he family, because I know
that the girl of Edward's choice must be sweet and charming. I
hope that you will learn to love us for our own sake as well
as for Edward's.

Sincerely yours,
Katherine G. Evans.

500 Park Avenue,
September 18, 1923.

Dear Helen,

The announcement of your engagement to Robert Haines is a
delightful surprise. He is, as we all know, a splendid chap.

I am so happy that this great happiness has come to you. I
hope that I may hear all about it, and with best wishes to you
both, I am

Affectionately yours,
Ruth Evans.

On the subject of engagements, perhaps the following letter
from Charles Lamb to Fanny Kelly, and her reply, will be of
interest--though the unarduous and somewhat prosaic tone of
Elia's proposal of marriage--beautifully expressed as it
is--is hardly to be recommended as a model calculated to
bring about the desired result!

Dear Miss Kelly:

We had the pleasure, _pain_ I might better call it, of seeing
you last night in the new play. It was a most consummate piece
of acting, but what a task for you to undergo! At a time when
your heart is sore from real sorrow it has given rise to a
train of thinking, which I cannot suppress.

Would to God you were released from this way of life; that
you could bring your mind to consent to take your lot with us,
and throw off forever the whole burden of your profession. I
neither expect nor wish you to take notice of this which I am
writing, in your present over occupied and hurried state--but
to think of it at your leisure. I have quite income enough, if
that were all, to justify for me making such a proposal, with
what I may call even a handsome provision for my survivor.
What you possess of your own would naturally be appropriated
to those, for whose sakes chiefly you have made so many hard
sacrifices. I am not so foolish as not to know that I am a
most unworthy match for such a one as you, but you have for
years been a principal object in my mind. In many a sweet
assumed character I have learned to love you, but simply as F.
M. Kelly I love you better than them all. C