The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1885-12-17
Old-Fashioned Courtshins.

There is a beautiful old fashioned
wooing recorded in the journal of
Elizabeth Woodville previous to her
marriage with Lord Grey. This lady
afterward became the Queen of Edward
IN, and died in 1886. She describes q
certain blissful Monday on which she
first became acquainted with lord
Grey. The lady rose at in the morn
ing and helped Catherine, the dairy
maid, to milk the COWS. Then sho
made poultice for Rachael, another
dairymaid, and gave Robin penny to
get pill from the apothecsry. At 6
O'Clock she breakfasted on a bullock
of beef and beer, "a little of the
stalest.' At z o'clock she rode
matter of six miles on q little pony
without saddle or bride. At 10 O'Clock
she dined, and thus runs the entry in
her diary: "Went to dinuer.. John
Grey, almost comely youth-but what
is that to me? A virtuous maiden
should always be under the direction of
her parents. John Grey ate but little
and stole great many tender looks at
me. John Grey likes white teeth; my
teeth are of a pretty good color, 1
think, and my hair is as black as jet,
though l say it, and John, i'll mistake
not is of the same opinion At II
o'clock she walked in the fields with
the company. John Grey lifted her
over every stile, and ''twice squeezed
my hand with great vehemence." At 81
in the afternoon farmers house was
burned down; John Grey proposed a
subscription On the spot, and gave "a
himself. ''Never saw him look so
comely as al that moment" says the
lady in hereditary. Four o'clock saw
her at prayers, and Immediately after
wards she fed the hogs and poultry.
At z o'clock she supped on baked
goose-pie and pork, ''roasted to rags"
Ats she was in bed, and, having a
good digestion, she drcamt about
her lover instead of demons,
which, according to Fuseli, generally
visit the slumbers of the individual
who INDUCES in supper of pork. But
how quaint. peaceful, and pastoral is the
last entry, dealing with this eventful
day in the Journal. mime o'clock.
The company fast asleep. These late
hours very disagreeable. Said my
prayers second time, John Grey hay
ing distracted my thoughts too much
the first time. Fell asleep and dream
ed of John Grey" But little did she
dream in those quiet days of the
troublous life which was before her;
how she would become Queen of Eng
land. and die at last in confinement at
Southwark.
In direct contrast to this idyllic little
glimpse of an old-fashioned wooing let
us take the case of celebrated man
who made love upon fiddle. We al
Jude to that gaunt and grotesque, and
wonderful genius Paganini He was
in love with one of the ladies of the
court of the Grand Duchess of Tuscany
so he gave out that he would depict
upon his violin ''Scene Amoureusc."
When he appeared before his noble
audience they were overcome with de-
light. He performed on two. strings
only, the treble string being supposed
to be the lady, while the fourth string
represented the gentleman. The ccle-
brated vio]inist enchanted everybody
so much that the Grand Duchess re-
quested him to try one string alone
next time. How he succeeded in that
exploit and retained ever afterwards q
partially for the fourth string is mat
ter of musical history and fame. But
although the musician made love so
excellently upon his violin. we are left
in doubt as to whether he succeeded in
his suit. At any rate he did not live
happily ever afterwards, for the rest of
bis days were full of trouble and ILL
health.