The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-08-08
Che MeDOnS Of
|A6lhyitalli11t1fzRzl
/ BY
ROBERT HERRICk

with serious. cold gray eyes and
mouth that was always laughing at
you. l can see today the very spot
where she stood when l first spoke to
her. Good weather l used to drive
over from fathers to Eureka, and one
spring morning happened to drive by
the Ridge farm on my way to school
instead Of taking the pike. which was
shorter. There was long level stretch
Of road straightaway between two
pieces Of green meadow. and there
ahead Of me 1 saw the girl. walking
steadily, looking neither to the right
nor to the left. l slowed up with the
idea that she might give me a nod or
a word. But she kept her pace as
though she were thinking OF things too
far off to notice a horse and buggy on
the road Somehow I wanted to make
her speak. Pretty soon l said:
won't you ride to school with me,
Miss May"
Then she turned her head. not the
least nustered like other girls. and
looked me square in the eye for min
ute. I knew she was wondering what
made me speak to her then, for the
boys at school never took notice Of the
college girls. But she got into the bug
gy and sat prim and solemn by my
side. We logged along between the
meadows, which were bright with
flowers and the soft. green grass OF
spring. The big timber along the
roadside and between the pasture lands
had just leaved out. and the long
branches hung daintily in the misty
morning air. All Of a sudden / felt
mighty happy to be there with her.
think her first words were. do you
come this way often?"
Perhaps l shall be coming this way
oftener now" made bold to answer.
Her lips trembled in little ironica
smile, and the least bit Of red sprane
into her white face. l said, "It ISM
,as short as the pike, but it is a pref
tier road"
The smile deepened. and l had it or
my tongue to add, II shall be coming
this way every morning If you will
ride with me-" But l was afraid Of
that smiling mouth.
(Of course l didn't tell his honor al
/ this, but l add it now, together with
other matters that concern me and be
long here. 1t will help to explain
what happened later)
So that fine spring morning, when
was seventeen, l first took note Of
what a woman is. The rest Of tina
year l used to drive the prim little
girl back and forth between her ia
TIERS farm aud school. l was NJ
che
about with the other girls to parties
She wasn't in the least free and cas-!
with the boys. In those days mos
girls didn't think much of fellow
who wouldn't take his chances to kiss
them when he could. Evenings. whe1
We called, we used to pull the parlol
| door to and sit holding hands with thu
young woman Of our admiration. An(
no harm ever came Of it that l know
Most of those girls made good wive:
when the time came, for oil they were
easy and tender and ready to maxi
love in the days of their youth.
| But once when I tried to put m,
| arm about May Ridge as we were
driving along the lonely road she turn
ed and looked at me out Of those colo
gray eyes. Her mouth rippled in tina
lille ironical way, as If she wer'
laughing down in her mind. She neve
said word or pulled away from me
but l didn't care to go on.
| May gave me ambition. and sh'
made me want to be steady and good
though she never said anything abou
1t. But now and then l would breal
away and get myself into some foo
scrape. Such was the time when
came back from a Terre Haute part!
pretty light headed and went with SOM
others to wake up the old Methods
president of the college. l don't re
member what happened then, but thu
next morning at chapel the old boy lie
loose on wine and wantoning' ant
called me by name. / knew that hat