Middletown transcript., 1878-03-16
Srlett gtorp.
THE FIRST LOVE LETTER
BY GRACE GREENWOOD.

Have | ever told you, Nell, Of my
first love letter? | presume not. 1t
is a story I have not been very fond Of
telling. But years bring to me, if not
philosophy, comfortable sense Of the
comical in regard to all early illusions
and disillusions.
The moment Of opening and reading
the first love letter is a thrilling, an
august point of time, in which all the
spring-tides Of passionate young life
seem to meet in a swift, dizzying whirl
Of emotion. If from the right man,
what triumphant joy! If from suitor
one cannot smile on, what sweet pain
But you know all about it, dear.
1 was very young when | received
my first love-letter-indeed, not per-
manently out of short frocks and the
bread-and-butter age.
Having lived the great portion Of
my life in the country; the companion
Of my brothers, was desperate romp
and gypsy, delighting to roam the
fields and woods, preferring the fish
ing-rod to the needle, and even the
stable to the parlor. AS yet, a fine
horse was the rival of all mankind in
my young affections. Still | had
read Scott, Edgeworth, Hemans, and
l.. T. T., with IN occasional occasional stteal h J
dip into Byron, and had my own fool
ish little romantic dreams Of my hero
my fairy prince, who was to come il
loves good time.
used to dream Of him, as sat like
little Ellie, among the alders, with my
feet in the brook, or as rode alone il
the woods. l thought little of his ped
igree, but | resolved that he mus
have patrician Greek profile, dark
blue eyes, and black, curling hair
coming down on his lofty brow in {
Byron peak. l made no account o
houses or lands in loves Arcadia; bu
my hero must possess a fine horse
The "steed of steeds' was sine qua
non
Our removal from country to tow
was an absolute sorrow to me, with my
nature-loving heart, and wild, fre'
habits. l hated the busy monotony
the thronged loneliness, the dull whir
Of city life. l could only console my
self with occasional flights back to m.
old rural haunts. From the longest
roughest tramps l returned refreshed
prepared to endure what l could no
cure.
81 "came out prematurely an,
temporarily when | was scarcely fiji
teen, on the occasion Of a large wed
ding party wore long dress an,
white kid gloves for the first time
Ny hair was curled. Oh, the tortur
Of night and the hideousness Of a da
in curl-papers! wore natural flow
ers and carried a huge bouquet.
Distressingly difficult, not to sa
awkward, 1 early in the evening retire
to a deep window seat, where | re
mained watching the merry groups 0
wedding guests, and listening to thei
chatter, with childish wonder and de
Tight.
Among the gayest of the gay was
certain fair young lady, whom | ha'
known for some time as my double
Not that she was in the least like me
She was a blonde-very much blond
while ! was very brunette. Sh
was distinguished for sumptuousnes
of attire; and dress was not then, an
more than it is now, my besetting sir
or peculiar virtue, whichever you in
cline to call it. But oddly enough
this fair lady bore my name precisely
surname and baptismal. l used t
think the circumstance annoyed hel
almost as though I had stolen the fast
ion Of her Persian bonnet, or the pa
tern of her costly embroidered shaw
Aside from the name. there was littl
in common between us, certainly n
love. At this party she quite Outshor