Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1899-02-16
AN OLD FGGY'S LOVE STORY.


bald head-for. to be honest, | am un-
compromisingly and Individually bald
! do not feel quite so old as my years
would make me out to be-
1t is true that | am little wheeZy in
the chest at times, and rheumatism has
marked me for it own; yet with the
rcd and fly | think | can still teach
them a trick or two, and at billiards
the odds are generally acknowledged to
rest with the old buffer.
In my day / have had more to be
proud of than they, for | have had
not altogether unsuccessful life-no,
why should l deny it?-in outward
honors at least | have had brilliant,
If not great, career. Lucky well,
''Woodburn" will do, tits near enough
was the name by which men knew
me at the bar though it's only the old
err generation now which will be able
to recall it: unless, indeed, some dill
gent and sober-minded student, digging
among the archives of the past, should
perchance unearth a certain book on
forts and see the name on the title
page of this, alas. now Anticipated vol
ume.
Then | am back again walking in
schoolboy cap and jacket along the
Avon banks with Hetty Price-bright,
laughing, quizzing Hetty. All what
sad havoc her merry brown eyes made
in my youthful studies. She lost me
the Latin prize, and was the uncon-
scious cause of getting me more than
one good swishing; and old Nobs = he
became Bishop afterwards-could lay
It on, too. But, nevertheless, l would
not part with that period of my life
in spite of the swishings and for all
the prizes that ever fell to the lot of
S@hury boy.
1t was a bright, merry, mischievous
face which ever played hide-and-s seek
upon the pages of my books, and il,
was a corner by the river that / ever
saw in my minds eye when l should
have followed Cyrus in his intermin-
able wars or hammering out irregular
verbs with old lie Broeq, the French
master. And the fellows wondered
what was up with old Woodburn,
whose interest in cricket had gone.
and ever preferred his own company
to that of his fellows.
Every half-holiday, when the others
fiocked to the cricket nets or the fives
courts. | betook myself off on mine
own business. meeting Hetty now
here. now there, as the neces sity for
secrecy demanded.
She was. | found, a curious mixture
of sound common sense, which was
her own. and romantic aspirations,
which she had acquired from Bow
Bells" and such like literature.
Her great ambition in life was to go
on the stage, and it was of this that
she dreamed as she polished up the
glasses behind the bar or drew a tank
ard of ale for Ben Hoskins, the carter
who winked his eye in un-Romeolike
fashion as the cool home brewe6 went
down his dusty throat. But" as she
shrewdly remarked. Il am not such a
fool as to throw up the Farmers for
an uncertainty; l am waiting for
chance.
Bow Bells. Bow Bells" Hetty;
many a one has. like you. longed and
hoped for the fairy who is going to
change ali that" and waited. waited,
until at last there comes not the good
fairy. for she is away in other folks
concerns. but a wrinkle here a gray
hair there, and stern reality to obliter-
ate the rosy dreams of youth.
Not long after this l left S-bury,
through causes which do not concern
us now, and saw no more of Hetty
Price
Our farewell was tender. At the
time l thought it the bitterest pang
of my life.
Once only I heard from her-long
years after, when / was no longer
amenable to school discipline; and as
her letter makes much plain, / do not
hesitate to produce it in full. | have
1t still by me somewhere. 1t ran:
Dear Mr. WOODBURY.: You will
doubtless be surprised to hear from me
after all these years, but thought yon
might like to know how things are go
ing on. There is also another reason
as the inclosed will show.
''Well. | remained at the Farmers
for a long time after you left-much re-
GREETED waiting for the chance which
was so long in coming; but il came at
last. | answered an advertisement.
and left the mOnotony of the Farmers
for the wider stage of a travelling
company. by which means | hoped to
reach the heights of fame.
Eighteen months passed by, but.
alas, the fame was as far off as ever,
and the discomforts present; and while
at one time | envied those behind the
footlights. | now grew to envy those in
front, until at last / wished myself
back again.
4
| am here once again: not in my old
capacity. however for | have entered
into permanent engagement, having,
under conditions, a theater of my own,
being manageress and part owner
thereof
"In this business l am associated
with another. whose name may be
seen on the playbill over the doOr-to
Wit. Joseph Maddox. once millers
foreman. now landlord of the Farm
ers'.
Now. if ever you come TO s.
again. perhaps you will come and have
tea with us. if you have turned teato-
taller: or a glass of beer. if you have
not. and | will draw it myself for the
sake of old times-that is. OF course,
if you forgive Joseph, who. l fancy.
has something TO say. From. yours
with kindest remembrance.
"HETTY MADDOX
''(0nce Hetty Price,"
Heigho, So Hetty Price had mar