The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1863-04-22
WHOLE NO. $40.
How I First Met Her.

How First Met Her.
First love is the only true love-" sa'
r some people; and Love is love forever
!, more," adds a poet OF the affections. d,
. the other hand, there are persons, not with
oat some reputation for judgment in com
r mercial circles, who assert that First Low,
is calf love-"
. | do not pretend to decide this question
But, at all events, 6rst love must happer
to every man before second love, and il i
, has not happened at all, it has yet to come
, Under these circumstances, I cannot bu
think that the subject is of universal inter
est, and that any new experience Of this
absorbing passion will be received with
rapture by the public Variety is pleasing
but novelty is what understand the mag
azines are just now giving almost anything
for. Balloon adventures are rising, be
lieve, in the periodical scalc; and nara
tons Of desccnts into the cratcrs Of volea.
noes active) arc remuncrated most hand
somely. But conceive, Mr.. Editor, what
would be the attraction Of volcanic expe-
frience, ''co,nplca.ed,- as the doctors saw,
with an episode of the tender passionl A
love scene, for instance, in the cr.ter!-
Vows Of affection interchanged amid seas
Of burning lava, and with the mountain
throwing Roman candles over the heads of
the intrepid pair Would not this be nov
el?-wOuld not this be striking. wish,
for both our sakes, (for yours, Mr. Editor,
and mine, that ISL that had met my
Charlotte Elizabeth for the first time un.
der the above peculiar circumstances. You
would hastily have written, "Name your
own price," would you not, and enclosed
blank check by return post? I thought
so; !; and the ide, gives me much satisfaction,
because really did meet Charlotte Eliza
beth for the first time in locality by no
means inferior Tin point of exccptionabil-
ty) to that of the bottom Of crater and
i great deal lower down. You will not
imagine this to have been coal mine, |
hope. have met very charming persons
Of the opposite sex-and those of the first
fashion-many hundred feet below the level
Of the sea, and attired in a masculine garb,
tor the convenience Of descending shafts
and travelling upon all fours: but should
no: dream of sending the account of any.
thing so ordinary to modern editor.
am better acquainted, trust, with the ma
turc Of his expectations than that.
Seventeen was just the age at which I
first met Charlotte Elzabeth--under water
What think you Of that, Mr.. Editor? Are
not such circumstances Of first love new ,?
Permit me also to add, with my hand upon
my heart, that they are moreover true.
II was on a Saturday afternoon, which
was holiday at our Office in the city Cal.
though the early closing movement was not
so much as heard of at that timc,) and |
uya in th., nf
mind at the Polytechnic. had sat in that
stately hall, which is something between
theatre and dissectirg room, to behold
the wonders Of science; had gazed upon
that wondrous apparatus for learning to
swim upon dry land until my limbs were
on the point of "striking OUT for an imag-
mary shore; and had gazed upon tn:
electrical eel to repletion, when a great bell
was rung, and a sonorouS voice exclaimed:
"Experilnents connected with the diving
bell" Upon this, great rush was made
from all parts Of the building to that circu
Ice Pss'1 of Uioar rvntor, the excessive dortil
of which has always been marvel to- me.
Into whose CELLAR does it descend? What
sew.rs does it forever threaten with un.iine-
| ly flushing? From what fountains do it's
pellucid waves arise? Then the intrepid
diver made his toilet in the presence Of the
company, being loaded with heavy weights,
as though he was some desperate criminal,
ana having on his face helmet fixed, to be
presently screwed round by the assistants,
proceeding which appeared to the un.
scientific eye like wringng his neck. Gov.
cred with polypi in the shape of india rub.
Der tubing, this monster torpedo clumsily
descended by an iron ladder into the pond,
the bottom Of which was already strewed
whith halfpence; after this We could dimly
see him waddle and stoop, made more hide.
Gus even than before by the watery medium
-foreshortcned, at right angles to-himsclf,
exaggerated, disproportioned, slow-the
most horrible picture Of cupidity that the
mind is capable of conceiving. Above him
arose large and noisy bubbles; and now and
then he would emerge as to his head and
shoulders, and tap his metal helmet with
halfpence, to let us know AS though we
had not watched his horrid movements all
along-that he had picked them up. In.
credible as it may appear, was attracted
towards this amphibious pursuit Of his;
felt as though too should like to explore
those airless depths, and make my business
in those mighty waters. When he came
and bowed in his repulsive manner to the
going to offer "any lady or gent" the loan
Of his apparatus. was infinitely relieved
when saw it put away in u cupboard, for
now no unnatural temptation
"Any lady or gent for the diving bell ?"
exclaimed the sonorous voice. 1.-The ma
chine is now about to descend"
My heart came into my mouth, and then
retil cd about half way down my throat, as
II should juis, Ny extremities became
cold as ice, as gasped out: "Stop a
minute; take me in, please do" The crowd
that already surrounded the machine part
ed to he left and right, to lot me pass
There was not the least hurry, Of course;
but if had not spoken at once, should
not have done so at all. l was the first
volunteer for this tremendous enterprise,
and an object of great public interest.
II wouldn't do it myself for 'undred
pound" observed one gentleman, for the
purpose of reassuring me, | concluded;
and friend Of his replied: mo, nor yet
for two; it's what call foorardy."
passed the little barrier; gave the
manager the requisite shilling for the sub,
marine passage; and ! crept under the
great goggled-eyel bell amid quite a popu.
lar ovation. A narrow Scat ran round the
interior Of the machine; and the atmos-
phere seemed close, even as it was, AMI the
light was dim, although we were as vet in
the land Of the living. perceived, how
ever, a shining substance Immediately op.
posite to me, which turned out to be boy
covered with buttons ns-the page Of the es-
tablishment, whose dreadful trade it was to
descend. don't know how many time a
day, in company with sub-aqueous anna
teurs. He had a rope in his hand, that
hung down from the top OF the bell, and
which fondly imagined communicated
with the scientific authorities, SO that We
could be hoisted up again ut moments
noticn hy Sional hut this coniidenca Was