The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-11-12
ADAYOF MARTYRDOM

The colonel and the young reporter
were slipping their respective portions Of
a cold bottle Of beer and listening to the
whir of an electric fan the other night
when the colonel grew reminiscent.
Away before the war; remarked
the colonel musingly. "when l was just
%sprouting my first whisker-a spindle
shanked, truan playing product of the
effete east-my father sent NJ out into
southwest Missouri to get braced up. l
don't know what was the matter with
me, but I was all run down, and my
father was convinced that a season on
the Missouri farm of my uncle would
prove beneficial alike to my mind and
body. l might say before going farther
that it did.
Il babe my mother a sorrowful good
by, away back in New York city, and in
due course of time l landed ON the farm
Of my uncle. 1t was a revelation. The
verdure clad hills, the breezes smelling
spicy and sweet, the cold water from
the we'll, wholesome food in large quan-
titles, horses 10 ride and a lovely pool
to &c swimming in made a new boy Of
me in a week. Barring the fact that l
was compelled to retire with the rest Of
the family at 8 o'clock at night and get
up at an hour in the morning when the
dew on the grass felt to my bare feet
like ice water, that farm was heaven. 1t
was two heavens when I got acquainted
with Melvina Drake.
"Melvina Drake was about the four
teenth child of a farmer living about
two miles nearer town than my uncle.
Her father, solomon Drake, was the
poorest man in the county. He was
poorer than watered buttermilk, but the
incest, mildest hammered old man you
ever saw. His wife was a skinny, sal
low, God forsaken looking, OverwOrked
woman, with no pleasure in store for
her but death. Both were Woodworking
and honest, but they had some kind of
q hoodoo ON them. They were old resi-
denters in that part of the country, and
their ancestors had been there before
them, but as far back as the memory of
man could extend the brakes had al
ways been poOr-as my uncle said,
pore as shucks.' About all the brakes
seemed fitted for was increasing the
population and getting hold of horses
that couldn't draw anything but flies.
"As I was saying, Melvina was about
the fourteenth of the Drake brood, and
she was a dream l guess she was about
18 years, big and sweet and healthy.
Her cheeks were as rosy and clear as a
Missouri apple. and her eyes were big
and blue. And she was SO doggone in
nocent that I hope I may die if it didn't
use to embarrass me like thunder.
Consequences was, l got mashed on
Melvina, hard mashed l don't be-
lieve q stronger case Of calf love ever
developed in this whole state of Mis-
souri,. If l saw one Of my cousins or any
other boy talking to her, l would go to
some secluded spot and cry and butt my
soft NOODLE against a tree. At night |
used to lie awake and dream myself a
hero. l used to imagine Melvina tear
ing down the road on a fiery steed, with
certain death staring her in the face,
and me coming up unexpectedly, stop
ping the horse and rescuing her, sustain
IL Ill lO oDSi q biohSh 1NS tilA
sundry other bruises. Then I'd imagine
Melvina nursing me back to life, and
finally marrying me. My head was full
Of such stuff.
Zone day, along in June, there came
out our way a wagon loaded with circus
bills, pastepOts and bill stickers, and
they shattered the countryside with
signs announcing that the great Egypto-
AfricanO Circus and M%enageries was tC
show in town on the Fourth Of July.
When l left home, my father gave me
$40, and l had most Of it left. l made
up>my mind that | would take Melvina
to the circus, and directly my dreams a,
night took the form Of q monster lion
rushing at her with open mouth and ms
engaging the lion just as he was abou,
to grab her, and choking him to death
with one hand.
THE next time I saw Melvina-1
used to see her every day; in fact,
came pretty near being with her all thu
time-I asked her if she'd 90 to the cir
Gus. l thought she'd faint. Her eye
opened wide, and SO did her mouth, anC
astonishmeh. was engraved ON ever
line of her countenance. She was 81
overcome with JOY that she just sa
down and cried. l sat down, too, ant
that was the first time l eyer kissed her
"Young man, that kiss is a sacret
memory with me. | have experienced
good many sensations in my time, bu
the senation Of kissing a handsome
buxom southwest Missouri girl RICH
square on the soft, sweet lips, while tn
tears from her heavenly eyes are runnin
down and making pearly drops on you
budding mustache, is something bette
q than all Of them put together.
"And when, like Melvina, she put
her brown, bare arms around your nee
and kisses back one Of those lons
ciinging kisses that Ella Wheeler Wilco
writes about-words are superfuou
But l have often wondered, since I ha,