The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1857-02-19
THE STORY OF JOHN ROSS,S
FIRST LOVE

| age, and within the last five months, heart
him tell the story Of his first love. Thus i
came about. We were wont to meet him Al
the house of mutual friend, where he wa.
always welcome guest; came and went as h
listed, and had his hammock swung in cham
Der where the temperature suited him best, fol
he loved a cold clear atmosphere. In word
he was the centre Of as charming householC
group as shall be seen any day in the great
metropolis. Blooming faces shone upon him
merry songs greeted him as he took his place
beside the CHEEKY hearth in those cold even.
iags, in Spring. One bright.haire creature
with rosy lips claimed him ever as her own
seated him beside her on the velvet couch
called him cher dear boy" which delighted
the ancient mariner beyond all things, and al
last drew from him the tale referred to.
| / had been reminding him of very old
friend now dead, and of whom we had heard
nothing for many yeas. AS Ispoke, tide OF
early recollections swept up and filled the old
mans eyes with tears. "Ah," said he, che
was very kind friend to me. We had been
schoolmates, and then we went 10 sea together
After while we parted, and entered the
royal navy. When next saw O., was
commander on board the. He was on the
quay at Greenock when sailed in, and little
thought that the vessel Carrying royal pen
nant was commanded by Johnnie Ross. l
landed and went up to him with man who
knew us both.
"o--,' said the later, 'sdo you remember
little Johnnie Ross?''
"Well," answered O.; "and precious
little scamp he was!"
Con this" observed Sir John, eve shook
hands, and renewed our acquaintance, and
had reason to be glad of it, for" he repeated,
90 was very kind to me.'
Snow about Margaret" said the bonny
creature beside him.
"Ah!' she was a noble girl! When / first
knew her she was ten, and I about twelve
years old. We used to walk home together
from the school, and at first were very happy.
but before long the children began to watch
us, and we were obliged to make signs to one
another about meeting. I minG well how
shamefaced we were when the other caught
us making signals before breaking up; and one
day the master saw us, and it was on that
occasion Margaret showed such spirit and
courage as made me never forget her.
81 had got out of school, he continued,
after short pause, ''and was waiting for her,
| never needing the children laughing at me, as
stood watching for the sight of her bonny
face, for she was very fair" ] can by no
meahs describe the pathos Of the old mans
tone as he said this. ''When began to think
she was in trouble, and kept in, hid myself
till the place was clear Of other folk, and
then creert round and peeped in at the
window of a side-room where scholars in
disgrace were put sometime. Poor Margaret
was indeed there, sitting upon a box, very
forlorn, and crying bitterly. She frightened
up at seeing my face in the window-pane and
smiled when l told her had waiting for her.
Then declared would be revenged on our
master, and went at once to the school-room
to carrying out my plan; this was easy for
there was no one there.
"Just over the masters deck was shelf, on
which stood large ink-bottle, and near to
this again was the hat with which the dominic
a ways crowned himself when he assumed the
authority. / mounted the desk, took a piece
of string from my pocket, tied the ink-ja and
hat together, then, descending from my perch
left the room, and ran around to the side win
dow to prepare Margaret for the result of my
device. Then l ran home to dinner, and re-
| turned to school in the afternoon.
Twas late. Al the children were in the
room; and at the masters desk stood Mar
garet, with triumphant eyes, just receiving the
last blow Of the leathern strap on her open
hand. The punishment of my mischievous
revenge had been visited upon her. Streams
of ink discolored the masters face; and books
and desks, on which last lay the broken ink jar
were saturated with it. The master himself
was furious; and the more so that Margaret
had borne the infiction like heroine, in
perfect silence, resolutely refusing to give up
the name of the delinquent, whose accomplice
she was accused Of being. She looked at me
as she moved defantly away, and the express
sion of her eye warned me not to speak. 1t
was, indeed. too late. hurried from the
room before was observed; Margaret walked
proudly after me; and for the last time we took
our way home together from the school,"
cannot do Justice to this story, as told BY
the old navigator. Nearly seventy years had
passed away, and yet the memory of his child
love was still the green spot in his heart.
He and Margaret met but twice afterwards.
He dwelt most on the first of these meetings.
II was travelling" he said, Sin Scotland,
when the coach stopped to take up passen-
ger. The moment the door opened, knew
her at once, but--she did not remember me;''
he sighed as he said this "Then,' he contin-
ued, 81 told her who was, and reminded her
of old times, thirty years before, and Of that
story Of the ink-bottle and the beating she had
got for my sake. She had almost forgotten
it, but never had" Margaret, the mo,heI
of large family, is now an aged woman, and
probably thought little of Johnnie Ross after
parting with him in childhood; while he, litera-
lily voyaged from pole 10 pole, and having but
a passing glimpse Of her from time TO time
may be said to have carried the memory of his
child-love to the grave.
Among other pleasant records of my life
will rest the memory of "many an ancient
Ict1 kzIl oh lx,