Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian., 1859-05-14
MY FIRST LOVE.

|
possession ofmy youthful heart was no every
day one. was sure of that. There wer
not words enough in the language to describ
the hoighth, depth, length, and breadth Of it
grandeur. 1t was destined to be; tixet
principle throughout eternity ; planet o
surprising beauty in the broad heavens o
home affections. My love was returned-th
strong yearning of my nineteen-year-oldh hear
went out in the direction of the most beauti
ful maiden in all Il shire, in return sen
the yearning of her heart to meet mime
Twice week, as often as the week came ar
ound, went up to the old brown home O
DR.. Stodard to tell his daughter my love, ant
from the red lips of my charming Janet
The good doctor made merry at our expense
and his jolly wife took wicked pleasure il
constantly reminding us of our youth. Jane
was tortured by sly references to her play
houses in the shed, her long -sleeved pinafore.
and pantalettes Of six months before while
my mother to make into dressing gown fol
me.
We were, nevertheless, determined to be
married. We would steal syly away from
the house while our cruel friends repOsed ir
the arms of Morpheus; HE us, on 1.-The wings
| of love, " to the nearest city; Janet would
become, in moments time, Mrs. Jason
Brown.
At once we set about making preparations
for this important journey. Everything, Of
course, must be conducted with the greatest
secresy At IL o'clock was to leave my
home stealthily, get my fathers grey nag
noiselessly out of the barn and harness her
and then proceed to Janet Janet was to be
waiting for me at her chamber window, was
to place ladder at the same window she
was to descend that ladder we were to fly
spot where the horse was fastened, and then
the wind should not outrun us.
There was but one difficulty in the way
Janet's room was shared by her sister Fanny,
little mischevous, wicked creature Of eleven
years, who, to use Janet's words, "was
awake at all hours of the night" There was
but one way; if Fanny was aroused, she
must be bribed into silence. For that pur-
pose, placed in Janet's hand round, shin
ing dollar. But Janet needed assistance so
she concluded to make Fanny her confident
the very afternoon before we started, and in
that case prevent all possibility Of raising the
the house by sudden outcry.
Well, the long looked-for, hoped-for, and
yet dreaded night arrived at last. How slow
ly its leaden feet carried away the hours, and
whata strange heartful of emotions l bore
up, as sat by my chamber window look
ing out, as thought, for the last time, upon
the home of my father? The moon was out
in all her splendor, she was kind to me, light
ed up with her silver touches all the spots
my eyes might wish to rest upon, before |
went out into the world a wanderer. The
broad fields lay out smooth and shining be-
fore my gaze the fields in which had work
ed by my fathers side since | was little
boy-ah dear, kind father he had been
Cat this juncture my throat began to swell. }
| turned away from the window.
If could see my mother once more ~
| exclaimed, rubbing my eyes with my coat
sleeve. "No one ever had a better mother than
| have"
sat down in chair, and sobbed outright,
l looked around for something to take with
me, that my mothers hand had blessed with
her touch. There was spinning-wheel in
the room where | slept at the end of the
spindle hung wooden roll. With my knife l
half cut and half tore it off, pressed it fervent-
ly to my lips, and then placed it tenderly in
my vest pocket had not time to do more
the old clock in the kitchen warned me sol
emnly that my appointed time had arrived -
and with slow, and, yet noiseless step,
left the house.
Once out in the open air, my wonted light
ness of spirits returned. | consoled myself
with the thought that in few years, should
return again, a strong, healthy, respected
and influential man, an honor to my parents
a blessing to my friends, and the husband OF
Janet.
Ihave often wondered since, how sue
ceeded in getting away from home with my
horse and cart without arousing any One.-
But as good luck would have it, made tri
umphant exit from the old place, and in few
moments was jogging fearlessly along towards
the home of Janet. My only dread was tt
the little Fan sprite if after all she should
betray us, what a dreadful, direful, desperate
mischief it would be II groaned aloud Of
the thought yet put brave face upon the
matter; said that it was right that we should
go; and that if it wasn't right, in al
probability we should stay at home =
yet right or not right, if that miserable littl,
Fan did betray us, I'd spend all my days il
avcnging the wrong-that was certain. Was
in earnest? Did | meanit? But we shall see
How earnestly and anxiously gazed to
ward the chamber window of Janet, as, afte
fastening my horse by the roadside, walked
cautiously up the long lane that led to the doc
tors house. Ojoy inexpressible the wav
ing of white handkerchief in the moonligh
told me that everything was right, that in
few moments should clasp Janet fondly t
my breast, mine, mine forever! All, hov
happy l was $50 happy, indeed, that
stood still there in the moonlight, with IN,
two hands pressed firmly to my left side, fo
fear my overloaded heart would burst from
me entirely. What a figure must have Gu
then What an Apollo must have looked
with my fine proportions wrapped up in IN,
wedding suit was slender; l was tall /;
was gaunt am sure was ugly-looking a
that moment.
| What possessed me cannot tell, but fron
an old chest | had taken a blue broad-clot
swallow-tail coat that had belonged to m
grandfather in the time of the wars, and i
the pride of my youth had got into it. Th
tails came nearly to my heels, while the wais
was nearly to my arm-pits. The sleeve
reached to the tips of my fingers, hiding er
tirely from view the luxuriant hue of whit
silk gloves, which l had allowed myself 70
the important occasion. Above this uncout
pile of blue broad cloth was perched hat
o ye stars and moon that looked upon it, tes
tify with me that it was hat-a hat and nc
a stove-pipe, hat and not a bootleg Tha
hat looking back at it through the mist {
twenty-five years, it seems to have arisen
the stature of two full feet, while its brim az
pears little wider than my thumb nail. NJ
eyesight isn't quite as perfect as it used to b,
and so may not see quite rightly. Make a
due allowances, dear reader
say that must have looked ugly at ths
moment. Be that as it may, thought that
: was looking splendidly; 1 thought that tn
} figure cut was an honor to the name {
, Brown, and that was proud of it; proud q
l stalked up to Janets window, and place
} carefully there the ladder that was to bear he
: to my side Everything was silent about tt
, house. Fate was surely with us. Fam
! had been bribed into service. AS stoc
there, could see her little figure fit nois
lessly to and fro by the window, and how
8 blessed her-blessed her from the very bo