The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1895-11-07

tions in my time, but the sensation of |
kissing handsome, buxom Southwest |
Missouri girl right square on the soft, |
sweet lips, while the tears from her |
heavenly eyes are running down and
making pearly drops on your budding
is something better than all
of them put together. And when, like |
Melvina, she puts her brown, bare
arms around your neck and kisses
backbone of those long, clinging
kisses that Ella Wheeler Wilcox writes
about-words are superhuous. But |
have often wondered, since | have be-
come calloused and cynical, where
Melvina learned to kiss. She was
revelation to me.
''Finally the glorious Fourth came
around and got ready for the circus.
l might explain here that l had
brought d suit of store clothes and a
pair of shoes from the east with me,
but had never worn the clothes on
the farm and seldom wore the shoes.
Every body down in that section went
barefooted, boys and men, and did as
the Romans did. This Fourth of July
morning | put on billed shirt, my
store Clothes my shoes and socks,
and brushed and cleaned myself un
til | was positively uncomfortable.
After breakfast, followed by the good
natured but cutting 'joshing' of my
relatives, started down the road to
meet Melvina. | had arranged with
her to walk to town, figuring on the
walk back in the moonlight, when we
could hold hands as we strolled along
the road and slobber over each other.
My uncle wanted us to go in the
wagon with him and his family, but l
was too wise.
1T was two miles to the Drake
ca bin, and four miles to town. was
to meet Melvina at the turn in the
road just below her fathers house.
The sun was about two hours high
and cast long shadows on the ground
as l trudged along to the trysting
place
Il remember | took out my Barlow
and cut a stont stick from hedge
along the roadside, in anticipation of
d pOSSlUlG uStl Win Vic Hull IlS
air was heavy with the sweet smell of
orchards, ripening grain and new
mown hay, and | was the happiest
youth in Missouri made up my mind
| was going to spend every cent | pos
sessed on Melvina.
"Directlv came to where she was.
She had on dress that couldn't have
cost more than a quarter, but she
looked like queen in it, although,
must confess, it fit her like it was cut
out with a pair of skates. A wide
brimmed hat sat jauntily on her brown
curls, and her face looked like ripe
peach to hungry man. | noticed she
had no shoes on, but that cut no ice
with me, for she had as pretty foot
and ankle as any body would want to
look at.
II had calculated on making a hit
with Melvina with my store clothes,
and did. paralyzed her. She just
stood and looked at me while wave
after wave of hot bushes chased up
her white neck and congregated in her
face. | stood simpering like a prize
idiot. She began to cry, and wouldn't
! tell me what was the matter with her,
and l, wise in the ignorance of youth,
didn't know that, like all women, she
was proud, and ashamed to be seen
with me, because of the splendor of
my raiment jollied her along, told
her how nice and sweet she looked,
swore she would be the belle of the
circus, and was generally so lavish in
my praise of her that she consented,
finally, to go with me if I'd let her go
| home and fix up a bit. Still | didn't
know what was the matter, but | let
her go.
II laid down in the shade of a tree
on the grass to wait for her. The sun
climbed higher and wagons loaded
with country people ratified by on the
way to the circus. I had just figured
out that we would miss the parade and
grand free exhibition outside the big
tent if Melvina didn't hurry when she
hove in view. ] looked at her a second
! and then jumped in the air so sudden
! ly l Jared myself. If my raiment had
paralyzed Melvina she got even ali
right. She had placed cheap ribbon
around her neck and spoiled the beauty
of it, and had covered her pretty fee,
with pair of shapeless, hard, heavy
cowhide shoes. Between the tops OF
her shoes and the bottom of her dress
appeared occasional glimpses Of a pail
Of stockings of the variety known a:
barber pole They were striped red
and yellow and the stri pes were wide
But she had something else on thai
knocked me speechless.
Years and years had this crowning
feature of Melvina attire been in the
Drake family. 1t was an, heirloom,
guess, and the only piece Of finery the
family possessed Melvina, blusnine
and simpering - hardly knowing
whether l would sufficiently admire i
or not-was wearing it, regulation
fashion. It was an old-fashioned muff
of some heavy black fur and as big a
bass drum.
''Perspiration broke out of ever,
pore in my body The idea OF me
logged out in store clothes and look
ing like dude, going to a circus OIL