Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-02-03
,. MYiFIRsT LOVE.

>>A~ wv sASAAAAAs " O-NV0b" U0PVAtCN
myself like person in love I talked
like person in love; I looked and felt
like person in love. The affection
that had taken place of my youthful
heart was no every day one was sure
of that. There was not words in the
English language to describe the height,
depth, length and breadth, Of its gran
deur. ItIwas destined to- be grand
accompaniment Of the ages yet to be !;
q principle throughout eternity; plant
of surprising beauty in tho broad heav-
ems of home affections. My love was
returned-the strong yearning of my
nineteen-year-old heart went out into
the direction Of the most beautiful of
all-shire, in return cent the yearn-
ing of her heart to meet mine. Twice
q week, as often as the week came
around, I went up to the old brown
home Of DR.. Stoddard, to tell his daugh-
ter my love, and as regularly listened
to recital of its return from the red
lips Of my charming Janet. The good
doctor made merry at our expense, and
his jolly wife took wicked pleasure in
constantly reminding us Of our youth.
Janet was tortured by sly,references to
our playhouse in the shed, her long
sleeved pinafores and pantaletts of six
months before while I was offered an
old coat Of the doctors for my mother
to make into dressing gown for me.
We were nevertheless determined to
be married. We would steal slyly away
from the house while our cruel friends
reposed in the arms of Morpheus; HE
US on "the wings Of love" ITO the near
est city; Janet would become in a mo-
ment's time Mrs. Jason Brown.
At once we set about making prep
aratlons for this important journey
Everything, of course, must be con
Quoted with the greatest secresy. AT
twelve 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 window.
I was to place ladder at the same
window; she was to descend that ladder;
we were to fly down the road by the old
lane, to the spot where our horse was
fastened, and then the wind should not
overtakeus.
There was but one difficulty by the
way. Janet's room was shared by her
sister Fanny, a mischevious, 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
bribshe-eS e. For that purpose
place. i. Janet's hand a round, shining
dollar. But Janet needed assistance,
so she concluded to make Fanny he1
confident the very afternoon, before we
started, and in that case prevent all
possibility of raising the house with q
sudden cutlery.
Well, the long looked-for, hoped
for, and yet dreaded night arrived al
last.
How slowly its leaden feet carried
away the hours, and what a strange
heartful Of emotions I bore up, as I sat
by my chamber window looking out, as
[ thought for the last time, upon the
home Of my father. - .-.
The moon was out in all her splend.
or she was kind to me, lighting up
with her silver touches all the spots my
eyes might wish to rest upon before
went into the world a wanderer. The
broad fields lay out smooth and shining
before my gaze the fields in which
had worked when a boy-ah! dear
kind father he had been to me! AT
this iuncture my throat began to swell
i turned from the window.
eff I could see mother once more!!''
I exclaimed, rubbing my eyes with my
coat sleeve. "No one ever had a bet
ter mother than / have. 80 -.
sat down in chair and sobbed out
right. 1 looked around for something
to take with me that nay mothers hand
had blessed with her touch. There was
a spinning wheel in the room where ]
slept, at the spindle hung a wollen roll
With my knife l half cut and tore il
off, pressed it fervently to my lips and
then placed it tenderly in my vest
pocket +; had no time to do more the
old clock in the kitchen warned me SOL
EMMY that my appointed time had ar
lived and with slow, sad, yet noise
less step, I left my ehildhood's home.
Once out in the open air, my wonted
3ightness Of spirits returned. I consol-
ed myself with the thought that in a
few years l should return a strong,
healthy, wealthy, respected and inau,
entail man, an honor to my parents, a
blessing to my friends, and the hus-
band of Janet.
have wondered since, how I sue
ceeded in getting away from home with
nay horse and cart without arousing
any one. But as good luck would have
it, made triumphant exit, and in a
few moments was jogging tearlessly
along the house Of Janet. My only
dread was the little spirit, Fan; if,
after all, she should beiray US; what a
dreadful, direful, desperate mischief it
would be! I groaned aloud at the
thought ; yet l put a brave face On the
matter 1 said if it was right we would
60, if not right we would stay at home;
yet right or not rigbs, if that miserable
little Fan did betray us, I'd spend all
my days in avenging the wrong-that
was certain. Was | in earnest? Did
I mean it? We shall see. ~
How earnestly and anxiously I gazed