The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-12-02
A SWEET, WILD ROSE.

" AAA yOu cuS1S6O W MISS bTOOKQeIO,' -
said Ned Chester to his life long chum,
Hal Elmendort, ssfor when I went abroad
you were most emphatically denouncing
the heartlessness, and sel6shness and ex-
travagance and few other amiable
charac teristics of thefgirls, and seemed
sincere In your determination to remain
bachelor. And your letters have given
no hint of change in your sentiments.
Quite the contrary. Your last, bye the
bye, was most perplexing. In it you
suddenly jumped from the Clauson mine
to a sweet wild rose,' of whom you had
previously told me nothing. If I re-
member Alright, the sentence introducing
her read thus: And the dividends this
year are much larger than this sweet,wild
rose that have found in his lonely place.
and am almost persuaded to Ecourt and
marry, after the manner OF Tennyson's
landscape painter"
Elmendorf threw away his cigarette,
looked thoughttully into space moment,
and asked, "Should you like to hear ali
about it, old tellow?'
"Of course, ]. should" replied Chester.
"Lives there man with soul so dead.
who never to himself hath said. Il take
no interest in sweet, wild roses?.;''
"As you remarked a few moments
ago." began Elmendorf, ..just as you
crossed 'the briny' I became disguised
with fashionable young ladies in general,
and, as you did not remark, for fear of
hurting my feelings, with Eud1o Brook
tielG in particular. It was rather hard
on romantic young fellow. who was
awful spoony on girl, to be told by that
girl that his fortune considerably en-.
chanted his attractions in her eyes, and
that for her part she thought love in
cottage, on less than SIS 1000 year, must
be the dreariest of exlstences.S We quar-
relied as you know, and parted. I, filled
with scorn of managing mammas and
fortune hunting daughters, donned blue
flannel suit and coarse broad brimmed
hat, and carrying with me small valise,
started for anywhere-anywhere out of
the world.
'sAt noon of my second days travel the
train stopped at a quiet, tree embowered
station, and following the impulse of the
moment jumped of, struck into lone
ly, shady road, resolving to keep on, on
loot, till fate should say, thus far and no
farther
II would not be married for my for.
tune. I would be loved for myself, or
not at all. And growing stronger in reso-
luton at every step, I suddenly found
myself in front Of small gray cottage.
On the porch of this cottage sat a
middle-aged woman, sewing. To her l
advanced and humbly preferred request
for drink of water, and she, rising with
hospitaole quickness, babe me take the
seat she lett while she went to the we'll.
She returned with glass of water and a
glass of milk. Taking them both-not
at once, of course, but during the CONVEX
sation about the weather that ensued-
I rose to depart, when the prettlest girl
ever beheld came tripping up the garden
path with pail of water III each hand.
"A sweet, wild rose,' 1 said to myself,
and sat down again. convinced by a sin.
gle glance at that lovely face that this
cottage was fate's mo farther
Accordingly tolu mine hostess that
I was a poor story writer-you will ad-
nit that this was no lie, for all the edi-
tors to whom I have submitted my man.
uscrlpts have said the very same thing
with book to finish, and begged her
to let me stay there few weeks, promls-
ing to make her as little trouble as pos
slble. sWeli, don't see nothin' agin it
if father and daughter DON'T she said, so
away she went, and from the murmur of
voices in the hall, knew the matter was
being discussed 10y the family. liz a few
minutes shreN d. looking old man ap-
peared, looked at me sharply, and asked
brusquely: kin you ford to pay 81
wcek9'' told him that I thought SO. and
he seized my valise and carried it Into
the cottage, I following. Ned, old chap,
it was a lovely spot and no mistake. Ev-
cry morning the birds awakened me with
their songs, and fragrance enough from
the rose-vines foated Into that little attic
room in one day to have perfumed Eudo-
as handkerchiefs for whole year.
''As for Alice-the sweet, wild rose
titul. Large, Innocent, dark blae eyes.
with lashes SO long that they cast shad-
ow on her rounded cheeks; mouth, nose,
chin, ears. hands, feet, simply perfection;
and voice, not as musical as Eudora's,
it is true, but with childish ring and
sweetness; and when she spoke, which
was seldom, it WIS with pretty, modest
hesitancy that made you long to catch
her in your arms and kiss the words
from her full red Inns. l had only seen
her three times when I was madly in
love with her, and thought the PLAIN cal
leo gowns she wore, the prettiest gowns
in the world. Iw o'e you very long
letter, in which, among other things, /
renewed my Eudora experience, ard I
told you of the treasure had found in
the cottage by the woods. And a few
days after posting this letter, asked the
sweet wild rose to be my wife. She rails
ed those glorious, innocent blue eyes to
my face for an instant and then hid them
upon my breast, while she whispered
the shy darling:
"sDon't ask father and mother just
yet, until get used to the thought my
self. 1t seems so very strange
Gland are you sure you love me? And
will you be willing to wear calico gowns
and live IN little cottage all your ifes'
said I.
s'Try me- she replied, with glowing
cheeks and an arch smile.
'''Now am really loved!' said to