Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-04-30
MY SWEETHEART.

When ! first knew her she was fifteen
years old; ! was twenty-four, She was
schoolmaster's daughter |, a school
masters son.
We first met one September evening.
Her father was struggling pedagague,
with family of seven children to sup
port, and few pupils, l had it in my
head to become his partner, and had
gone down first to see how things were
looking.
Her name was Emily. To her friends
she was always EN-.
She and struck up a friendship. She
always did make friends with all male
creatures, whether five years old or fifty.
| was scribbler even then, and fancy
the pride of authorship, even ID so small
& degree, had a certain charm for her,
which set me up in her eyes.
She wrote her name in my birthday
book, and beneath it | wrote, my Lit
tie Sweetheart" 1t lies before me at
this moment.
1t was the hardest thing in the world
for her father and mother to make both
ends meet. Very little money was ever
hers. Her wardrobe wa$ Of the scanti-
est. She knew nOth1ngof pleasure, as
some people understand it. She had
never been ten miles out of the town
where she was born.
Yet there must have been some fairy
present at her birth, for she was like a
summers day-alw avs bright.
Time sped. ] had been her fathers
partner, and had now known her more
than two years. was going for ram
bling expedition TO foreign parts and
though knew | was a fool for my pains,
to me 1t was q bitter parting.
And so for time, think, it was to
her; for in some way, links had been
Joined between us without our ever
knowing they were being forged.
'sWell, ;" said / to her the day before l
went, we being alone together. blue
Eyes, how long shall | be missed"
The only answer was to throw her.
self upon the heartb-rug, place her
hands upon my knee, and turn her eyes
up towards my face.
"Ah! Blue Eyes said l., trihing with
her sunny hair, lyon II have another
sweetheart in weekp
''In week :" said she, in that curi-
ously clear voice of hers. do you
think 50 " She looked up at ME and
watched ME for a moment, then she
turned and got upon her knees, kneel-
ing in front ofme, Perhaps So" she
said, "But"-leaning forward, so that
her breath mingled with mine-"he'd
never be a sweetheart like you"
What could ! do knew her so we'll.
knew that this was just what she
would say to any one by way of comfort.
knew that her words were as trltiles
light as air.
MAKE no VOWS" said |, ''only to be
broken. You and | have had happy
times; why should l begrudge the same
to another ~
She was silent. She was now nearly
eighteen; but she was 80 small that it
never occurred to me to think of her as
anything buta little girl. She put her
hands out and took mine, still in the
same quiet fashion "Would YOU like
me to 7" said she; ''would you like me
toto take another ~
EN-" said |, what does it matter
what like : Before the sun has gone
down upon my going, another day will
have dawned for yOu.' looked at ker.
1t came to me that this was very bitter,
and however great . fool ! might be, l
could not entirely hide what was in my
heart Little Sweetheart" said l. ''of
one thing be SURE never shall forget
you"
She came tome and / kissed her. She
still kept her face near mine. "Bertie,"
said she--it was the first time she had
ever called me BERTHE; it had always
been plain mister before, and the name
rang in my ears-"B BERTHE, I'll not forget
you in o week"