The Prescott daily news., 1908-09-03
|Ii, Stationery:
[Ortginal. ]

where he wished for home He ad- mitted to himself that he couldn't have a home without woman, and he never stopped long enough to do any courting. He was always moving on the towpath, and how can a man make love who is continually walking behind a horse or mule pulling a canalboat?
 On the route was little unoccupied house across the road from the tow path that Joel would have coveted if he had had wife to put in it. One day when he passed he saw smoke curling from the chimney and woman at window. After passing and re passing on several trips he made up his mind from observation that the woman lived alone.
 Here was an opportunity, the first he had ever had. He resolved to take advantage of it. Before starting on one of his trips he prepared small
 dere Madam. 1 would be hapy to mak yure aquaintence. I am driven a mule on the towpath. JOEL THROGGS.
 On reaching the house in question he threw the board into the yard without stopping his mule. This was Mir. Throggs' first love letter. It was not very neat-indeed, it was some what bulky-but they say Love laughs at locksmiths." Why shouldn't the lit tie god smile benignly on board billet doux?
 When Joel passed the house on his return trip, on the end of chicken coop had been chaiked:
 I shud be pleezed to make yourn
 MAHULDY WIGGINS.
 So far so good. Joel had not pre- pared stationery, wooden or otherwise, for reply. so it was not till he came along on his next trip that he respond ed Then he ran across the road be- tween the towpath and the canal and set the top of an old table on the gate, on which he had written
 I wud esteam miself onered ef you wud talk a ride with me on my nex trip. The mule has a easy gate. Bring piller to set on.
 But the course of true love can't be expected always to run smooth. When Joel passed again the end of the chick. en coop glared with big chalk letters:
 Cant. Out to work all day.
 Joel was Respondent. Not only was he tied to the towpath, but his love also was at work. He thought the matter over as he logged along, now and then gently laying his whiplash on the back of his mule. and when he reached the terminus prepared another letter, longer one-so long that he needed more room to write 1t. He se- lected the door of the canalboat cabin. which he took of its hinges. lay on the deck and wrote as follows:
 dere Mahuldy. l saved $50 dollers I'm lookin fur a homo were two harts kin beet together. Sposen l jine with you an We work your yard fur garden truck fur the market. Prises is hi in town. Stay hum mex time pas. wensday. He ride you a few miles, an we can tawk it over. file pay you the days wages.
 On passing the house the next time Joel carried this bulky letter to the premises and set it up against the fence
 When Joel passed the following Wednesday afternoon Mahuldy was waiting for him with a pillow ito set on" Except for the lack of several front teeth and one eye gone she wasn't bad looking. Joel was much .~IN To al, ( tx.~I mules back and walked along beside her. She told him that she was wid. ow with no incumbrances. She had been permitted to live in the house rent free. It had no especial value, and the land wasn't worth $50 an acre. She accorded with Joel's plan, especial ly as he had money enough to buy the place and stock it. But she was somewhat coy about marrying man she had never seen before and wanted time to consider
 Joel's only objection to delay was that they would wish to communicate, and this was difficult. He had already been obliged to use the door of the canalboat. As his passion grew he would need more space. The only larger stationery he could think of was an old tent he possessed. He might rip out side, write his mes- sage on 1t and set 1t up on poles when he passed. If he needed a still larger space. he might use the whole of. one side of the canalboat.
 Mrs. Wiggins thought the matter over and found that her modesty would not admit of such open lovemaking. Cbo said tho poiybhors ,niyht oot ou