Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1880-04-29
MY Charlie.

My Charlie was the most unromantic and
matter-of-fact fellow that ever existed.
He would read an old almanac any time in
preference to a volume of poems, and when
l told him one day about the trials and suf-
ferings of that dear "Claude Clonett," in
Stringemont's new novel, he coolly asked
me, when | had finished, if &C. c. took
sugar or drank his whisky straight. Oh,
mv what trouble he was to me, and |
really do not know how | ever came to toll
crate him. He wouldn't act one bit like a
hero, and when he said "good bye" at the
gate, after spending the evening with me,
he would walk straight away through the
field whistling Yankee Doodle" and
never turn and kiss his hand to me once.
Then when l tiirted just a little with a
nice fellow to make my Charlie jealous, he
never said one word, and had expected he
would VOW vengeance on the nice fellow,
and threaten to take prussic acid himself.
No, there was no romance in Charlie
Marsh. He drank two cups Of coffee for
breakfast, ate lots of pork and beans for
dinner, and poured down three cups of tea
for supper. His hair was always parted on
the right side of his heads moustache never
graced his lip, and his voice. instead of
being soft and low and sweet, was loud
and coarse like the sound of bass viol.
1t will be proper 10 state, before | 60
any further, that Charlie was my promised
husband; and | think he loved me, al
! though he was unromantic. AS | said
| before, how | came to love him has always
been profound mystery to me, for he was
as different from my ideal as night is from
day; and when he proposed to me, in
place of dropping on his knees and telling
/ me that was the whole world to him and
he could never, never, never exist one mo-
ment without me for his guiding star, he
/ Just turned to me one evening, as we were
sitting together in the parlor, and said, as
! coollv as you please: Isis that's what
he always called me--"you know L have
been head over heels in love with you for
more than two months; won't you be Mrs.
Marsh, and make fellow happy" "
"Head over heels in love" with me !!
what an expression! was really shocked
and never ought to have said yes, but
! | took pity on the poor fellow, because
thought he sincerely loved me, and would
become more sensible in time. | do not
hlnk would have loved him so well if
Pa had not detested him. Pa did not like
him, because it was rumored that his great
grandfather sold peanuts on an old
ferryboat; but | never believed it. Pa at
last forbade him the house; but that made
me all the more anxious to see my Charlie,
and we met under the great maple trees.
He, of course, should have proposed an
elopement but he was too matterof- fact
to ever think of il; aud when l asked him
what we had better do under the circum-
stances, he thought for few moments and
said:
81 think I'll give your father gooc
thrashing when catch him out, and ther
he will think better of me.
"No, Mr. Marsh, " | replied, "you'll dC
no such thing. Just lay your finger on pa
and I'll never speak to you again while
live. "
| said this in such tragic manner tha
poor Charlie could do nothing but stan(
and look at me and whistle.
What shall we do then3" he asked.
"Why if you are too dumb to think,
will tell you," answered, feeling dread
fully provoked at him. "To-night, whel
pale Luna has"
whats that ?" he asked.
"The moou," l returned, impatiently
"and you will oblige me by not interrupt
ng me again. When pale Luna has SUM
to rest behind the horizon, and our cottag
is hushed in silence, come steathily to tn
back yard, and"
THAT confounded dog will get afte
me"
MIR. Marsh," l replied, getting en-
tirely out of patience, ''if you interrup
me once more, will leave you, and retur
to nv home. y eco on, then, Sis," he rt
nlied. "and I'll be as silent as tombstone
Proceed, as Parson Sagby says.
"Well," / continued, "when you reac
the back yard be sure that no one is up
see that the house is shreuded In darknes