The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1878-01-31
NJ FIRST AFFINITY.

NJ FIRST AFFINITY.
A newsboy had just gone by the win.
dow, transfixing me with that vindictive
shrek all newsboys feel themselves call
ed upon to give whenever they approach
me. 1t would be q relief to me to gag
the youth, until he leaves our street,
anyway, but to come to think of it, rather
guess l will let him 90 for the sake OF
the old memories his coming has called
into life.
don't think 1 ever wss intended for q
phllanthropist. l couldn't be second
Miss Dix and become q general slower oil
men"-one's quite enough Of that spe
cies TO love at once-and it's q dose,
even at that, though must say l rather
admire the sex at an awe-struck dis
lance and in particular, l admire FIRE.
men, sailors and newsboys-dariing fel
lows. Haven't l sat at the window
straining my eyes to look after sailors
going past, rocking from side to side
like ship in o swell, and stopping nov
and then to give their what-do-you-call.
ems hoist, or transfer their quid OF
tobacco to the other cheek, or relieve
their minds by swearing little. can,
tell whether the liking in all cases was
mutual, as never knew any sailors to
speak to-but don't mean to die and be
SO. Then the firemen don't now any.
thing l like better than standing at q
safe distance and watching . fire-sup.
posing nobody care about lives in the
house-and seeing the 6remen scran.
bling up ladders like seats newly shod,
darling here and there and every " here,
like 80 many blazing ekyrockets, pitch.
ing looking glasses and crockery and bA.
bies out of the windows on the heads OF
society generally, and carrying feather
beds and young ladies from upper
rooms carefully down stairs. All the
extent to which 1 approve Of them to be
sure.
But newsboys are the class particu-
larly wherein nv heart delights, though
their terrific howls do sometime drive
me to the verge of madness. l am cer-
tain that, if l had the good fortune to
have been born lord OF creation, l
should have teen one to day myself. As
l hadn't, and rs nature proved herself
an ignoramus BY making girl of me,
did the best couli, and admired and
envied them at distance, until l was
nine years of age, and then went and
fell desperately In love with one of
them.
And that reminds me that this is what
1 intended telling you about in the b.
ginning, when tho little urchin with the
papers and slightly -sOiIed face and ap-
palling lungs brought it to my memory.
Alb! that enchanting newsboy. with
whom l was SO deeply smi,ten! sup
pose he has sported tall coat and
polled his maiden vote before this, and
wouldn't know the little girl he used to
snub SO remorsely every morning but
am certain she will know him il she ever
sees him again. You see, It's not so easy
forgetting the one on whom you set your
hearts best affections, and all that sor,
of thing, especially ifyou have attained
the mature and serious ago Of nine years
old.
Tho way 1t happened was, that every
morning on my way to school used to
meet tall, well-grown, bright-looking
lad, who used to carry bundle of pa
pers under his arm, and march along
with jaunty, independent swagger,
and yell out to the public at large, In a
way that would have appalled, Shaw
nee Indian. Carrying ono paper in his
hand, he used to flourish it in the very
eyes of every passer-by, shrieking out
"Bny a paper, sir! Here's the full,
true, and particuiy account of the hor.
rid murder and ass -sass-sy.nation of
Betsey Brown, and the diskivery of the
body in the coal-hole, sbockingly black
ened."
And with last, blood chi lling screcch,
be would pass on, followed by "curaes,
not loud but Deep"
1t is not TO DO supposed that young
and susceptible female like myself could
meet this fascinating youth every day
with impunity; and | soon made tho dis
covery that l was minus u heart, and
that the young gentleman in the ragged
jacket had feloniously distracted the
missing article. ! shouldn't have
minded that much ii was certain that
had his IN return but he had never made
any demonstrations of affection beyond
now and then thrusting his tongue into
his cheek and winking at me as 1 went
past. This rather shocked me at first
until began to think he might be
with bashfulness, and had,
taken this delicate aud unob.
trusive way of making known bis feel
ings; and, o, the tender glances used
to lavish on him after that! hadn't
the pleasure OF his acquaintance, and
was afraid to ask any of the boys | knew
about him lest they should laugh at me
and, moreover, had vague idea that
my parents might not approve Of the in.
timacy. But what are such tri6ing OBJ
stacIes as these in the way of true affec-
ton? was resolved to trample pa
rental tyrrany under foot, and give that
nice youth an opportunity to express
his sentiments on the subject, and not
let conceaIment like the worm in the bud
prey on his damask cheek.
Accordingly, one morning on my way
TO school, seeing him approach, rs usual,
carc suddenly to . dead halt, and,
with beating heart, stood directly in