The champion. (Arcadia, Fla.) 1895-1911, 1908-01-23
Loves VOlapuk.
[Original.1

How did | court my wife, she not
understanding English nor I German?
} will tell you.
My father was born in town IN Ger.
many. He came to America, where he
married my mother, bur he died before
] had learned to talk. Consequently
never heard his tongue spoken in the
family. When was twenty-five my
mother suggested that l go to his ma
tive country and make the acqualnt-
ance Of some of my relatives there, So
| crossed the water and visited his ma.
tive town.
Thinking 1t would be a pleasant sur.
prise to send an offering to my rela-
tives with my card, l stepped into q
shop to buy some flowers. A flower
shop is the daintiest place In the
world, and the shop entered was the
daintiest Of flower shops. Besides the
plants, there were birds and a little
fountain. Behind the counter was u
pretty girl. with fair hair and blue
eyes and pleasant smile as with her
eyes she gave me a mute inquiry how
she could serve me. | stepped up TO
some roses, inhaled their delicious odor
and held up the FIVE fingers of one
hand and one of another The girl
took six roses and laid them on the
counter. In this way l made up my
own bouquet
| was In no hurry to transact my
business and leave the shop. Indeed,
/ wished to chat with the frauein
wished to tell her that l was from
America, but since to speak or write
the information would avail nothing |
took out my pencil and on bit Of
wrapping paper drew map Of North
and South America, marked off the
United States and put in my state and
city, She understood perfectly, smiled
and extended her arms as If surround.
ing some invisible large article. This
| knew meant that | came from a
great country, and when she opened a
cash drawer and made a motion SINH
lar to the first mentally added, And
Americans are an rlch'
Just when l began to speak loves
language l don't know, but l remem-
Der very soon pointing to a rose and
then to her cheek. Then I pointed to
the ripples in the basin Of the fountain
on which the sun shone through
window, put my fingers on my hair
and looked at her own wevy tresses.
She bushed, and moved my fingers
to my lips, still pointing at the shining
water, meaning that the same smile
described her smile. This was not so
plain, but she understood, and. as Tom
Moore puts it, the smile came
Like any fair lake which the breeze is
upon
When 1t breaks into dimples and laughs
In the sun.
You see, got on swimmingly l
spent an hour in the store talking this
sort of thing, waiting when a customer
came In till he went out again, and
finally, feeling that couldn't possibly
make an excuse to stay any longer, l
took my card, wrote the name and ad-
dress Of my aunt, to whom I wished
the flowers sent, and made signs
which meant that both were to 60 i'm
mediately When the girl took up the
card | saw a surprised look on her
face, but she didn't say anything.
In the afternoon received note
written in very bad English sayh
that my aunt and cousins would :
pleased to see me in the evening.
found them in a house that had once
been a fine one, but badly out Of re-
pair. 1t had been in the family for
two centuries. was not surprised,
for ! knew that they had lost their