Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-11-04
FIRST LOVE.

have been at that time?
l am quite sure l was only about
twelve or thirteen years old. Or |
might have been fourteen. Surely, l
was old enough to fall desperately in
love.
If I cannot recollect when, / can at
least remember how the tender pas
! SiOnS commenced. AS soon as my aunt
would leave the house to repair to
church for her evening deyotions. |
was very fond of stealing INTO her room
and ransacking her bureau drawers,
which she always kept in admirable
order. These drawers We're like a mu-
scum to me, for [ always found some
rare, quaint object there, and a subtle
eastern perfume emanated from them
There were satin pincushions, discol-
ored by age; lace mittS, folded away in
tissue paper; small pictures of saints;
sewing materials; reticule OF blue
velvet, embroidered with beads, and Il
silver and amber rosary.
All Of these things and more were to
be found in the different hooks and
corners. | would examine them curl
ously and afterward put them back in
their places.
But one day-how well I remember
it! just as plainly as though it were
today saw a gilt object cleaning
in the midst of some old lace collars. |
involuntarily thrust in my hands for
it Qumpling the laceS) and drew out a
miniature likeness painted on ivory,
about three inches long and inclosed
in Il gold case.
! | was perfectly enraptured as l gazed
upon it. A ray of sunlight fiickered
through the window pane, lighting up
this charming likeness, which seemed
as though longing to leave it's dark
prison house and come toward me- 1t
was the picture Of Il most beautiful
creature, such as | had never beheld be
fore, excepting in my youthful dreams
The fair lady might be about twenty
years old. She was not a young
maiden, not Il tender bud just about to
open, but a woman in the full radiancy
Of her beauty. Her face was oval, but
not very long, her lips We're full and
parted in Il smile, while her eyes
dropped laDquidly, and she had dimple
in her chin, which seemed imprinted
there by Cupids playful touch.
Her hair was dressed in singular
and playful style. 1t was gathered in
knot, while pyramid of puffs sur
mounted her temples, and there was a
basket of braidS on top of her head.
This old fashioned couture, ending at
! the nape of her neck, revealed all it's
! rounded lines, and also another dimple,
still more shy and soft than the one in
her chin.
! AS for her dress, it was of some light
gauzy material. A necklace of pearls
rested upon her snowy bosom and upon
the smooth surface of her low cut
bodice
j Her arms, which were worthy of
Juno, were fully barred. Their taper
eXtemities We're fit models for a sculp-
tor. But | am not exact in saying Eek
tremities," for only one of her hands
was visible. 1t held 4 rare lace hand
kerchief.
: AS [ think now Of my feelings at that
time | am amazed at the striking effect
which the cCr temptation of that mini;l-
! ture produced upon me. Indeed l was
so carried away by my feelings that
| held my breath, while / fairly devoured
! the picture with my eyes
l had seen portraits of beautiful
women in the illustrated papers, in the
shop windows, and also in the mythol-
ogical pictures in my fathers dining
room. A beautiful curve, a harmonious
! and elegant outline, would always cap
/ tivate my gaze, which was prematurely
! artistic; but the portrait which | had
found in my aunt'S drawer, aside from
its great beauty, seemed to be animated
by a subtle vitality. One could see
that it was not an artists ideal, but the
likeness of 4 real person of flesh and
/ blood. The luXuriant tone of coloring
seemed to reveal, under the pearly
f1eshy tintS, the rich, mantling blood
while the lips appeared eager to display
the pearly teeth. To complete the illu-
sion there was a lock of real, silky,
chestnut hair braided around the frame
hair which had cnce undoubtedly sur
mounted that snowy brow.
AS ] said before, the portrait seemed
more like flesh and blood, from which
only a glass case separated me, than
copy of the original.
l touched it with my hand: [ warmed
it with my breath. 1t even appeared to
me that the warmth of that mysterious
divinity communicated itself to my lips
sand circulated through my veins.
l was engaged in this occupation one
Sunday when / heard footsteps in the
hall. They We're those of my aunt, re
turning from her deyotiOns. / heard
her asthmatc cough and her slow,
gouts foot steps l had barely time to
replace the picture in its case, close it
and station myself at the window be
fore my aunt entered. l assumed an
same in she blew her nose vigorously,
for the church had been chilly and she
had added a slight cold to her chronic
cataTrh
When she saw me her little red
trimmed eyes twinkled merTily. Kindly
patting me on the head with her with
cred hand, she inquired whether I had
been upsetting her boxes as usual while
she had been gone. Smiling roguishly,
she added:
Wait, wait! I am going to give you
something to make you smack your
lips"
So saying, she brought out from the
depths of her pockets two or three fiat