Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1909-11-10
Big Stationery.
IOriginal.1


mitted to himself that he couldn't have
home without woman, and he
never stopped long enough to do any
counting. He was always moving on
the towpath, and how can a man make
love who is continually walking behind
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
board, on which he wrote in chalk:
dere Madam. would be happy to max
yuE6 dQudlIltHCc. dll uTlNel d Iluio
on the towpath. JOEL THROGGS.
On reaching the house in question
he threw the board into the yard
without stopping his mule. This was
Mr.. Throggs' first love letter. 1t 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 chalked
! shud be pleezed to make yourn.
MAHULDY VIRGINS.
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:
wud esteam miself onered eff you
wud tax a ride with me on my mex
trip. The mule has a easy gate. Bring
a 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:
Can't. 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 it. He Sc
lected the door Of the canalboat cabin.
which he took Off its hinges, lay on
the deck and wrote as follows:
dere MahuIdy I saved $50 dollers. I'm
lookin fur home were two harts kin
beet together. Sposen jine with you
an we work your yard fur garden truck
fur the market. Prises Is hi in town.
Stay hum mex time 1 pas. wensday. lie
ride you a few miles. an we can tawk
it over. lie 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 pillow ito set
on" Except for the lack of several
front teeth and one eye gone she
wasn't bad looking. Joel was much
pleased. He helped her up on the
mules back and walked along beside
her. She told him that she was wild
ow with no membranes. She had
been permitted to live In the house
rent free. 1t 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 1t. But she was
somewhat coy about marrying a man
she had never seen before and wanted
time to consider.
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 a side, write his mes
sage on it and set it up on poles when
he passed. II he needed still larger
space. he might use the whole Of one
side of the canalboat.
Mrs. Virgins thought the matter
over and found that her modesty would
not admit Of such open lovemaking.
She said the neighbors might get on
to it. Joel didn't care for the neigh
bors, but objected to the trouble Of
getting up such big messages. He
said mournfully that 'if they KEEP
a-growin' he'd hev to use the mainsail
of GOO ton schooner before they were
married"
This settled the matter. Mrs. Wig
gins, who had already ridden three
miles, got down from the mule. 1t was
agreed between them that Joel should
resign at the end Of the month from
his position of mule driver and as
sumo the position Of husband. But In
the interval Mahuldy was to stay at
home. In order that they might con-
| verse when he passed he was TO buv a