The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-08-26

! ing my aunts room and opening the
coveted drawer I would wash, comb and
dress myself as I afterward saw young
men do when about to visit their lady
| loves.
1t frequently happened that I met on
the street other children Of my age, who
already rejoiced in the possession Of a
! sweetheart They proudly showed me
billetsdoux, photographs and flowers, and
! wanted to know if l. too, had girl to
correspond with A feeling of ineXplic-
able bashfulness would tie my tongue,
and l would only reply with an enigmatic
and naughty smile When they asked my
opinion as to the beauty of their little
damsels l would shrug my shoulders and
disdainfully pronounce them positive
rights
/ had occasion once to spend a Sunday
at the house of some nice little female
cousins of mine, the eldest of whom was
not quite fifteen. We were engaged in
| looking through a steroscope, when pres
emily the youngest one, who was not more
than twelve years of age, slyiy took hold
of my hand, and, blushing all over, whis-
pered in my ear: Take.
AT the same time | felt in my palm
something soft and fresh, and saw it was
rose bud with its green foliage. The
little girl retroa ted smiling and casting
side chances at me. But with a Puritan
| ism worthy of the chdste Joseph / cried
! in my turn: Take"
And, suiting the action to TIE word.
! flung the rose bud in her face; a slight
! which kept her weeping and pUuting ali
the evening and which up to this Gay,
though MAJ ried ana with three children,
she has not forgiven Ine
As the two OF three hours between
morning and evening spent at chu: eli by
my aunt We're to me too short a time
for contemplating the adoreG portrait 1
11N~ mir to t1l11c ~
to my pocket. The day I carried out rhts
bold resolve I went about the house
stunning everybody like a person with
guilty conscience. 1t even seemed TO me
that from the depth of its cloth prison
the portrait watched my every move,
ment. So possessed indeed, WAS | with
this ridiculous idea, that if ! wanted 10
scratch myself. adjust a stocking or per-
1oru any other act which in the slightest
Gegree detractcd from the idealism of
my romantic love, I would first take out
the miniature and hide it in safe place,
after which / fe4 at liberty TO do what
ever l pleased From the moment I
abducted the object of my infatuatiOn
there was no peace for rue. At right ]
would conceal it under my pillow and
sleep III an attitude ready to protect it;
or l would turn it toward The wall, While
l occupied the outer edge of the bed,
Every now and then ] would start up,
fearing lest some one might rob me of
ny treasure. Finally l removed 1t from
under the pillow and slipped it between
my shirt and naked bosom, close to tia
left breast, where next day could plainly
be seen the imprC ssior of the embossed
frame.
The contact of the fascinating mnia-
ture engendered delightful dreams. The
lady of the portrait, not in effigy, but in
her natural shape and proportions,
H. Ill
would step forth and lead me to her
enchanted palace. in :, a winged chariot
With sweet authority she would becllon
me to sit al her feet. on, a cushioned
footstoOl, and would run her dainty hand
through my disheveled hair, caressing my
brow, my eyes and my cheeks. l would
read to her from a large missal or play
upon the lutte, and she would deign to
smile in gracious recognition of the pleas
ure l gave her with my reading and sing
ing. In one word, the whole brood of
medieval "reminiscences sWarmed in my
feverish brain, and l was anon a page,
anon troubadour.
With all these alterations 1t was no
wonder that L soon began to lose flesh in
remarkable degree, q fact which was
observed with no little anxiety by my
parents and my aunt
In this difficult and critical period Of
development everything is alarming, " re-
marked my father, who was won't to
read medical books and studied with APP
prehension the blush circle around my
lack-luster eyes, my contracted and fad
ed lips, and, above all, my absolute lack
of appetite.
"Play child, eat child he used to en-
join me. And would reply, dejectedly,
81 don't care to-"
They began to plan anusements for
me; offered to take me to the theater
cd 10
froshe and frothx, milk: They poured
cold douches on the back of my head and
my shoulders to brace my nerves. and /
noticed that my father at table, or when
| I went to his room to say Good morn
! ing" would look at me intently for
moment, and sometimes would run his
! hand down my spinal column and feel
my vertebra. I would lower my eyes
hypocritically, resolved to Gle rather
than confess my guilt
No sooner was ] freed from the affec-
tomato fiscalization of my father than /
was again wholly occupied with my lady
of the portrait. At length, in order to
have her nearer me. 1 decided to do away
with the cold crystal. I hesitated at first
but love in the end triumphed over my
vague fear at such proclamation. 1 man
aged to remove the glass, leaving the
ivory plate entirely exposed.
While pressing my lips to the picture
and inhaling the exquisite fragrance of
the fringe of hair, it seemed to me moro
evident that it was an animate being 1
held in my trembling hands. 1 was over
come by a dizziness and remained I'M
conscious on the sofa, firmly graspina
the minia ture.
When 1 regained my senses saw my
father my mother and my aunt, all
bending over me with deep interest.
Wonder and alarm were depicted in their
! faces. My father felt my wrist, SHOOK
his head, ard muttered:
This pulse seems like a slender thread
something that is vanishing
My aunt with her long bony fingers,
was endeavoring to wrench the portrait
from me. and l, mechanically was hold
ing and clinging to it desperately.
But child, let go! Don't you see you
are spelling it?' she cried. See, you're
rubbing it off! don't chide you, boy.
! Tai show it to you as often as you like
but don't hurt it: Let gor'
Let him have it, my mother interced-
ed. THE child is sick.'
"Whatr' exclaimed the old maid "Tet
him have it! And you'll paint another
like it? Who'll restore to me my former
self? Nobody nowadays paints nlinia-
lures. That is overland I, tao. am over.
and will never again be what is here rep
resented"
My eyes dilated with horror-my hand
relaxed its hold upon the picture. 1 do
not know how 1 managed to articulate:
"You-the portrait-you?"
Don't L seem to you as handsome,
little one? Bah, twenty-three years are
! prettier than-than-than 1 don't know
how many, as I've kept no account At
any rate, no one will rob me of them!'
dropped my head and came near
fainting the second time Ny father car