The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-11-14
FIRST LOVE.

From Appleton's journal
| have led a very restless life during
the last few years, and | am almost at
home in railroad cars, waiting-rooms,
hotels and restaurants. l read good
deal, and have given up being very
choice in my reading. l have great
respect for English and French novels,
written either by authors unknown to me,
or by those whose style | do not like.
do not dare to open their books even IN
moments of greatest ennul. But with
the exception of these, | take hold of
whatever l can find in the news stands
and book stalls, and look through every
weekly and monthly publication L meet
with in reading rooms. hotels, etc. Thus
it happens that always have fragments
of different stories in my head, and it
sometimes occurs that [ confuse them and
Join the end of one to the beginning of
another.
Some of these patchwork stories | like
as much as the best known novels of cele
brated authors This is a matter of
taste. Sometimes l finish tale, the. be-
ginning of which have read somewhere,
in my own fashion or | put the first
chapters to a second volume which may
have come into my hands. Sometimes l
find it difficult to remember which Is my
own and which is the authors work. In
many cases | forget in the morning, when
| leave city, what | nave read the night
before. But when | like a story, re-
peat it to myself, as | am travelling along,
and [ remember it from time to time as
/ if it were an event which | had expert
enced or invented myself. The following
tale is one of this class. | do not re
member where | have read it for the tirs'
| time. nor do | know whether the story,
! as [ am going to relate it to you, is the
same as | read it. But the idea is not
nv own. | think found 1t in French
magazine. But that must have beer
many years ago for some Parlslar
| friends of mine, who read everything IN
the shape of periodical literature, do no
remember ever having seen it. Shoulc
the author at any time claim 1T as HI
own, [ will with thanks return 1t; here
however, is the story as it has gradually
taken shape in my head; <
"The numerous guests of the Coun
tess de B had begun to retire a
about II o'clock, and toward midnlgh
only few of the most intimate friends
of the family were assembled IN tn
drawing room. The handsome Palamed
had given his final opinion on the mos
noteworthy toilet of the evening; Ken
had talked about the last duel Edmont
of the last steeplechase the last societ,
scandal had been discussed with the usua
kindness and charitableness and for tn
first time during the evening the CONVEX
sation began to lag.
" The Countess turned to her nelgh
Dor CASTOR.
wYou are to-day more noisy tina
usual she said for the last halt hou
YOU have been asleep with open eyes
The gentleman whom she addresse
was sitting on low chair, and had bee
deeplv interested in a conversation Wit
the fire in the chimney. He turned SLOW
ly round, and said:
q heve been thinking OF my mr.
love-"
"Gratitude honors the receiver an
the eiver," replied the Countess. lie
us the story of your first love, whic
makes you so thoughtful even to day
CASTOR rubbed his long, thIn hand
and began as follows
s'When 1 spoke of my first love
not mean the very first, although at Il
time suffered delightful pain and anS
, ous lows. But when think of 1t now
seems to be somebody else's, and not n
3 own. story. I was about twelve yea
8 old she was the sister of my frlel
.Tacaues. saw her for the first time
the playground of our school. where 81
: came one day with her mother to pay
: visit to her brother. 1t was in the WI
ter. the ground was covered with sno'
: and furious battle was raging betwe
two parties that had been formed amor
the boys. In the same moment thai
+. first saw her at the entrance OF the pla
ground a hard frozen snow ball struck
: such a violent blow on my forehead u
lost consciousness, and fell down. VIII
I regained my senses / was lying on
. sofa in the janitor's lodge, and the {
: ladies. the mother and sister of my trler
were standing by my side, and anxious
looking into my face.
1.-The next morning they sent to
o quire after my health, and, on the I
: lowing Sunday, ] went with Jacques
visit them at their. house. l did not o.