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


My aunts appearance was not appe-
tizing enough to cause one to open his
mouth and devour such sweets.
Her great age; her ugly teeth; her
Eleary eyes; her Sunken mouth; the
parting of her hair, which was three
inches broad: the scanty gray locks
huttering around her temples; her neck,
as tiabby and red as an excited ROSTERS
creSt-faugh.
OF course l could not manage to swal-
low the gum drops.
y feeling of Indignation. of manly
protest. caused me to say energetically:
L don't want them! l don't want
them, [ tell your
You don't want them? How singll-
lar.-you who are as fond of good things
rs pussy cat"
Il am not a child.' I cried. swelling
with pride and stretching myself on
tptoe; L don't want candyr'
My aunt looked at me with an ex-
preston half ironical and half kindly.
Finally, yielding to the feeling of mer-
rment which l caused her, she lost all
restraint and burst out laughing, there
by revealing the cavernous depths of
her mouth
From that moment onward l could
not get the miniature out of NV
thoughts.
Whenever my aunt went out l would
skip I'D into her room, open the case.
take OF the picture and become alb
sorbed in looking at it. After l had
gaZed long upon it it was easy to fancy
that the dropping eyes my idol, glanc-
ing through their thick shade of lashes.
liked themselves on mine and that her
bosom heaved with quickened feeling. /
was even ashamed to kiss her, fearing
that my audacity might displease her.
so [ only pressed her to my heart or
placed my cheek close to hers All of
my thoughts and acts bore some rela-
ton to the fair dame hidden i'll the
golden case.
L often felt singular Scruples in re-
gard to her, and before / would enter
my aUntS room to look at the coveted
miniature L would dress myself in my
very best, rs | observed that young men
did when they went to see their sweet
who had sWeethearts and would eagerly
display their love letters, pictures and
tokens to me, asking me at the same
time why | did not find some one like
| them with whom | might correspond.
An lneNplicable feeling Of delicacy tied
! my tongue, but when they asked my
opinion about their lady loves | would
shrug my shoulders and characterize
them us ugly rights.
! One day went to see some cousins
of mine who were very pretty little
girls. The eldest was not yet fifteen.
We were looking at Il stereoscope, when
suddenly the youngest girl, about twelve
years old, slyly seized hold OF my hand
Turning as red as Il peOny, she whis-
pered in my ear, Take this"
! At the same time I felt something
soft and cool in my hand, and saw that
it was a rosebud with green leaves
The little maid went off running, but
looking back at me out of the corner
of her eye. With a coy movement,
equal to the chaste Joseph's, | cried IN
turn. Take this!' at the same time
throwing the rosebud in her face. In
consequence of this slight she would
not look at me again, and spent the
whole afternoon weeping. Even now,
! though she is married and has three
children, she has not forgiven me-
! AS the time which / found to look at
! the miniature seemed far too short, i
resolved to keep it in my pocket. Thus
| all day long [ went around hiding my
! self from people rs though | had COM
mitted a theft. | fancied that the pic
ture, shut UP in its case, could see all of
my movements. If l felt like scratch
! ing myself, or had to tie up my stock
ing or do any thing not in keeping with
the exquisite delicacy of my ideal love,
| would take out the miniature first,
! deposit it in Il safe place and would
! then feel freer to do whatever l wanted
to.
In fact, after l had stolen it I was
beside myself with joy. [ would hide
it under my pillow at night and would
go to sleep ready to defend it. l would
! turn the picture to the wall, and would
myself face outward, awakening num-
berless times during the night with q
! wild fear in my heart that somebody
! might snatch my treasure from me- At
/ last [ took it out from under my pillow
and slipped into my breast, and on the
following day the imprints of the EN-
bOssed frame could still be seen on my
flesh.
The contact of that cherished minia-
] ture produced the most delightful
dreams. The fair dame, not her effigy,
! but her own dear self, would come TO-
! ward me to carry me off i'll a chariot to
? her palace. With sweet, command
ing air she would bid me sit on Il cushion
| at her feet, and would pass her fair
hand caresSingly over my brow and my
tumbled hair. / would read to her in a
large missal, or would play on the harp,
While she would deign to smile and
! thank me for the pleasure my reading
and singing afforded hen In fact these
romantic ideas completely filed my
| brain, and l was ready to personate
! either Il page or a trOubadOur for the
sake of my Beloved.
| With the working of my disordered
fancy | grew thin. My father and my
fancy rev thin. My father and my
aunt observed my emaciation with great
anxiety.
AT this critical stage of development
everything is alarming" said my father,
who would read medical works, and
then anXiouSly study the dark circles