The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1898-07-29

~HE was a bit naughty to me on
~ that particular day, but l didn't
ocare, for was desperately IN love
with another girl.
The "she" of whom am writing ls
my wife, and as my pencil traces the
paper, she sits by my side, smiling and
cooling softly to our youngest grand
child. lovely baby boy.
can't recall the day that have not
known my wife. We were children to-
gether in our lovely home in the Blue
Hills. By some freakish relationship,
for which one Of our ancestors was re-
sponslble, Jane Merriam was nominal
ly my aunt, though several years my
Junior. Her father and mother died
before she was II, and from that day
on she made her home with our family,
with whom she was connected by dis
tant blood ties. l was away at school
at the time Of her bereavement and
upon returning for vacation found her
at the old Marcelline homestead. "Aunt
Jane" the younger children called her,
and soon fell into their way, although
she was Jennie to me, and we were
playmates.
"Aunt Jane" was q beautiful child,
with dark hair and rich gray eyes. and
she had grown into q handsome girl,
when at the expiration Of my college
term at Richmond / returned to my
home in the Blue Hills to hang up my
shingle as lawyer. 1t was just a year
before the breaking out of the war. l
oil 20 0rpn,1Slu yuhnn oil
my calculations were upset, and ! en-
listed in a company of volunteers from
our little place to help Lee defeat the
enemy.
1t was on the day of my departure
that Jane Merriam gave me that
naughty answer, with which my story
begins.
Aunt Jane" had said, when I told
her was going away that night, "Ill
be back In less than six months. By
that time Wen have driven the Yam
KEGS across our lines, and I'll celebrate
the victory by marrying the girl
love"
"You don't know what you are say
Ing" answered Aunt Jane, with q
naughty stare. 81 fear the Yankees
will do us all great harmp' Tossing
her beautiful head that might not see
her furiously blushing face, she ran
into the house.
There was Yankee blood In Aunt
Jane, although Of distant strain. Her
great grandmother had come from En-.
gland to marry James handsome an.
cestor, from whom she inherited her
dark beauty. "Aha" l whistled softly
to myself, Aunt James sympathies
are a trife dividedP / said nothing to
the family about my discovery, but
hurried away to take leave Of Cousin
Lucy Gordon. l had been in love with
Lucy before l went away to college
and fancied myself more desperately
smitten than ever now that I was
to bid her farewell. We were distant
ly related, Lucy and I, and she was
Of the same age as Aunt Jane, barely
q. Two women We're never more
strangely contrdsted. Lucy was but
terfy, a doll with golden curls, eyes
like the summer sky, lips like cherries
and kittenish ways. She shed bittel
tears and kissed her farewell. With
out much coaxing on my part she
promised that she would wait for mt
till the end of doom to become my wife
So 1 went away happy after all, FOL
sweet Lucy's promise was the tails
man that strengthened me and bade
me hope in the terrible days that fol
| lowed.
Several gushing, girlish letters came
from her in answer to my passionate
avowals of undying love and fealty
How they sweetened the hardships an(
dull, aching moments of those inter
minable days and nights!
l had been In several battles and 6
number Of the boys from our place
were either killed or MANNED. Charlie
Ferguson, my collegemate and the sol
of the district attorney of Marcelline
with whom 1 had been reading law, es