A MYSTERIOUS LETTER

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 155, 28 December 1918, Page 9

A MYSTERIOUS LETTER

J. William Jones, in his book "The Life and Letters of Robert E. Lee," gives a letter from the General to his daughter Mildred, whoee handwriting was very difficult to decipher :— "Lexington. Virginia, Bth January, 1870.

"My Precious Life, —I received yesterday your letter of tho 4th. We held a family council over it. It was passed from eager hand to hand, and attracted wondering eyes and. mysterious looks. It produced few words, but a deal of thinking, and the conclusion arrived at, I believe unanimously, was that there was a great fund of amusement and information in it, if it could be extracted, I have therefore determined to put it carefully away till your return, then seize a leisure day, and get you to interpret it. Your mother's commentary, in a suppressed soliloquy, was! that you had succeeded in writing a wrotched hand. Agnes thought it would keep this cold weather—her thoughts running on jellies and oysters in the storeroom. But I, indignant at such aspersions upon your accomplishments, retained your epistle, and read in an elevated tone an interestin? narrative of travels in sundry countries, describing gorgeous scenery, hair breadth events by flood "and field, not a word of which, they declared, was in your letter. Your return, I hope, will prove the correctness of my version of your annals. . . AH unite in love

to you. Your affectionate father, Jl. E. Lee." : '. ' ' ,