The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1884-03-15
A CAR.DRIVER's ROMANCE.

A CAhsUhlVEhSO 1OMANOEs
How He Won the Heart of an Albany Belle
and Became a Popular Preacher.
MANY wears ago, a freckle-faced, red
haired, round-shouldered Vermont boy,
nineteen years old, was employed as a
driver on horse-car in Albany. Living
not far from the corner of State and
Eagle streets was asixteen-year-old, be-
witching maiden, who was one of his
passengers almost daily. We will call
her Louise Robbins. Tn s driver, whom
we will name Henry Martin, in order to
conceal his identity, though far from pre-
possessing in appearance, had as ten
der a heart under his rough exterior,
and far more genuine manliness than
the majority Of the city swells who pa
raded tate street then just as the dude
does To-Day.
But Miss Louise thought the young
car-driYer the most awkward and un-
couth specimen of man flesh she had
evA set her soft, laughing black eyes
upon, She drew his portrait and pre-
sented it to lady friend, and labeled
it 'FThe Red Rose, or the Horse-C ar
Heater" Many were the jokes she and
her ass ciates perpetrated on poor, in
offensive Henry Martin. and he was not
so stupid as not to know it. Yet, I'M
natural as it may seem, the more she
ridiculed him the fonder he grew of
Miss Louise; for the awkward youth,
while fully realizing the great gulf be-
tween their social stations, could not
help worshiping the ground she trod on
He knew how prepost rous it was for a
car-driver to cherish affect on for the
daughter of so wealthy an Albanian,
yet her image was ever before him,
though he struggled hardto destroy his
mad love. He ascertained her name by
watching the store packages sent TO her
home, and an old diary still in his pos
session shows the name of Louise Rob
bins on every page.
His letters to his widowed mother in
Vermont at that time were filled with
glowing descriptions of dark-eyed
schoolgirl whom he thought the pretti-
est and dearest lady in all the land
and to that mother, the only person in
the world who knew the value of his
noble heart, he told the story of his 81
lent worship of Miss ouise. Sensible
mother that she was, she warned HIM of
his folly, which must end only in bitter
disappointment.
At last there came day when Louise
was his only passenger. With a tenn
pest in his soul and tears streaming down
his face. he stanmered out the declara-
ton that she was an angel, that he
knew he has no right to talk to her SO,
''but oh, Miss Robbins, if you knew
howl love you, you would not blame
me, for / can't help it, Louise did
not scream or get frightened; she only
laughed his face, and said: "You get
back to that horse or he will run away
and kill us both, and don't you dare act
like a fool again. y. y Notwithstanding
Louise was still in her teens she had
listened several times to the fearful en-
treaties of fashionable young and old
men, who not only knew that she was
q fascinating creature, but were surely
aware that she was the only daughter
of very wealthy gentleman. She had
told them all that they were very kind
and she would always be their dear
friend, sister. cousin, or anything but
their wife,, But poor Henry, with his
fiery head, weather-beaten face. big
hands, red and chapped, did not quite
fail in touching tender place in her
heart, and when she had gomez to bed
that night, though she laughed almost
historically when she thought of the
car-driver's ludicrous perfotman
there came the conviction, here is 8
genuine man. the only one of my ad-
mirers who means what he says, and
for the first time she pitied man. Then
she grew angry with him for his audaci
tv. called her father to her and told hin
of the incident, but when the angry
father said he would have him dis
charged and fired out of town the mex
dav she pleaded that he was poor,
simple fellow, and that he did not NEAR
to do anything wrong. But the father
was obdurate, and the following day
Henry was not surprised when he wa:
not only discharged by the company
but was warned to leave the city. TIL,
newspapers stated that the "blear-eyed
red-headed ruIiian, Henry Ma tin, hat
made indecent proposals to an unpro
hcted Young passenger in horse-car
and that he deserved to be lynched.
40 night he crept near the abode o
louise, that he might possibly have on
nore glimpse OF her, when policeman
ested him as suspicious character
nd he was taken to the lookup. Will
ERE messenger brought tiny envel
be containing little bunch of flowers
rget-m me nots, and half sheet of pa
ii, on which were these words: q
low you meant no harm. don
ye you aud l don't love any man
base go away and not come back fo
years l. R."