The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1878-07-12
Selerf Story.
MY FIRST LOVE LETTER.
by GRACE GREENWOOD.

Have ever told you, Nell, of my first
love letter9 l presume not. 1t is a
story l have not been very fond of tell
ing. But years bring to me, if not phi
losophy, a comfortable sense of the COM
ical in regard to all early illusions and
dis-illusions
The moment of opening and reading
the first love letter is a thrilling and
august point of time, in which all the
spring tides Of a passionate young life
seem 10 meet in swift, dazzling whirl
of emotion. If from the right man,
what triumphant joy If from suitor
one cannot smile on, what sweet painl
But you know all about it dear.
was very young when received
my first love letter-indeed, not perma-
nently out of short frocks and the bread
and butter age.
Having lived the greater 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 fishing 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 affec-
tions. Still had read Scott ,Edgeworth,
Hemans and L E L, with an occasional
ly stealthy dip into Byron, and had my
own foolish little romantic dreams of
my hero, my fairy prince, who was to
come in Loves good time.
l used to dream of him, as sat like
little Ellie, among the alders, with my
feet in the brook, or as rode alone in
the woods. thought little of his pedi~
gree, but | resolved that he must have
patrician Greek profile, dark blue
eyes, and black, curling hair, coming
down on his lofty brow in Byron
peak. | made no account of houses or
lands in Loves Arcadia but my hero
must possess fine horse. The "steed
of steeds" was sine qua non.
| Our removal from country to town
was an absolute sorrow to me, with my
nature loving heart, ard wild, free hab
Its. l hated the busy monotony, the
thronged loneliness, the dull whirl of
city life. | could only console myself
with occasional flights back into my
old rural haunts. From the longest,
roughest tramps l returned refreshed,
prepared to endure what l could not
cure.
"came out' prematurely and tenn
porarily when l was scarcely fifteen, on
the occasion of large wedding party.
/ wore long dress and white kid gloves
for the first time. My hair was curled.
Oh, the torture Of night and the hid
eousness ofa day in curl papers, Iwore
natural flowers and carried huge
boquet.
Distressingly diffident, not to say awk
. ward, early in the evening retired to a
deep window seat, where | remained
watching the merry groups of wedding
guests, and listening to their easy chat
ter, with childish wonder and delight.
Among the gayest of the gay was a
certain fair young lady, whom l had
known for some time as my double.
, Not that she was in the least like me.
She was blonde-very much blonde
, while l was very brunette. She was
!. distinguished for sumptuousness Of
, attird- and dress was not then any more
I - ha-atf,nr o,r
5 peculiar virtue, whichever you incline
to esteem to it. But oddly enough, this
! fair lady bore my name precisely, sur.
: name and baptismal. / used to think
! the circumstance annoyed her, almost
d as though had stolen the fashion other
!. Partisan bonnet, or the pattern of her
costly embroidered shawl. Aside from
the name, there was little in common
, between US, certainly no love. At this
party she quite outshone the bride.
I found it curious to watch her.
"Her lishtness and brightness did shine with
: such splendor."
Which was all very proper. she being
/, rich tallow chsndler's daughter.
But not long did 1 watch my double
:. for, my dear, at the very party saw
;, = him-my ideal hero, my fairy prince
From all that goodly company singled
II him out at glance. There were the
dark blue eyes,there wasa Greek profile
5 the black curly hair, the Byron peak
land all.
Imagine the emotions of your friend