The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1886-05-28
X. LAMITY,S KOURTSHIP.
He Busts Into Poetry and Busts a
Horn Button.
Lampasas Dlspatch-Eagle.


childhood,
When my double geared memory repre-
sents them to view;
The big field or cotton where often in
wild mood
I've pranced round the spot where the
green melons grew,
Then quickly I'd seize one with hands
that were glowing,
And gave it a vigorous blow with my
fist,
And then all the evening painting and
blowing,
With an agonized case OF the collie I'd
twist.
The green melon collie, the cucumber collie,
the old fashioned collie that comes
in twist.
| often think of childhood days,
and wonder how ever lived over
them. | am aware that the poets
all sing about the joys of childhood,
but l could never see where any
great wads OF JOY came in. Of
course few rays OF sunshine would
break III upon my cloudy way, in
the shape OF u stick of barber pole
candy, or tin can attached to the
continuation OF an energetic canine,
but those bright spots ouly came
often enough to make life unendur.
able, not happy. What are the
pleasures of childhood9 Is it a
pleasure to be an infant and be
logged out in dresses as long as a
well rope, and have to live OH sooth-
ing syrup, paregOlic and mutton
teal Is it joy to cut a mOuthtul OF
teeth, aud get spanked every time
YOU open your lips. Is there any
large amount OF ectaSy i'll being
pinned up into triangular buadle
and have a stout negro girl tU jolt
the fur flOm you every time you
wbimper 7 Not much | trow.
There are several other things |
could trow if wanted to. When /
was child | had fearf | time
compared with the juvenile OF
to-day. | didn't have red boots and
knee breeches, but dressed very
l think the article of raj
meut | wore was called a "slip,'
though after | got into my "teensr
L honored it by calling it Shirt
1 see them heavily advertised now
in all the ladies fashion magazines,
but under an assumed name. Ar.
these ''Slips" were
itself. They were manu-
out of any kind of cloth,
aud were very easily built. To be
candid, | never admired them,
though they we're very stylish when
| was young, They were not a
glowing success as Il winter gar
ment for public gatherings, but
seemed specially adapted to soil
tude and summer. | used to observe
that whenever | got into a crowd,
there was an absolute certainty of
getting my garment hitched over
some fellows walking stick. That
used to make me mad. AS | grew
older, the slips were made longer,
until at thirteen | used to be CON-
pelled to hold them up like a mod
arn ball dress. Lots of JOY in that
wasn't thereG
The only ornaments that relieved
these primitive articles of dress
were a solitary halt inch horn but
ton situated at the throat, and sew
eral greasy srOts on the front. l
to an accident OH account
of that hOrn button, and after that
date always had its place supplied
with strong buckskin string.
1t happened thus: | had fallen
in love with pretty girl whose
parents lived near my fathers
house. was eleven years old,
while ten bright summers had lett
their light in her merry blue eyes,
aud dreuched her hair with sun
shine. l loved that girl with all
my fervent nature. l was hers and
hers alone, from the top OF my head
10 the bottom of my raiment aud l
had reasons to believe that she
returned my affections. One OF the
most conclusive evidences l had OF
her regard for me was the fact she
couldn't look at me without almost
bursting with laughter. AT last |
grew desperate and determined to
declare my love. 1t was a lovely !
.lay ia the tail end of August that 1 |
went to her pas back yard fence |
and whistled the long meter dOxOl- |
Dgy, which had been selected by us
rs a signal, and my heart bumped |
mp against my solitary button as l
saw my sweetheart don her bOnuet /
and speed out to meet her Romeo.
Of course the reader will under
stand that l use the name of ROmtO |
iguratively, tor L didn't resemble
lim in the least at that time. We
,lasped each others hands and
turned down the road towards the
woods in search of grapes. The
evening was lovely, and We were
happy.
l was loaded clean up to the muz- |
lie With great wads OfdOuble refined |
oy. i'll had been a trifie more |
,tylishly dressed, tny tank of de- /
light would have sloshed over, bat 4
,very time / glanced down at my I
pare feet and reflected on the IN
certainty OF my raiment, my heart /
made an excursion to the bottom OF
ny wardrobe.
A last we found a tree chuck full
II grapes, bat as usual they we're
ray up in The top. The Only hopes