The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-04-05

father had TO borrow backing from
the neighbors Sunday morning in or
der to make a genteel appearance at
church service.
Next Imogene taught me by divers
lnsinuating remarks, whispered across
the aisle, TO keep my fingernails clean.
Mother marveled She had labored
tenaclously to this end, without avail
Imogene's teeth were as white as
pearls and showed cleaning and pure
between her red lips. She had
pretty way Of exhibiting them, even In
those days--and one day awoke to
the realization that mine were neither
white nor pure. How the gums gave
up their blood that night!
And thus, little by little, a boys
love was modelling me into a beau
IDEAL. To be sure, the promptings
we're all given clandestinely across the
5chool-room aisle On the school
ground my preference for Imogene
was now and then exhibited by sud.
len twitch at her long braids, at which
she always assumed great Indignation
and called me BOBBY, or something
equally despicable. But in her heart
Of hearts knew she was only trying
to hide her confusion at loves first
awakening.
And then one night, under the CLINT
ing stars, | walked home with her
from a party!
That was the beginning of the end.
IN another month or so she had
donned long skirts-and mercy, how
that girl did rush into womanhood!
was still in my baseball age when
she married a telegraph operator and
vent out OF my life forever!
can see her now as she looked the
day before her wedding. which was in
June. She was beautiful and there
was glow Of health and JOY in her
face that BODIED i'll for me. passed
rcr house and saw her emerging from
he garden, radiant and happy.
3louched by with my baseball mask
under my arm, worried and sick at
heart
"What makes girl grow so much
faster than boy?" | was asking my.
celf over and over. And all day long
| was disconsolate and sad. Imogene,
the girl who had taught me to keep
my hands and my teeth clean, the girl
who had instilled in me neatness and
pride of personal appearance, limo.
gene, my first love, was going away!
Five years later when saw her, she
had face like a hatchet, a squalllng
baby and waddled when she walked!
Phyllis and I.
Phyllis lives upon the hill
Where the sun is glowing.
She has caught the roses flush
From the zephyr's blowing.
In garden Phyllis sits
Preenng to the brcczes-
She is rich and Phyllis does
Anything she pleases!
! am Just lowly maid,
Neither rich nor witty.
Phyllis clothes are made 'in France
Mine are merely pretty.
She has lovers 10y the score
| have none but Billy.
He WILL. have me, yes or no,
Sure or willy-nlllyl
Thyllis does not know her heart
Docs not trust the suers
When maid has wealth and place
She has ardent wOoers
But simple maid like me
Knows though wllly-nilly.
There In no one In the world
quite so nice as Billyl
% o o
A Minnesota woman lost a diamond
from her ring. Just as she caught
sight OF It in the grass, a bluejay
darted in front of her and swallowed
the jewel. She offered reward Of
$3.50 for the recovery Of the prize and
after all the town boys had failed, a
country boy caught a blueiay in a fg-
ure four trap. Upon killing the bird
and investigating. the boy found there
was no diamond Ia the birds Interior.
-RfRON WILLIAMS