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Returning, and looking through the house, I found almost everything changed. Two American, and three Irish families had occupied it since we left, and each, evidently thinking that they would soon leave, did not pretend to make any improvements for their successors to enjoy. To sum up the description of the house - it has never been painted since we left; the door yard fence is gone; the wood-house has been removed; the out-door cellar has caved in; the wagonhouse leans so badly it is liable to fall over at any time; the house itself, in a few years, will go the way of the fences; and most of the out buildings are already gone. Nearly every American family that once lived here has gone West; the population of the vicinity, at the present time, being largely made up of Irish. Another generation, and, it is probable, scarcely an American will be left to tell the tale. Though sorrowing to see the wreck of our old home, I am greatly enjoying the visit. The scenery is truly beautiful; though, unfortu nately, the people here know nothing of its beauties, and it takes us some years on the level plains of the West to learn to appreciate it. One thing must be said of the people here, however, especially the Americans that are left they take their full measure of enjoyment. With continuous snow four months in the year, the winter is made up of sleigh-riding to parties and festal occasions; the sunshine of spring is the signal for maple sugar making, and sugaring-off parties; the hard work of summer is broken up by fishing, berrying, and frequent excursions to various parts of the country; the fall is characterized by apple parings and corn huskings; so that with their maple sugar, berries, cream, trout, honey, and pumpkin pies, they are about the best livers and happiest people I ever met. I never knew till I returned that they enjoyed themselves so well.

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Having been the rounds among our relatives here, I seat myself to give you something of an idea of this wonderful city, in many respects one of the most remarkable on the face of the earth, having a population, to-day, of over 300,000.

You have heard so much of the city that I must give you a brief sketch of its history.

The first white man ever known to have set foot on the spot where Chicago now stands, was a French missionary, from Canada, named Pierre Jacques Marquette, who, with two others having been on a missionary tour in the southern part of Illinois, when homeward bound was detained at this place in the fall of 1673, in consequence of the severe cold, until the following spring. That was two hundred years ago.

The first settler that came here was Point-au-Sable, a St Domingo negro, who, in 1796, commenced a few improvements-seventy-seven years since. Au-Sable soon afterwards removed to Peoria, Ill., his improvements passing into the hands of one Le Mai, a Frenchman, who traded considerably with the Indians. The first permanent settler here was John Kinzie, who came over from St. Joseph, Michigan, and commenced his improvements in 1804; sixty-nine years ago. Mr. Kinzie was, indeed, what Romulus was to Rome, the founder of the city. There was a fort built that year, a block house made of logs, a few rods southwest of what is now known as Rush street bridge. Mr. Kinzie had a house near the south end of the bridge, which bridge, of course, had no existence in those days. An employe of Mr. Kinzie named Quilmette, a Frenchman, had a cabin little west of Mr. Kinzie; and a little further west was the log cottage of one Burns, a discharged soldier. South of the fort, on the south side, a Mr. Lee had a farm, in the low swamp lands, where now stands the heart of the business center of the city, and his cabin was a half mile or so down the river.

For a quarter of a century the growth of the village was remarkably slow, as shown by the fact, that, in 1830, there were but twelve houses in the village, with three suburban residences on Madison street, the entire population, whites, half breeds, and negroes, making about one hundred. That was forty years ago.

I should have told you that Chicago has a river, which is doubtless the cause of the wonderful commercial growth of the place, of late years, which, at the time of its discovery, was two hundred feet wide, and twenty feet deep, with banks so steep, that vessels could come up to the water's edge, and receive their lading. A half mile or more, from the mouth of the river, the stream divides; that portion north of the stream, being known as the North Side; that between the forks, the West Side; and that south of the river, the South Side.

At that time, the North Side was covered with a dense forest of black walnut and other trees, in which were bears, wolves, foxes, wild cats, deer and other game in great abundance; while the South Side, now the business center, was a low, swampy piece of ground, being the resort of wild geese and ducks. Where the court house stands, was a pond, which was navigable for small boats. On the banks of the river, among the sedgy grass, grew a wild onion, which the Indians called Chikago, and hence the name of the city.

