The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-05-28
MY FIRST LOVE-LETTER.

When was about fourteen years
old, fell violently in love with a wild
ow who had little farm. a large mole
on her chin and nine small children.
1t was not case of mild, inoffensive
affection, but regular, zygmotic, ma
| fgnant attack that doubled me right
up into hard double-knot and threat
ened my existence. She was about
thirty-nine years old, and her husband
had been killed in the army, and every
body else spoke well of her and pitied
her, SO l spoke well of her and pitied
her, too, and when she told some of
my numerous sisters that | was one of
the sweetest boys in the neighborhood,
that settled it with me. | thenceforth
looked upon her as my own darling
prospect of happy future beyond the
grave.
cannot now remember that she ever
exhibited any more affection for me
than she showed in her conduct toward
my sisters, but she had said that | was
the sweetest boy in the neighborhood,
and in my feverish state of mind, |
could not help feeling that there was
wealth OF ardent love done up in that
little bunch of words. At Sunday
school ON the following Sabbath. she
looked across towards me while | was
mentally praying for her, and smiled.
In that smile, l saw wealth, fame, love.
honor. and large family, but l had
not acquired sufficient experience to
convince me that smile of such di-
mensions was too much for me. 1t
warmed me like q base-burner, and
when the services had reached an end,
plucked up courage enough to ask
her if might 60 home with her. Joy,
joy, joy! She consented, looking so
smiling and pleasant that felt that if
l were to climb two rungs higher on
the ladder of happiness, l would be
able to look right over the wall into
the joyous realm where the man whose
shoes L wished to. wear, was basking in
the glorious sunlight among the an
gels.
now remember that she looked at
her children as if she felt pleased to
know that was willing to play with
them when | asked her if | might 90
home with her, but l was blind with
love, then, and thought she was glad
to have me in her own sweet company.
When we reached her humble cottage,
she told me could go out in the orch
ard with the other children and gather
all the apples could eat How happy
/ wasi And when her babes looked
upon me as shook down the ripe fruit,
how strangely excellent | felt, as l
thought of the blessed future, when
they would call me papa, and / would
reciprocate by gently taking the largest
ones by the collar and lamming the
everlasting hills with them until they
would humbly bow down their heads
in my presence and yield me good
obedience.
ate a great many apples. l am
afraid ] ate more than were good for
me. and was not sufficiently careful to
select well ripened fruit.
By five o'clock, was sufficiently re-
covered to go home. When there my
paroxysms of devotion to the widow
became more violent, and determined
to delay no longer, lest some braver
mani looked upon myself as a man,
l would have it understood-should
capture the inestimable prize. | got
hold of apiece of paper and short pen
ell, and, going to the barn, where the
eyes of a cold and heartless world
would not be upon me, | wrote the fol-
lowing touching appeal:
OMEGA, MARION Co.. Ill, Mch., IS.
Dear MiSSus Q don't want to give her
away, as she is now respectable old grand
mother SO I will fic ate little on the
name), McGruder. want You TOO marcy
NEE when am Man. loY. you awefull
Bad, and you now Ii.
'EThe Rose is Red the vyolicks blew,
Handy is sweat and So air yew."
"Shure's the Moss grows Round the stump,
Iew air Ny Sweetest Snuggar lump"
i am awefull lovemgly yewers,
From feelings of modesty, l suppress
my own name, also. l never was
noted for wishing to intrude my name
upon the public after anything had
been stolen or some other meanness
had been done and people were trying
TO find who did it. Her reply, which
my mother received and read in my
absence, crushed out the last faint
spark of hope in my soul and resulted
in my being ignominiously spanked. 1t
read:
Dear boy: 1 have all the children L
know how to support. If your folks won't
let you stay at home, apply to founding
asylum. Truly yours,
'AiRs. MCGRUDER''
Through Mail.