True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1857-04-22
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HOW JENNY WAS WON.
by MARY ". JANvRlN.

bf mAht W. JANFhlNs
Jenny kissed me when we met
Jumping from the chair she sat in ;
Time, you theft, you love to get
Sweets iuto your list--Put that in
Say I'm weary, say I'm sad, sed me-
Say that health and wealth have mis-.
Say I'm growing old but add
Jenny kissed me LEIGH Hunt.
"Eh, Phil want to know chow won
her! Well I'll tell you the moduS oper-
andi, though it's sub rosa, Of course !"
And Ned Wilder, Esq, flung his half
smoked cigar into the CRATE, ran his white
fingers through a mass of clustering
brown curls, removed his feet from their
elevation at an angle Of forty-fve degrees
on his paper-strewn desk, and settled
himself comfortably in the depths Of a
softly chuisoned Office chair
"Want to know how | won her p
Well you see my boy, cousin Jenny was
always just the sauciest witch that ever
laced a gaiter shook curl, or played
the duce with masculine heart. And /
was always her boy lover. Can't re-
member the time, for my life, from the
day when first went to BeechwoDd as
my uncle's ward, and stood an awkward,
blushing, stammering, school boy Of fi(-
teen-in the presence Of the incipent
belle and beauty--cant remember a min
ute, from that hour, but | was her slave,
her out and out slave, Phil. And the
witch knew it. Did you ever see one
of the sex but knew whom she had en-.
trapped It's theil nature-read you
like book got the gifl of second sight
every mothers son Of 'em.
"And so when | came home from
academy and college vacations, not whit
less embarrassed and awkward than ever
acting like grown up booby-upse,.
ling her workbox and tangling her wors.
leds, committing countless blunders at
table, all this to the qualification of the
mischief loving firt, and the romping
hoydenish, schoolgirl companions she d
always have stopping at Beechwood on
visits, didn'l | make myself target fol
all kinds of practical jokes from those
same romps
"And Jenny herself. wasn't she the
ringleader Of them all Didn't she beg
TO do table honors. on purpose to pul
salt in my tea, and pepper my mullins,
in order to watch my wry faces didn'i
she play tantalizing waltzes every nigh
in the pahor, regretting so much lha,
cousin Ned didn't dance ? didn't she ask
me TO read aloud at the village Sewing
Circle, and upon my bashful refusal
gravely announce 10 scores of assembled
old ladies', that Mr.. Wilder was afflicted
with bronchitis, purposly 10 render me
the victim Of those same old ladies', who
forthwith thronged about me with receipts
composed Of all the roots and herbs in
Christendom. | tell you Phil, it was al
most purgalory to me. there at Beech
wood but was resolved never to sur.
render.
"But it bothered me most, that Jenny
should torment me so. l was in love-
knew it-but had no power to flee hel
tolls.
Talk about electric shocks Why
one touch Of her little white hand woult
set my heart to humping against my ribs
The contact of her floating curls woult
make my frame tingle to my fingers ends
That's what call gal-vanic battery.
"Well I came off with college houors
at twenty and went home to Beechwood
Uncle Dick shook my hand till he wrung
tears (of pain) from my eyes and called
me brave boy, and an honor to the vii.
ders; aunt Mary got out the best china
and petted me like grown up baby
but Jenny danced before me, ridiculing
my newly fedged beard, calling every
pet hair had been assiduously cultiva.
ting for the past few months, pin feath
ers,' vowed I hadn't graduated but wa.
expelled. and hoped was not going Il
stop at Beachwood long, for she'd invited
her dear friend, Seraphine Love, to pas,
the sum mer months with her, and
should only prove torment and both
eralion,'
"Seraphine Love came--a tall, ant
candle, sentimental damsel, will
stiff curls, light blue eyes, lackadasical
m oonstruck air. There was no similar
ilari,y between her and Jennie; and
fell to wondering about their mutual Ii
king, and soon discovered the cause. .
Seraphine Love wrote poetry, rhyme
and leveled her Parnasian darts agaIns
those whom Jenny disliked this was til
secret. She had been sent for to do Vi
cousin Ned in verse and various wer
the sonneIs, acrostics. and lampoon.
with which Twas favored. They gree
ed me everywhere! On my chamber Il
ble, 10 my portfolios, between The cover
Of my Greek Lexicon, even in The pocA
eta Of my dressing gown, | found them
In no place was safe.