Goodbye Charley

Katy's heartfelt reply to Charley after he readily accepted her gracious release from their engagement due to her illness: 

"MR. UNDERHILL:  Sir—The scales have fallen from my eyes, and I see you at last just as you are. Since my note to you on Sunday last I have had a consultation of physicians, and they all agree that my disease is not of an alarming character and that I shall soon recover. But I thank God that before it was too late, you have been revealed to me just as you are—a heartless, selfish, shallow creature, unworthy of the love of a true-hearted woman, unworthy even of you own self-respect. I gave you an opportunity to withdraw from our engagement in full faith, loving you so truly that I was ready to go trembling to my grave alone if you shrank from sustaining me to it. But I see now that I did not dream for one moment that you would take me at my word and leave me to my fate. I thought I loved a man and could lean on him when strength failed me. I know now that I loved a mere creature of my imagination. Take back your letters; I loathe the sight of them. Take back the ring and find, if you can, a woman who will never be sick, never out of spirits, and who never will die. KATHERINE MORTIMER"

[Recorded in her entry of January 1, 1834. May our daughters be wise and recognize a "Charley" if he should make an attempt at their hearts, before  the fact and not after, as in the case of Katy. May they listen to the sound advice of their mothers, which she unfortunately failed to do. ~ mr]