The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-01-08
MY GHOST.

IN UnUO1s
Aurelia Garford and I loved one an
other passionately SO passionately that
at the age of seventeen we resolved to
marry. Both our parents opposed the
scheme. We had neither of us any
money, and, though thought myself q
Titan, the portraits I daubed were
poor things, even for sign painting. But
We could not wait. We grew desperate.
We determined to run away into the
| wide world.
The wide world /! How narrow it is,
after all A gimlet eight Thousand
miles long would bore hole right
through it. And what is eight thousand
miles :? Less than most people walk in
compared to everything ?" as the editor
down East observed.
| Aurelia's parents lived in Two Hun
ored and Twenty-second street, New
| York. Their house is near the corner
| of Fourth avenue. It is a long way
"up-town." Some say there is no such
street. But that, of course, is nonsense,
because I know Aurelia lived in it.
Many people, no doubt, have started of
in the cars to look for the street and
never found it. It is not easy to find j;
though, as it is the next street to Two
Hundred and Twenty-frst street, it is
|
the street like book. There was only
one house in it, and that was only half
built, owing to ths owners want of
funds. need not add that that was
the house of Aurelia's parents.
There was large garden to the
house. People can afford space for
gardens up in Two Hundred and Twen-
| ty-second street. It was a very nice
garden. Only one thing grew in it, and
/ L. 50 E174 &r,
walk on. Trees are very well for climb
ing, and timber is useful for building.
Fruit is capital thing, if you want to
eat, and flowers are very pretty, if you
/ care to look at them. But Aurelia and
| I only wanted to walk about with our
arms round one another's waists and
we preferred grass to trees. and we did
not want to climb like squirrels or build
like carpenters. We valued grass even
more highly than Gowers, because we
preferred sitting down upon it and
looking into one another's eyes to
gazing at all the roses and magnolias in
creation. And as tor fruit, we scorned
to think of earthly peaches or apricots,
when our lips could be SO much more
sweetly occupied in exchanging celestial
kisses-kisses of which no amount could
possibly give US surfeit.
It is my deliberate conviction that
the garden of Eden was grass-grown
bit of land, with a good high fence
round it to cast shade in hot weather.
The rest was love, which makes para
disc of any place.
We resolved to run away. And we
did. We met met one afternoon behind
the wall of the grass-grown garden, and
made for the cars. AS we went along,
summed up the items of my happiness,
drew a line, and calculated the total,
The items were:
l. An angelic disposition.
2. The softest black eyes in the world
silken tresses to match.
3. A complexion pure as the white
ness of pearl.
4. A mouth which beat all the Greek
statues to fits.
5. A neck and shoulders of human,
though quite equal to vegetable, ivory.
6. A slender. graceful figure that
would have destroyed st. Anthony s
saintship to dead certainty, and sc
much the better for him If it had tempt.
ed him.
z. Love for a certain individual. car.
ried to the confines of hero worship.
Total: Aurelia Garford.
I was in a state of tremendous exhil-
aration. Ny soul cut capers and threw
up its hat inside my breast; at least sc
I conjectured from the thumps I fell
against the walls of that portion Of nv
= body. Aurelia and I took one long.
drawn, champagnish sort of kiss Just
before We turned the corner of that, tc
many, apocryphal Two Hundred and
Twenty-second street, ard in another
minute we were at the railroad station.
So was old Garford.
He had come home two hours before
his time from his Office downtown
where he was supposed to make money
somehow. Not that he ever made any.
His wife had small income of her own,
and that supported the family. Mr.
was allowed to play at business Just t.
keep himself cut of mischief.
"Hollo. young people," he cried
jovially; "taking q walk, hey? Wher,
are You off to J? and what does my prett,
Aurelia carry in that confoundedly bulg1
basket there p"
go, papa r' cried Aurelia, whose
self-possession was upset by the suddel
renco'atre, and the dear girl burst int<
passionate food of tears tears of dis
appointment and vexation, I conscienti
ously believe.
! !" Hollo! what's this, what's this
young gentleman ?' said old Garford
sternly, smelling rat for the frs
time.
Why, sir, said I, perhaps stupidity
, impelled by an irresistible impulse
! " if you had not met us SO unlucklly
We should have run awsy and got mar
ried."
Hum! !" said old Garford, lookin,
at me fxedly; So is there any particula
reason for your getting married in sucl
, q hurry?"
: eyes. sir, said I.
: g And pray what is it ?" said old Gar
: ford, severely.
1--WE love one another" said I, look
! ing him boldly in the face.
"Oh, ls that all Very well. Yo,
need not run away I have not the leas
? objection to your being married"
. IS But, sir"
: Stop moment. Ihave great oh
lection to your marrying without an,
thing to live on. Much as I was al
!. tached to Mrs. Garford, sir, shoul.
never have dreamed of marrying he
unless we had had between us suffcian
, to support respectable establishment
! sir. %
, :" But, sir"
,, But, sir" resumed MIR. Garford
/ who 0yidanklv &11ok a r,1ooa,,~a -, ,,1a-,