On a summer day, in 1831, the first vessel unloaded goods at the mouth of the river. In 1832, the first frame house was built, by Geo. W. Dole, and stood on the southeast corner of Dearborn and South Water streets. At an election for township trustees in 1833,-just fortyone years since, there were twenty-eight voters. In 1840, there were less than 5,000 people in the place. Thus you see this city, now the fifth in the order of the population in the United States, has grown from 5,000 to 300,000 in thirty-three years.

It is needless for me to describe the wonderfully rapid up-building of the city since the fire. You have heard all about it. What I want to tell you more especially is concerning our relatives. Uncles John, William and James, you recollect perhaps, all came here in 1836. They worked that summer for different parties, and until the next spring when, in the summer of 1837, each of the men they had labored for failed, uncle John had due him $150. Fortunately, as he thought, he was able to settle the claim at fifty cents on the dollar, and with the $75, he left the place in disgust, and went to work for a farmer in Dupage County, a little distance west of Chicago. Uncle William, could not get a cent. He even proposed to take $50 for the $175 that were due him, but cash could not possibly be obtained. He finally settled his claim by taking six acres of swampy laud on the South Side, which he vainly tried to sell for several years that he might leave the city, but, unable to do so, he continued to work in Chicago. Uncle James took fifteen acres in settlement of his claim, which he also found it impossible to sell, his experience being about the same as that of uncle William. Well, now the luck begins to come in. Uncle William got independent of his land by and by, but sold, at last an acre for money enough to put up one of the most elegant residences you ever beheld. He sold afterwards another acre for money with which he bought a farm three miles from the court house, that is now worth $500,000. With two acres more, he got money enough to put up five business blocks, from which he gets a revenue, each year, sufficient to buy several farms.

Uncle James' experience is almost exactly similar to uncle William's He has sold small portions of his land at various times, re-investig his money in real estate, until he is worth to-day about $2,000,000. Uncle William is said to be worth about the same amount. Uncle John came in from the country a few years ago, and in various capacities, is working for his brothers around the city, being to-day a poor man; but will, I presume, be just as rich in eternity, as uncles James and William.

All have interesting families of intelligent children, among whom I have almost terminated one of the most delightful visits I ever made. Such in brief is the history of Chicago, and a sketch of two of its sample rich men, who were made wealthy in spite of themselves. In my next I will describe the parks and boulevards about the city. Till then adieu.

Your Affectionate Daughter,

AMELIA SPARLAND.

Letters of Love.

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They should be written with the utmost regard for perfection. An ungrammatical expression, or a word improperly spelled, may seriously interfere with the writer's prospects, by being turned to ridicule. For any person, however, to make sport of a respectful, confidential letter, because of some error in the writing, is in the highest degree unladylike and ungentlemanly.

NECESSITY OF CAUTION.

As a rule, the love letter should be very guardedly written. Ladies, especially, should be very careful to maintain their dignity when writing them. When, possibly, in after time the feelings entirely change, you will regret that you wrote the letter at all. If the love remains unchanged, no harm will certainly be done if you wrote with judgment and care.

AT WHAT AGE TO WRITE LOVE LETTERS.

The love letter is the prelude to marriage, a state that, if the husband and wife be fitted for each other, is the most natural and serenely happy; a state, however, that none should enter upon, until, in judgment and physical development, both parties have completely matured. Many a life has been wrecked by a blind,

impulsive marriage, simply resulting from a youthful passion. As a physiological law, man should be twenty-five, and woman twenty-three, before marrying.

APPROVAL OF PARENTS.

While there may be exceptional cases, as a rule, correspondence should be conducted only with the assent and approval of the parents. If it is not so, parents are themselves generally to blame. If children are properly trained, they will implicitly confide in the father and mother, who will retain their love until they are suffiIf parents neglect to retain this love and conficiently matured to choose a companion for life. dence, the child, in the yearning for affection, will place the love elsewhere, frequently much too early in life.

TIMES FOR COURTSHIP.

Ladies should not allow courtship to be conducted at unseasonable hours. The evening entertainment, the walk, the ride, are all favorable for the study of each other's tastes and feelings. For the gentleman to protract his visit at the lady's residence until a late hour, is almost sure to give offence to the lady's parents, and is extremely ungentlemanly.

HONESTY.

