Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1907-06-20
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
!, Seven Ages Of LoDe !
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| at the other end OF the conservatory
with the contemptuous nod. ito reflect
that we've passed that age?'
The widow peeped at the delirious
ones through the leaves of the pro-
tecting palms.
What age?" she asked innocently.
'The love age said the bachelor,
disgustedly.
(Which ?" inquired the widow, chew
ing a rose leaf. "There are seven of
them, you know"
mo. l didn't know" said the bach
elor.
"And you never got past all of
them"
The bachelor looked disappointed.
"And the older you are when you
take it, the harder you have it and
the sillier-"
''Are you going to eat that rose" in
terrupted the bachelor. :.
Nov, you, for instance" went on
the widow, ignoring him, "are bald"
Because If you are, I'll go and get
you an ice instead. It's not palata-
ble'
The widow laughed softly.
81 know it's not palatable," she
agreed, biting another leaf off the
rose, "but it's true, at least, almost
true. Of course, the bald spot Is very
little so far; but to judge from the
Stiffness"
I'm not in my dotage," declared
the bachelor.
ooh, no." cried the widow. IF you
were you would be trying to make
love to some girl of sixteen, instead
of-of to me: and you would be say
ing even si'lier things. That's the
seventh age of love-
why" complained the bachelor,
plaintively, "do you always begin at
the end?"
The widow pulled another petal off
the rose and put it in her mouth.
II have to begin at some end" she
protested, "and besides there isn't any
end to love. Love is always the be-
ginning Afterward it develops into
tender regard, or platonic friendship,
or Indifference, or hate Or"
"Matrimony," suggested the bach
elor.
yes" said the widow, "and then
you're inoculated."
The bachelor made a wry face.
"The remedy" he remarked cynical
ly, is worse than the disease. Besides,
it's never sure. If you have a re-
lapse it's doubly dangerous, and all
sorts of complications are likely to
ensue like breach of promise suits and
divorces and scandals"
But you aren't likely to have a re-
lapse" declared the widow. 'Matri-
mony keeps a man or woman too busy
to think about love. You can't bother
about sentiment when you are worry
ing over grocery bills and babies and
expense accounts and cooks. 1t is the
idle people who are always falling in
love- Satan and Cupid are chums, and
go about together looking for people
with nothing to do. That is why there
is such a harvest of engagements and
broken hearts and flirtations at the
end of the summer"
Some people," said the bachelor,
looking at the widow significantly,
"seem to be immune-even in sum-
mer"
The widow looked impersonally
thoughtful.
ooh, thosei" she said. "Those are
the millionaires and the successful
men and women, who are so busy all
their lives long that they are-almost
immune It is only when they have
stopped trying to make money or fame
or to carry out great schemes and have
retired and settled down to old age
that they begin to be-
"Silly?" suggested the bachelor.
eyes" said the widow, t'and then
they make up for lost time. After
they have attained their goal they
suddenly discover that they have been
eating the bread of life without any
jam pot"
at strikes me-" said the bachelor,
thoughtfully, that love at that rate
is pretty expensive"
cts a luxury, Mr.. Travers," an
nounced the widow, "and luxuries are
always expensive"
"And we are always willing to pay
the price for them-if we can only get
them" sighed the bachelor, looking
expressively at the widow.
81 think" said the widow, biting
the stem of her rose, chat you had
better get me that ice-now."
"I don't want to get it-now," said
the bachelor, ungraciously, II want
| to-"
Don't you dare to propose to mel"
exclaimed the widow warningly.
81 want to-" began the bachelor.
"You shan't!" declared the widow,
starting to rise.
The bachelor fixed her with his
eyes.
81 want to see what that couple
over there will do next" he remarked
frigidly.
"Oh!" The widow sat down with
relief. 81 can tell you what they will
do she added They will discover
that you are looking at them and will
move to the darkest corner over there
behind the palms. Indian summer has
no right to intrude itself upon spring"
| and the widow laughed mochingly. At
the sound the young people glanced
up, caught sight of the bachelor and
the widow and proceeded to move to
the darkest corner-as she had pre-
dicted.
The bachelor sighed
"And that" he said, "is the first
age of love-"
"Not at all" said the widow, "the
| first age hpoinS when VOL meet the