lone; Rob is going to marry,
and that's why I am writing you. It is to a Miss Lucy Stone, of Troy.
Do write me about her. Do you know the family? Are they friends of
yours? Rob is fearfully and wonderfully in love; and I can't blame him
after seeing her picture. She is lovely (and charmingly dressed), and I
am sure Rob would never fall in love with any one but a lady. Still, I
want to know if she, or rather her family, are really smart people, or
what. Even if they are "what," I'm sure it won't make any difference to
Rob, and so it mustn't make any difference to me. But it will be a
_relief_ to know that they are friends of yours, or even that you
know them. I pretend not to believe in class distinctions, and I don't;
but when it comes to your own son, somehow or other you do want him to
choose his wife among his own social equals. Between you and me I am
just about broken-hearted. I know it is very wrong of me, but I had
sort of let myself grow very dependent upon him, and always had looked
upon his marriage much as one looks upon death, as inevitable, but
always remote and the end of all things. It still seems like the end of
all things, but in time I shall get used to it. I feel simply ashamed
of myself for feeling as I do now. Of course, if it were given me the
choice, "your son's happiness, woman, or your own selfish comfort," I
wouldn't hesitate a moment, but it's so hard for a mother who has spent
such happy years with her son to realize that his happiness does
altogether and absolutely depend on some one else, and on that one and
no other? And then we always have that terrible doubt,--has he chosen
the right woman for him? Just as if he wasn't, after all, the best
judge for himself. Of course he is; and in time I know I shall be able
to thank God he made this choice, but just now--just to-night--it seems
to me I come nearer to envying you your childless wifehood than I would
ever have thought possible.

Being in this sentimental, unreal city, doesn't help me any! Forgive
this, I'm afraid morbid, letter, and believe me affectionately
always--write me the truth--your school girl friend,

KITTY.

Have they any position whatever in Troy?

A Letter of Introduction

Four Letters

I. From Mrs. Joslyn of New York to Mrs. Lemaire of Washington.
II. The same.
III. From Mrs. Lemaire to Mrs. Joslyn.
IV. From Mr. Hamilton-Locks to the Hon. Forbes Redding of England.

I

_Letter from Mrs. Joslyn of New