Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1867-12-20
childhood's rlirtations.


Childhood's Flirtations.
Flirtations spring up even in the nurse
ry. Why such is the fact we do not pre-
tend to say but perhaps the cause is hu-
manity's moral naughtiness. At all events
we think flrtations very comical TO chill
dren, and so they are, because they are
innocent. Five-year old Freddie walks
up to somebody's four-year old Maggie,
puts his arm around her neck, and tells
her he is going to marry her when he be-
comes man; yet the little villain lies
Toddling purses up her mouth, kisses
him, and believes every word he says.
A group of youngsters get together to
play in the garret Of the farmhouse, and
forthwith a parson is made Of one ofAhem,
and couple are married with attendant
bridesmen and bridesmaids, and they are
the happest couple under the sun.
BY and by Maggie begins to learn that
kissing means something, and Freddie as
certains that there is somebody in the
world besides her; so the little scamp
says he was only in fun when he married
her, and thereupon lavishes his smiles on
more attractive faces. She grows indig-
nant, draws her pretty lips together in
sinister smile. and thinks TO herself, II
will pay you in your own coin, young lad
And she does az she thinks.
When the dancing school is out, some
weeks after, and the lads and lasses are
assembled just outside the cloak-room
door, he asks if he can walk home with
her. The answer is, 81 am engaged.'-
1t is rather hard for him 10 choke down
his chagrin when be sees her passing down
the stairs with the very lad whom he dis
likes on account of his blue eyes, laugh
ing face, and faxen hair. And so COM
mences the tragedy of life. gss
A glorious time is that youth, when We
81, through the dreamy summer days. iD
the whisper-rippled school-room, with our
Fasouelle's First Lessons between our
faces and the teachers, while we look low
ingly toward an angel in white apron
and violet dress. who sits just opposite.
and look 90 sweet f'st we 'o q bits d
piece rig W'ogT q ben chees---H NGala
not hurt her
A glorious time is that youth. wlsu vs.
spend or lasl ten cents for mixed caosIi
which v divide ailh the glFl who waAT
the whaa aptqn aaJ yioles dress- givlna
her til, larger hal, Of roafa Hat Ihai
is not glorioas time wben she does
not smile upon us as she leaves the school
room, but on the contrary, gives such
delicious look to some other boy. We 60
home, refuse TO eat any supper, and think
there never was so wretched a being as
we are. The next morning we languidly
take our dinner basket and plod along -
school but we do not stop to slide on the
icy spots at the wayside. where we have
so often slipped down and hurt our el-
bows we feel i'll; the snow makes Us
dizzy-and --and we are very faint!
But 10! there she comes-she who
didn't smile on US last night And che
laughs! Think of that--she laughs -
We are not sick any more, our cheeks arc
no: sunken; we ask her TO slide; she
takes our hand and away we go. Hur-
rah what matters it il we are lMe TO
school? Suppose the teacher frowns and
makes us toe the mark on the floor for an
hour-what do we care We would toe
that mark for whole month, for the sake
of the enjoyment of the morning. provid-
ing she could be by our side. But alas +!
the day of long dresses and cMgnons -
Nous ve,ronsi Perhaps by that time she
will have forgotten all these early intima-
cies, for young ladies are SO forgetful!