The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-01-18
A SAD STORY +

misery loves company, Ill give my
experience. THE PROGRESSIVE FARMER
has thousands of readers and I guess
I'll get some sympathy.
AS for our correspondence, suffice it
to say, that I treasured each one of
Her letters as I would have done 1.-THE
pearl of great price" Her name was
Pearl, and she was a jewal.
never found much use for a diction-
airy until / commenced corresponding
with her. Not that she used big words,
but each time after reading her letter
a dozen or more times. I would get
down my fathers big "WebsteF's Una
bridged" and trace up the meaning,
derivation, sufixes, pre- fixes, amxes,
synonyms, roots, and infections, of
each word she used. I was an optimist
in those bright days and I always con
sidered the very incest meaning Of the
word as the n intended for me.
Her father was not exactly friendly
with me and when I went to see my
Pearl, to adopt verse from Eli Perkins.
A cautious look around I stole
And solemn thoughts I thunk
And wicked smiles I slyly smole
And wicked winks I wunk.
Nevertheless, my coat tell and his
boot never collided, though I now
sometimes wish thew had.
But time passed on, as time has a
habit of doing, and OOH / felt that
could bear the suspense nc longer. /
couldn't look at my Pearl without feel
ing a strange, indescribable thrill take
lightning trips from my head to my
toes.
One night about a week after / be-
came acquainted with her she gave me
a smile that was SO perfectly sweet
that l didn't get over it for a month. I
went home by jumps and I fancied I
jumped ten feet each time. 1t seemed
foolish but I couldn't help it.
When I reached home, / didn't feel
like talking with any one, According
ly 1 carried my chair out on the had 8
confidential talk with myself.
odd boy, this is a funny sensation,'
1 said, to myself. 81 feel like laughing
and crying, 1 feel like smiling a smile
swo feet wide and yet I feel like frown
ing at myself because I am such a
goose. And there is not one blessed
thing fitting through my brain, but
the picture of that girls. sweet face"
At these alarming symptoms DR.. My
self proceeded ia examine the patient,
Ne, and after a careful diagnosis, an
nounced that I was in love.
But to make a long story short I
arose one Sunday morning determined
to have a good title to my Pearl before
sunset. 1 dressed, and ''primped" till
there was not a spot on me, and then
hitching old Jim, the mule, to the best
buggy, set out. Ali the time l was
rehearsing the speech, donating myself
to that One who spake as no other girl
spake. I guess I had recited that
speech not less than a thousand times
during the month previous to this Sun
day but now the words began to drop
out Of my memory and leave missing
links. Finally whole sentences drop
ped out, and only such words as ''love,
adore" etc remained, and these were
so tangled that Iresolved to turn old
Jim around and go back home.
This / would most probably have
done had / not at this time, seen one of
my rivals heading straight for Her
home. Fearing that he might intend
proposing that day, 1 determined to go
with him to prevent it.
AS it happened, however, my rival
took another road, but I went on. At
the door 1 was met by my Pearl, and
bless your soul, she had never looked
haIt so sweet before. Time dragged
slowly until that evening when ! pro
posed that we take a ride. She agreed
and ride we did.
couldn't talk. I was trying to col
lect my thoughts, and get my speech
of proposal to gether.
My love" 1 began. lis Maud
jones'" she said, laughing. That
knocked my speech into the middle OF
next week. Maud Jones was the girl
whom 1 went to see as a kind of second
choice.
The next time I began on my speech,
I said:
my darling"
"VVhy cans you remember that you
are not riding with your darling
Maud9' said Pearl severely