The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1899-11-23

The following letter was published
in the Monroe Enquirer. A portion
of it is an old document of some
twenty years or more standing, but
brother Ashcraft has craftily worked
it over and given us more of the
pleadings of a love-stricken heart. 1t
is enjoyable reading.
Next week we will publish the re-
ply, as furnished by writer in the
Concord Standard
DEAR ANNIE:-Every time think of
you my heart flops up and down like
a churn dasher: sensatipns OF unut-
terable Joy caper over it like young
goats over stable roof, and thrill
through it like Spanish needles
through pair of tow linen trousers;
as a gosling swimmeth in n mud pud-
die. so swim | in sea of glory.
Visions of ecstatic rapture thicker
than the hairs of a backing brush,
and brighter than the hues of a hum
ming birds pinious, visit me in my
slumbers, and borne on their in
visible wings, your image stands be-
fore me, and l reach out and grasp it
like pointer swapping at blue
bottle fly. When first beheld your
angelic projections, l was bewildered
and my brain whirled around like 4
bee under glass tumbler; my eyes
stood open like cellar door in 4
country town; lifted up my ears to
catch the silvery accent of your voice
My tongue refused to wag and in
silent alteration drank in the sweet
infection of love as thirty man
swallows tumbler of red lemonade
Since the like of your face fell upon
my life, | sometimes feel as if | conld
lift myself up by my suspenders to
the top of the church steeple and pull
the bell-rope for Sunday School.
Day and night you are in my
thoug hts; when Aurora. blushing like
bride, rises from her saffron couch;
when the jay bird pipes its tuneful
lay in the apple trees by the spring
house; when the chanticleer's shrill
clarion heralds the coming morn;
when the awakening pig ariseth from
his bed and grunteth, and goeth forth
for his refreshments; when the
drowsy beetle wields his droning
flight at sultry noon tide, and when
the lowing herd comes home at milk
ing time, think of thee; and like a
piece of gum elastic, my heart seems
stretched clear across my bosom.
Your hair is like the name of a sorrel
horse powdered with gold, and the
brass pins skewered through your
back hair fill me with unutterable
awe. Your forehead is smoother than
the elbow of an old coat. Your eyes
are glorious to contemplate; in their
liquid depths l behold legions of lit
tie cupids bathing like court Of
ants in an old army cracker. When
your head lays pressed against my
manly breast, the fire OF your eyes
penetrates my whole anatomy as a
load of bird shot goes through an old
rotten apple. Your nose is as perfect
as if carved from chunk of Parian
marble, and your mouth is puckered
with sweetness. Nectar fingers on
your lips like honey on bears
paw, and myraids of unfledged kisses
somewhere, like blue birds out Of
their parents nests. Your laugh
rings in my ears like harp strings, or
the bleat of a stray lamb on the bleak
hillside. The dimples on your cheek
are like bowers in bed of rosses or
hollows in cakes of home made sugar.
l am dying to fly to thy presence,
and pour out the burning eloquence
of my love as thrifty house wives
pour out hot coffee.
When away from you, | am as
melancholy as sick rat. Some
times / can hear the hum of the June
bugs of dependency buzzing in my
ears and 1 feel the cold lizards Of
despair crawling down my back.
Uncouth fears, like a thousand min
nows nibble at my spirits, and my
poor soul is pierced all through with
doubts like an old cheese bored with
shippers. My love for you is stronger
than the smell of patent butter or
| the kick of young COW, and more
selfish than Kittens first caterwaul.
AS song bird bankers for the light
of day, the cautious mouse a piece Of
bacon in the trap, or a weaned pup
longs for new milk, SO / long for
thee. You are fairer than a speckled
pullet, sweeter than Yankee dough-
nut fried in sorghum molasses,
brighter than the top-not plumage on
the head of Muscovy duck. You are
candy, kisses, raisins, pound cake
and sweetened toddy together. And
if these few lines will enable you to
see the inside Of my soul, and assist
me in winning your affections, shall
be as happy as a wood Pecker in a
cherry tree or stake horse in a green
pasture. If you cannot reciprocate
my soul mastering passion, l will
pine away like poisoned caterpiller.
and fall from the flourishing vine OF
life like an untimely branch. And in
the coming years, when the shadows
grow from the hills, and the philoso.
phical frog sings his cheerful evening
hymns you, happy in another's love
can come and shed tear and catch
cold upon the last resting place o
Yours truly.
YoU KNOW.
No Right to Ugliness.