how dearly I love Charles, how truly I have loved him ever since the cold morning he left us the loaf of bread, it seems as if the words I use every day, and in relation to other persons, were not strong enough to express a feeling so much stronger than any other.
"Don't read this to Jemmie—the love I feel for him is not any less because I love Charles more—but he might think it so. You won't think so, mother, for every woman knows that there is one love that masters all others—God has ordained it, and how can we help it?
"Here is Charles looking over my shoulder, and singing 'Haste to the wedding.' Answer our request by coming next Tuesday, dear mother, with Jemmie and the girls, and believe me
- "Your affectionate child,
- "Lucy Lee.
- "Your affectionate child,
"P.S. I forgot to mention that Mr. Hartell is married again. I felt sorry when I heard the children were going to have a stepmother—it seemed too much after having such a poor mother—but Mrs. Hyde knows the new lady, and she says it is one of the rare cases where the second mother will be a great deal better than the first. Dear little Eugene is as fond of me as ever. His father has never failed to send him to see me once a month, and yesterday he gave me, with his own dear little hand, a dozen silver teaspoons. How very thoughtful of Mr. Hartell! and the little fellow
