News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1890-05-08
NEXT MY HEART.

NEXT MY HEART.
l suppose every man is young and
romantic at some time of his existence.
| know | was. At 90 | was what I
would call an idiot now, and I was idi-
otically in love with Miss Letetia Fay,
who was Ion the stage" and who
played beautiful young damsels of the
most angelic sort, and was always cast
in some part in which she was both
innocent and injured, but always love
ly and beloved. She kept the charact-
er up in real life, too, and came down
to breakfast with her sweet, sad smile
and angelic eyes, and cheered up when
something funny was said and laughed
musically. with the tips of her white
fingers together and her head thrown
back to show her throat, and went
through all her little bits of ''busi-
ness" though besides few old mar
ried couples of the sort that frequent
boarding houses there were only
Moggs and Murphy, from Mr. Fabrics
bargain store; Tibbs, from the hatter's,
and myself, at that time occupying a
genteel but not lucrative position at
the nearest druggists.
l suppose that as great pianists are
forced to practice perpetually, your
angel is forced to be always at rehear-
sal lest some of the sweetness and in
nocence might slip away unawares;
but of course at the time | never
thought of that.
Lctetia was to me an earthly seraph,
and | fell in love with her at first
sight. Even yet | can scarcely bring
myself to believe the statement of the
neighborbing florist, who declared
that when he sought remuneration for
various baskets and bouquets present
ed by herself to Miss Letetia at the
close of second acts, Through the me
dunn of messengers pad usnors, that
that young lady having ordered him
downstairs without avail, fired" a
photograph album at him and used a
swear" word.
still hope that this is the malicious
Misrepresentation of an aggravated
tradesman, for when | last saw the
lovely Letetia, though undeniably
stouter, she was even more infantile
and angelic.
When l say l fell in love with her
on sight you may expect a long and
deeply interesting love story, but the
facts of the case prevent me from In
tlictin@ anything of the sort upon my
readers | was in love with her, and
believed for exactly five weeks that
she was not unfavorable to me. At
the end Of that time my hopes were
crushed forever.
There appeared upon the scene Mr..
PEBBLES, one of those beings who have,
| suppose, been found i'll the train OF
actresses from time immemorial, a
harmless, well meaning, wealthy,
well educated and very silly young
man of good society. Today one
would call him a dude" but the
name was unknown twenty years ago.
His intentions were most honorable
and respectful. He believed every
thing that Miss Lefty Fay chose to tell
| him. He offered her his hand and
heart, and was promptly accepted.
Vague doubts as to the approval OF his
parents probably filled the mind OF
this youth when the deed was done,
and after they were married he came
for awhile to board with Mrs. Gobble,
engaging her best rooms for his bride
and himself, and we all understood
that the governor" and ''mamma"
were to be informed of the step by
degrees.
| Lefty was not anxious in regard to
the matter. Her husband had plenty
of cash, and she wore the most gor-
geous apparel perpetually. AS for me,
| had really never hoped to marry on
IS a week; but had received blow.
l hated Mr.. PEBBLES bitterly. despis-
ed him with the scorn of wrath.
Really he was very amiable and gen
tlemanly and did hot deserve it, and
he could not help being feet 2, slim
in proportion, with bony little hands
and feet, nose like a wax doll, and
very prominent white front teeth. If
he looked like a well brought up little
monkey in the latest fashion, he could
not help it. Still, how despised him
| could not bear to sit near him.
would not help myself to butter if he
passed it. The fact that he was living
at a plain boarding house, where we
were very glad to be able to stay, some
thing as he might have hidden in q
cave IN the woods and lived on berries
if he had been hunted outlaw of the
olden time, and that some great hote
or some palatial residence would have
been his natural quarters, offended III
all Everybody hut Mrs Gobble, whC
was delighted to have such boarders,
wished him well away, and resented
the arrival of delicacies on trays or IL
felt lined boxes, and the popping Of
champagne corks in the PEBBLES quar-
ters of an evening Evidently the
meals which satisfied us were not gooc
enough for Lefty and her new husband
However, Letty's angelic smiles
which knew no diminution; her lovely
eyes, which uplifted themselves heav
onward perpetually; her snowy hands
and delicate bushes, and her habit o
glancing at osle as though filled will
vague regret and overcome by charm
ing memories, kept us from being
openly rude to little PEBBLES. | alway
felt that if there were no PEBBLES
might have had hope So l believ'
did the other boarders. Even the ole
married men, l fancy, had an ide'
that
Had they met her in beauty, while their heart
and hands were free etc.
All this, however, l only came t.
! know later, and that by the light o