The love letter should be honest. It should say what the writer means, and no more. For the lady or gentleman to play the part of a coquette, studying to see how many lovers he or she may secure, is very disreputable, and bears in its train a long list of sorrows, frequently wrecking the domestic happiness for a life-time. The parties should be honest also in the state

ment of their actual prospects and means of support. Neither should hold out to the other wealth or other inducements that will not be realized, as disappointment and disgust will be the only result.

MARRYING FOR A HOME.

Let no lady commence and continue a correspondence with a view to marriage, for fear that she may never have another opportunity. It is the mark of judgment and rare good sense to go through life without wedlock, if she cannot marry from love. Somewhere in Eternity, the poet tells us, our true mate will be found. Do not be afraid of being an "old maid." The disgrace attached to that term has long since passed away. Unmarried ladies of mature years are proverbially among the most intelligent, accomplished, and independent to be found in society. The sphere of woman's action and work is so widening that she can to-day, if she desires, handsomely and independently support herself. She need not, therefore, marry for a home.

INTEMPERATE MEN.

Above all, no lady should allow herself to correspond with an intemperate man, with a view to matrimony. She may reform him, but the chances are that her life's happiness will be completely destroyed by such a union. Better a thousand times, the single, free, and independent maidenhood, than for a woman to trail her life in the dust, and bring poverty, shame, and disgrace on her children, by marrying a man addicted to dissipated habits.

MARRYING WEALTH.

Let no man make it an ultimate object in life, to marry a rich wife. It is not the possession, but the acquisition of wealth, that gives happiness. It is a generally conceded fact that the inheritance of great wealth is a positive mental and moral injury to young men, completely destroying the stimulus to advancement. So, as a rule, no man is permanently made happier by a marriage of wealth; while he is quite likely to

be given to understand, by his wife and others, from time to time, that whatever consequence he may attain, it is all the result of his wife's money. Most independent men prefer to start, as all our wealthiest and greatest men have done, at the foot of the ladder and earn their independence. Where, however, a man can bring extraordinary talent or distinguished rep

utation, as a balance for his wife's wealth, the conditions are more nearly equalized. Observation shows that those marriages prove most serenely happy where husband and wife, at the time of marriage, stand, socially, intellectually, and pecuniarily, very nearly equal. For the chances of successful advancement and happiness in after life, let a man wed a woman poorer than himself rather than one that is

richer.

POVERTY.

Let no couple hesitate to marry because they are poor. It will cost them less to live after marriage than before, one light, one fire, etc., answering the purpose for both. Having an object to live for, also, they will commence their accumulations after marriage as never before. The young woman that demands a certain amount of costly style, beyond the income of her betrothed, no young man should ever wed. As a general thing, however, women have common sense, and, if husbands will perfectly confide in their wives, telling them exactly their pecuniary condition, the wife will live within the husband's income. In the majority of cases where men fail in business, the failure being attributed to the wife's extravagance, the wife has been kept in entire ignorance of her husband's pecuniary resources. The man who would be successful in business, should not only marry a woman who is worthy of his confidence, but he should

at all times advise with her. She is more interested in his prosperity than anybody else, and will be found his best counselor and friend.

CONFIDENCE AND HONOR.

The love correspondence of another should be held sacred, the rule of conduct being, to do

to others as you wish them to do to you. No woman, who is a lady, will be guilty of making light of the sentiments that are expressed to her in a letter. No man, who is a gentleman, will boast of his love conquests, among boon companions, or reveal to others the correspondence between himself and a lady. If an engagement is mutually broken off, all the love letters should be returned. To retain them is dishonorable. They were written under circumstances that no longer exist. It is better for both parties to wash out every recollection of the past, by returning to the giver every memento of the dead love.

HOW TO BEGIN A LOVE CORRESPONDENCE.

Some gentlemen, being very favorably impressed with a lady at first sight, and having no immediate opportunity for introduction, make bold, after learning her name, to write her at once, seeking an interview, the form of which letter will be found hereafter. A gentleman in doing so, however, runs considerable risk of receiving a rebuff from the lady, though not always. It is better to take a little more time, learn thoroughly who the lady is, and obtain an introduction through a mutual acquaintance. Much less embarrassment attends such a meeting, and having learned the lady's antecedents, subjects are easily introduced in which she is interested, and thus the first interview can be made quite agreeable.

