The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-07-09
JOHN AND I.


"Come, JOHN" said I, cheerfully,
I" it really is time to go if you stay
any longer 1 shall be afraid to come
down and lock the door after you"
My visitor rose-a proceeding that
always reminded me of the genius
emerging from the copper vessel, as he
measured six feet three-and stood
looking reproachfully down upon me.
You are in great hurry to get rid
of me-" he replied.
Now didn't agree with him, for he
had made his usual call of two hours
and half having, in country phrase,
taken to "sitting up" with me so liter
ally that L was frequently at my wits
end to suppress the yawn that knew
would bring troop rushing after it.
He was fine, manly looking fellow,
Ghis John Crawford, old for his age
which was the rather boyish period of
twenty two-and every way worthy of
being loved. But 1 didn't love him.
I was seven years his senior and
when, instead of letting the worm of
couceulment prey on his damask cheek,
he ventured to tell his love for my ma
ture self, remorselessly seized an
English Prayer-book, and pointed
sternly to the clause, I" A man may not
marry his grandmother. That was
three years ago and I added, en-
couragingly, "Besides, John, you are
child, and don't know your own mind"
elf a man of nineteen doesn't know
his own mind" demonstrated my lover,
"I would like. to know who should.
But [ will wait for you seven years, if
YOU say so--fourteen, as Jacob did for
Rachel"
"You forget" I replied, laughing at
his way of mending matters, "that q
woman does not, like wine, improve
with age. But seriously, John, this is
absurd you are nice boy, and 1 like
you-but my feelings toward you are
more like those Of q mother than a
wife"
The boys eyes flashed Indignantly !;
and before I could divine his intention
he had lifted me from the spot where l
stood, and carried me, infant fashion,
TO the sofa at the other end of the
room.
81 could almost find it in my heart
to shake youl" he muttered, as he set
me down with emphasis.
b This was rather like the courtship of
promEsed to be quite exciting.
"D&t do that again" said I, with
dignity, when L had recovered my
breath.
"Will you marry me?" asked John,
somewhat threatenipgly.
"Not just at present, I replied.
"The great, handsome fellow" [
Thought, as he paced the floor restlessly,
"wby couldn't he fall in love with
some girl of fifteen, instead of setting
his affections on an old maid like me
I don't want'the boy on my hands, and
l won't have hIm!"
GAS to your being twenty y-six," pur-
sued John, in answer to my thoughts,
"you say it's down in the family
Bible, and l suppose it must be so
but no one would believe it and I
don't care if you're forty. You look
like a girl of sixteen, and you are the
only woman l shall ever love-"
Oh, John, John! at least five mil
lions of men have said that same thing
before in every known language. Never
theless, when you fairly break down
and cry, l relent-for L am disgrace
fully northumberland weakly promise
then and there that I will either keep
my own name or take yours. For love
is very dog in the manger, and John
looked radiant at this concession. 1t
was a comfort to know that if he could
not gather the flower himself, no one
else would.
A sort of family shipwreck had waited
John to my threshold Our own house
hold was sadly broken up, and I found
myself mparatively young in years,
with half-invalid father, large house
and very little money. What more
natural than to take boarders? And
among the first were Mr.. Crawford, and
his son, and sister, who had just been
wrecked themselves by the death OF the
wife and mother in a foreign land One
of those sudden, unexpected deaths
that leave the survivors in daZed con-
dition, because it is SO difficult to
imagine the gay worldling who has been
called hence in another state OF being.
Mr.. Crawford was one of my admira'
tions from the first Tall, pale, with
dark hair and eyes, he reminded me OF
Dante, only that he was handsome
and he had such a general air OF know
ing everything worth knowing (without
the least pedantry, however), that
was quite afraid of him. He was evi
IDENTIFY wrapped up in John, and pa
tient with his sister which was asking
quite enough of Christian charity un
der the sun, for Mrs. Shellgrove was al
unmitigated nuisance. Such talker
babbling of her own and her brothers
affairs with an equal indiscretion, and
treating the latter as though he were al
incapable infant.
They staid with us three years, ant
during thst time was fairly persectet
about John. Mrs. Shellgrove wrote m,