Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1889-03-04
MY First Love.

fancy L hear somebody saying, as IN
or she turns the leaf and reads tn,
heading of my idyl. Old, | gran
YOU, sir or madam, but worn out
never. Do you say as you meet the
hundredth face in a crowd, "What al
old, worn-out pattern % No, for, tho
the faces possess the same features
those features individually and theil
arrangement are ever varied, even
to the millionth face. SO it is with
the story of ''AIy First Love"-there
are features in 1t which you will
doubtless recognize as having part of
your day dream, gentle reader, but
as YOU turn the last leaf of the mar
rative / believe you will feel with me,
that none save this old, pure, sweet
phrase has any right to head these
lines.
am an Englishman, brought up
in all the traditions of an old Tory
family by dear MOTHERHOOD rest
her soul-of whom her feiends used
to say: ssAhl but she is of the old
school, Very stiff and ceremonious,
very punctilious and very polite, but
every action fraught with an old
world purity and courtesy that made
one think of the pictures of Sir God
FREY and of the perfumes of dried
lavender. Man, said Herbert Spen-
Ger, is formed by his environment,
and my environment was my mother,
a woman of the world, mark you,
ara bouts DIES OngleS. You must not
imagine that l was brought up to a
mans estate in ignorance Of the foul
gases of the valley and marsh while
breathing the pure air of the noun
tain top. The only effect visible OF
the tender influences which guarded
my life till was twenty-four, was
certain reserve of manner, land more
than ordinary ssEngIish'' horror of
anything approaching to "bad form.
tell you all this to show you once
more how love laughs at prejudices
and calmly ignores preconceived
ideas.
NV mother died with the tulips of
1886, and some of the fellows at the
club persuaded me to come to Ameri-
ca, and furthermore, with view to
thorough distraction of my tho'ts,
prevailed upon me to give series
of readings in the states, of my own
and other verses. | have coquetted
little with the muse, and, as would
be the case with most young poets
or rather rhymsters-th thought of
presenting my work 0tcd Voce to
the people of the United States caus-
ed strange thrill of delight. COM
municated, therefore, with Map
Pond, and in the early autumn of
1S-I sailed for the states and COM
menced tour which, am happy to
say, was not unsuccessful.
The following June found me in
Denver, Col, and 1 put up at the
Grand Canon Hotel for a week, dnr
ing which time l gave a couple of
readings and rested amid the gorgeous
scenery of the state. The third day
after my arrival / had come down as
usual to take my matutinal coffee in
the public dining-room, land was hard
ly seated when lady, whom candor
compels me to describe as an sold
lady," came into the room, accompa-
MED by a young girl. They took
their seats exactly opposite me. A
A young girl, did 1 say? Nay, she
was hardly more than a child, seven
teen or eighteen maybe, and her face
traced itself upon my soul in a man
ner which is ineffacable. 1t was a
round face, with just slight square
ness of jaw which promised to give
to it wonderful strength of person
atty as years went on; her coloring
was perfect, family flushed with the
dawn of womanhood, with white tenn
piles and throat, and high, pale fore
head, The whole framed in a careless
torrent of hair like to liquid gold. A
pair of great wandering. but withal
fearless, blue eyes; finely nodded
nose, just the least bit tip tilted, and
a mouth like those of the cherubs in
RaphaePs "Medonna" in the Sistine
Chapel. She was little girl, and
her figure was just taking unto itself
the sweet sinuous curves of woman
hood. which showed themselves as
she moved to her seat with all the
untaught, unconscious grace of per-
feet health and development. Oul
eyes met as she sat down. She look.
ed at me with full, frank gaze, il
which there was an underlined some
thing of half-recognition-she haC
evidently known some one who re-
sembled me-and then, having salts
fed herself of my non-identity, she
turned her attention to the older lady
and their respective breakfasts.
moment afterward | rose and lief
the room.
During the next two or three day.
we met periodically, in the dining
room, in the corridors, in the elevat
or, or on the streets of Denver, ant
we always threw one another in pass
ing that glance which, though APP
parently absolutely expressionless
seems TO say, eff we knew one an
other we should be friends" Hav
you not seen people in the streets, i
the theaters, in bathrooms, concern
HON e.,