Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-06-10
LOVE BY TELEGRAPH.

Miss Pearl Silverly was telegraph
generator at Jones' Station, and Lucy Lor-
lizard operator at Nineveh, the next point
OF communication, with nothing but the
distance to prevent their intimacy. They
had never met, however, except electri-
eally, and were total strangers to each
other TIL one New Years morning, when
it occurred to Miss Pearl to send the fol-
lowing telegram to her nearest neighbor
and fellow laborer: ITO Lucy Lorillard-
A happy New-Year. Pearl Silverly"--
partly because she was idle, as hers was
a branch route, with very little business
and less pay, and partly because she
was in need of friend and friendly
word. She had lately been in the habit
of amusing herself wondering if this
Lucy Lorilard found life pleasant, had
father, mother, lovers and friends, and
was like herself in nothing but in being
stelegraph operator.
The answer returned promptly:
"Thanks. The same to you, and more
also. If wishes were horses, etc"
Rather slangy," thought Pearl, T" but
good-natured. / guess she has broth
or at home" And so the ice, once
tkawed, had no chance to stitfen again
after this. There was little business, as
/ said, going over the lines from Jones'
Station to Nineveh, and, as the operator
at the last-named place seemed likewise
to have unlimited leisure on hand, the
two held frequent electrical tetea-tetes,
and Pearl began to feel as il she had
known Lucy Lorillard from infancy-as
If they had gone to school arm in arm
and learned their lessons from the same
book.
PEARLS home, if it deserved the name,
was in her uncle's family, where there
were three cousins and an aunt, but no
uncle now; home where she hardly
felt at home, where she enjoyed no com
panionship, where she was perpetually
harassed and annoyed, where her opin-
ions were ridiculed, and her sentiments
and tastes received no sympathy; home
where there was no room for expansion
except in the way of "long suffering
and bearing all things" She always had
dread of returning to this roof-tree at
night, sort of ecstasy at leaving il in
the morning, especially after this new
friendship had begun to coruscate across
her days. To be sure, she ate her daily
bread and slept the sleep of the just at
Aunt Hidden's, but she hoped and as
PRED and lived at the telegraph office,
since friendship is as much a necessity
to the human being as good dinners and
soft couches. She could never exactly
tell how it came about, but gradually,
from exchanging pretty civilities and
pleasantries and the news Of the day
across the wires, she found herself pres
emily telling this Lucy Lorillard, upon
whom she had never set eyes, almost
everything she knew and felt and suf-
fered or enjoyed, and receiving expe-
riences and condolences and words OF
comfort in return from said Lucy Loril-
lard. Nothing was too trivial and moth
ing too great for the two to discuss across
the lines between Jones Station and Min
even, which had suddenly sprung into
remarkable activity, and which at one
tune caused Lucy to remark, telegraph
ically, "Our lines have fallen in pleasant
places" while Pearl answered: When
am here at the office, and can rap out
message to you, forget who am and
feel no longer homesick for home that
doesn't exist, and alone in the world
You are in my thoughts, sleeping or
waking. II ii weren't for you, dear Luz
CIV, think my heart would break. No
one can tell how grateful l am for your
friendship"
Lucy: aYou silly puss. grateful to nae,
ICItlsc SlCdt hioit hh"'-
Igive. am so happy that you think OF
me sometimes Keep thinking. To live
in your thoughts is kind of immortal
ity."
"Comel who's silly now? Anybody
would think we were lovers"
Lucy So we are, aren't we? l won
der if we should know each other If we
were to meet by accident"
ct nbz.,l1 l. naxxy ana, ~ 1n,4rsa-aess If
wouldn't. You've got great dark liquid
eyes. such as poets rave over, with dark
curling lashes, and Pickering color on
your cheek, and thick waves of light
brown hair; you're tall and slender,
and have fatal dimple in your chin.
fherew
You've omitted my principal feature
otherwise you fiatter my poor face and
figure
Oh, an aquiline nose; and, let me
add, you are fond of perfumes and jew
els"
6 am fond of one Pearl, certainly
Now IT Is your turn TO portray"
Lucy We'll, your eyes are large and
blue, like forget-me nots.n
"Aunt Hidden says they're like burned
holes in blanket. Don't deceive your
SELF
Your nose is Grecian.p
at has earned me the name Of Pug al
home, however not willing To contra
dict such Daniel as yourself"
"Your complexion is like the lily"
"Pad, by your leave
aYour hair is skein Of yellcw floss
Pardon me; they call it unmitigatee
red at Jones Station; but no doubt they
are color blind"
Sometimes they conyersed in this move
manner about the books they had read
and the journeys they would take wher