The way is now paved for the opening of a correspondence, which may be done by a note inviting her company to any entertainment supposed to be agreeable to her, or the further pleasure of her acquaintance by correspondence, as follows:

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You will, I trust, forgive this abrupt and plainly spoken letter. Although I have been in your company but once, I cannot forbear writing to you in defiance of all rules of etiquette. Affection is sometimes of slow growth, but sometimes it springs up in a moment. I left you last night with my heart no longer my own. I cannot, of course, hope that I have created any interest in you, but will you do me the great favor to allow me to cultivate your acquaint ance? Hoping that you may regard me favorably, I shall await with much anxiety your reply. I remain,

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FRIEND HENRY:

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I am very desirous of making the acquaintance of Miss Benjamin, with whom you are on terms of intimate friendship. Will you be so kind as to give me a letter of introduction to her? I am aware that it may be a delicate letter for you to write, but you will be free, of course, to make all needed explanations in your letter to her. I will send her your letter, instead of personally calling upon her myself, thus saving her from any embarrassment that may result from my so doing. By granting this favor, you will much oblige, Yours Very Respectfully, WM. H. TYLER.

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MR. GOODRICH, Dear Sir: Undoubtedly I ought to call you severely to account for your declaration of love at first sight, but I really cannot find it in my heart to do so, as I must confess, that, after our brief interview last evening, I have thought much more of you than I should have been willing to have acknowledged had you not come to the confession first. Seriously speaking, we know but very little of each other yet, and we must be very careful not to exchange our hearts in the dark. I shall be happy to receive you here, as a friend, with a view to our further acquaintance. I remain, dear sir,

MARION HAWLEY.

A Lover's Good-bye before starting on a Journey.

Enclosed, find the note you wish. As you will observe, I have acted upon your suggestion, of giving her suficient explanation to justify my letter. Your desire to please the lady, coupled with your good judgment, will, I doubt not, make the matter agreeable.

Truly Yours,

HENRY PARSONS.

LETTER OF INTRODUCTION.

DEAR MISS BENJAMIN: This will introduce to you, my friend, Wm. Tyler, who is very desirous of making your acquaintance, and having no other means of doing so, asks the favor of me, of writing this note of introduction, which he will send you, instead of calling himself, thus leaving you free, to grant him or not, an interview. Mr. Tyler is a gentleman I very highly respect, and whose acquaintance, I think, you would not have occasion to regret. Neverthless, you may not regard this a proper method of introductiou, in which case, allow me to assure you, I will entertain the same respect for yourself, if you will frankly state so, though it would be gratifying to Mr. Tyler and myself to have it otherwise. With sincere respect, I am, Very Respectfully,

HENRY PARSONS.

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MY DARLING MINNIE:

I go west to-morrow on business, leaving my heart in your gentle keeping. You need be at no expense in placing a guard around it, for I assure you, that as surely as the needle points towards the pole, so surely my love is all yours. I shall go, dearest, by the first train, hoping thereby to return, just one train sooner, which means that not an hour, not a minute longer will I be absent from you, than is imperatively necessary. Like the angler, I shall "drop a line" frequently, and shall expect a very prompt response, letter for letter. No credit given in this case; business is business, I must have prompt

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I take this means of consulting you, on a subject, that deeply interests myself, while it indirectly concerns you; and I trust, that my presentation of the matter will meet with your approval. For several months, your daughter, Mary, and myself, have been on Intimate terms of friendship, which has ripened into affection, on my part, and I have reason to think, that my attentions are not indifferent to her. My business and prospects are such, that I flatter myself, 1 can provide for her future, with the same comfort that has surrounded her under the parental roof. Of my character and qualifications, I have nothing to say; I trust they are sufficiently known to you, to give confidence in the prospect of your child's happiness.

Believing that the parents have such an interest in the welfare of the daughter, as makes it obligatory upon a lover to consult their desires, before taking her from their home, I am thus induced to request you to express your wishes upon this subject.

I shall anxiously await your answer.

Your very Obedient Servant,

To WM. FRANKLIN. ESQ., 184- -ST.

DANIEL HARRISON.

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