The Madisonian. (Virginia City, Mont.) 1873-1915, 1895-07-27
FIRST LOVE.

| have for years led a rowing lie and
am most at home in railway carriages,
waiting rooms, hotels AID restaurants.
On this account my reading has been OF
all kinds; and [ have given up wishing
to be dainty i'll my literary diet. Only
German and French ronances and novels
by authors unknown to ne, or writers
whose style | do not enjoy, inspire me
with an u~nconquerabie respect.
Books by these authors ! never yea
ture to open, even in TIE greatest dear5h
of reading matter. Besides I eagerly
welcome everything published by the
latest journals and look through each
weekly and monthly periodical that l
come across ia dining or waiting room.
That is why I have D succession Of
fragments Of a considerable number OF
stories in nay head, and as their Classil-
cation doe not especially interest me IL
thus happens that L occasionally join the
end Of one to the beginningo Of the other.
Some of these dovetailed stories please
me quite as well as the noted novels Of.
famous authors.
This is a matter of taste, and I allow
myself no criticism, Sometimes [ finish
for myself a story, the beginning OF
which I have read, or invent the first
chapter for the conclusion Of a romance
which has fallen. into my hands. Then,
4ft-r asiLue, it is diiicult to distinguish
between what is mine and what Is not
mine. In most cases indeed ! have OF a
morning when / leave a city forgotten
what / have read there on the preceding
evening. Bat when a story has pleased
me I enjoy repeating it to myself III the
railway carriage, and then it becomes
llxed III my memory and recurs later, at
irregular intervals, as something per
sonallv experienced or again Invented
by myself.
Thefollowing narrative is one q these
tales. I have forgotten where | read 1t
for the first time. Whether the tale was
exactly as l row have it IN my mind |
10 not any longer know. Bnt the idea Is
not mine. I believe | fo1ndi6 III d Paris
review. Then il must have been many
yea1s since, for several omniTOg0n. read
RS among nay French acqnailCances, OF
whom I uado inquiry regarding that
easily recognized eiIerch, could not re
member TO have road it. II is also posi-
bic shat Lt1#nd it in Berlin or London
Should sha1 ner ut any tim6 reclaim it
LWil return his property with Thanks
Hero is tle story as it has shaped itsel
little ~ little in my head;
Ihe humorous guests OF the counties
had been slowly retiring since II O'Clock
and about IL there were only some hal
. ..,1o c-,,r,I1Z} -, {la o., 1,, ~
very intimate friends Of tho house. IT
handsome PaInMeGo had pronounced hi
verdict upon the notable toilets Of IT,
evening, Rene had ToCOuntSd the las
duel, Edmond the last steeplecha8e, Ih
scandal Of the day had been coum0nta
upon in the usual rhilanthrOpic faShio,
and for tho IrSt time for half al h0l
the conversation had languished.
The countess turned to her ncighDOl
the quiet CASTOR.
You ere making moro noise tina
usual this evening" eaid she. "YC
have been sleeping this half hour Wit
open eyes, Ike gentleman addresse,
who had been sitting upon a low chat
earnestly engaged III keeping up q Fl
i'll the chimney, in which he had di
played the ability that, according to
French proverb. is q privilege Of love
and philosophers, turned slowly a
made answer, II am thinking of Il
first love-"
Gratitude does honor to the receiv
and to the giver alike" said the cou'
ess. "Tell us the story Of the first lo
that still makes you dream today"
CASTOR slowly rubbed his thin ham
as was his habit, and without watt
for further urging began as follows:
when I say my first love, / do
mean the very first. This indeed eau;
mo in its time much pain and ankle
Joy, but that is long since forgott'
Many a time, when 1 nov recall it,
seems as though l thought of anothe
loYc tale and not my Own l was at
tince perhaps IL or IL years old, and
s9as the sister of my schooifell
J4cIocs.
- Jaw her for the first time upon
play ground, where she appeared W
he, mother, during an intermission,
xstnr Vv<p v,