The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-12-30
FIRST LOVE.
The First and Truest Love Of EvcryiMan.

O'Clock. and toward midnight only few
OF the most intimate friends OF the fam
ily were assembled in the drawing
room, The handsome Palamede had
given his final opinion on the most note
worthy toilets of the evening; Rene
had talked about the last duel Edmond
of the last steeple-ehase the last soci-
ETY. scandal had been discussed with the
usual kindness and charitableness, and
for the first time during the evening the
conversation began to lag.
The countess turned to her neighbor
CASTOR. .-=.
"You are to-day more noisy than
usual" she said; "for the last half
hour you have been asleep with open
eyes,"
The gentleman whom she addressed
was sitting on low chair, and bad
been deeply interested In conversation
with the fire in the chimney. He turned
slowly round, and said:
81 have been thinking Of my first
love-"
s'Gratitude honors the receiver and
the giver," replied the countess. 'Tell
us the story of your first love. which
makes you SO thoughtful even to-day"
CASTOR rubbed his long, thin hands,
and began as follows;
"When / speak of my first love I do
time / suffered delightful pain and anx-
ious Joys. But when / think Of 1t now,
it seems to be somebody else's and not
my own story. l was about twelve years
old. She was the sister of my friend
Jacques. / saw her for the first time in
the playground Of our school, where she
came one day with her mother to pay
visit to her brother. It was in the win
tor, the ground was covered with snow,
and q furious battle was raging between
two parties that had been formed
that first saw her at the entrance Of
the playground hard-frozen SNOWFALL
struck me such q violent blow on my
forehead that | lost consciousness and
fell down. When | regained my senses
[ was lying on o sofa in the janitor's
lodge, and the two ladies, the mother
and sister Of my friend, were standing
by my side and anxiously looking into
my face.
uuire after my health, and on the fol-
lowing Sunday l went with Jacques to
visit them at their house. / did not
dare to speak word, not even to look
at her, but would have been willing to
rush through fire and water to attract
once more the anxious, kind look Of the
beautiful girl. On my way to the school
in the evening / invented wonderful
deeds Of daring / would perform, and
which would astonish her and excite
her admiration. L did not expect to or
ask for more. The unconscious dawn
ing Of love in the youthful heart be- |
longs, with all it's characteristics. to
childhood alone. The young heart is |
foolishly eager, easily satisfied, and ex-
ceedingly selfish and vain. 1t is not |
yet capable of loving, but 1t longs to be
loved, to be admired; it does not aim at |
making others happy; the only happi-
ness 1t knows is a delightful trouble
the only desire, to receive love without
giving it. In later years one gives
without receiving, and that is not very
Is for the best in this world-where
there are people that find pleasure
only in giving, and others who
are only happy in receiving.
But what blissful brief period
is that when one gives and receives,
when one loves and is loved again
have known that time; but she, who
made me SO unspeakably happy, has
now forsaken me. How beautiful was
blue the sky, how balmy the air
Hand in hand we fastened from place
to place, and where we went Joy smiled
to greet us and pleasure babe us to stay.
We went on, singing, laughing, rejoic-
ing, sure OF our happiness everywhere.
Sometimes our exuberant Joy would as
tonish more cautious people. But their
severe look would soften when their :
eyes had rested upon US for a moment. :
They are young, let them enjoy them
selves, said the old people, and with a !
chung so lovingly to my arm, she pressed
herself so fondly to my side, that /
thought / could never, never lose her.
The idea Of a possible change never
came to me, never darkened one mo-
ment's happiness. Weeks, months, {
years passed by-we were not aware 4
IL it. 6
zone evening, after we had spent the t
lay more cheerfully and happily than Il
old and downhearted. A terrible fear s
,vercame mean icy shudder seized Il
lold of me. She will leave me- l said t
o myself; surely, surely, she will leave t
net Then / remembered how little | Ii
eally had cared for her, how I had a
ried her faithfulness and devotion too s.
much. For the first time felt my con- Il
idence shaken, and anxiously l sought t
Ter eyes. But her look gave me no re- Il
ponse; her eyes turned away from me. &
Ny rest was gone, my life was changed. Il
olO Wouiu 6tdiu PiC5S LlC " "
Ter bosom with wild passion, but the a
weetness of her kisses were lost. Often
he pushed me unkindly away, and to
ny nameless grief saw that my love
her. One evening, when 1
anne home at late hour, found the
DOM dark, cold and deserted; she, my y
oy, my love, my light, my all had left q
lel -
"Now there began miserable life for n
le. The loss I had suffered gnawed at " ~
~ heart, but I took care to hide it be- &c
IRE the world. tried to show happy, ~
,yful face; 1 sought the society Of y
Dung, cheerful people; l spent more " "
are upon my dress than had ever done ., ..
efore. My enemies even said that [ ~
led to hide the palor of my cheeks by o. a.,
.tificial means. This is not true; but 90
must confess that 1 used great many g
fferent tinctures and washes to prevent ~
aldness and gray hair. But this farce
q not last long. I grew tired Of this
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