The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-06-19
A CHILD
LOVE
Il Was More Than
That Later
By ETHEL HOLMES

I am an old maid. have never had
. love affair and never expect to have
one. Perhaps this is why take an in
tefest in the loves Of other people
Nothing is 80 attractive to me as to
watch q young couple drifting into
that current which at first moves 80
imperceptibly that they are not aware
they are in 1t. Indeed, so unconscious
are they Of being incipient lovers that
It does not occur to them to conceal
the fact from any one else.
And to me there is something espe.
cially touching about the loves Of chill,
dren. Some deny that there is such
a thing as pair Of children lovers.
deny their negation. and | do SO on
very sound basis. When | was ten
years old was in love with boy of
fifteen. This is the nearest ] ever
came to love.
remember one day sitting at my
window sewing when boy and girl
passed on the other side of the road.
The boys straw hat was dingy, and
there was plenty Of ventilation in its
crown. His only other clothing was a
ings, nothing around his throat, his
collar being open and displaying the
tanned skin. The girls clothing was
neither better nor worse, and there
was about as much Of it.
The two were evidently absorbed in
each other. What they were talking
about was too far from them to hear,
but 1t was Of vital Importance. 1t
may be that the boy had been kept
in" after school and they were indig-
nant over time thus lost in play. It
may be that some urchin had smashed
the china head of the girls doll.
Whatever it was it was being discuss
ed with animation.
And I maintain that these childish
interests are Of more real Importance
for the time being than those which
come later. No addition to an adults
stock Of wealth gives the same zest as
a new toy to one of these little people.
Often afterward l saw these two and
always together. In this they were
different from other children who play,
boys with boys and girls with girls.
learned that they were Henry Morse
and Lila Bunker, farmers boy and
farmers girl. Indeed, we were all
farmer folk, all knew one another, ev-
erybody being interested in some degree
at least in every one else, a simple CON-
munity and more than usually free from
the petty jealousies common to man
kind.
Henry Morse's father was determined
that his son should have good educa-
ton, and the boy was sent away to
school. After this used to see Lila
going by our house, but no companion
supplied Henry's place. She was al
ways alone. and fancied her thinking
Of her other self. But this was simply
fancy on my part. AS have said in
the beginning, not having had any love
affairs Of my own. | conjure up love
affairs for others. In this case Of
Henry and Lila l knew nothing Of
what was passing between them except
from observation, so may be excused
for filling In occasionally that the story
may not seem too disconnected. At the
last was present and shall not have
to draw on my imagination.
When Henry came back from school
there was more modish appearance
to his clothes and to his manners.
Poor Lila. who had remained on the
farm, had only an unadorned beauty
freshened by pure air and sunshine.
They were now about sixteen years
old, though Henry was half head
taller, and could not see that their in.
terest In each other had waned, though
the childish unconsciousness that they
were of different sex had disappeared
1 used to see them go by the house to-
gether as formerly. but the prattle Of
childhood had given place to the more
sober conversation of youth. l often
wished ] could hear what they were
saying to each other.
Henry did so well at school that his
father decided to send him to college.
/ wondered what effect his four years
association with young men and WON.
en- Of the world would have on my pet
love affair. feared that Henry, hav-
Ing become used to the polished girls
he would meet, would return to see In
Lila a country girl lacking the airs
and graces of her sisters Of the city.
Would this ALLEVIATE him? It was to be
expected that it would. And, though
country born and bred myself, l don't
know that those Of us who 20 to the
city and acquire city ways are to be
blamed when we return and yield 5,
dissatisfaction with country ways.
Henry remained away a year at col
lege before he came back to the farm.
Then one July morning, when sitting
ut my window darning socks, l looked
up, and there on the opposite side of
the road were the couple / had first
noticed eight or nine years ago as
children. Though Henry was plainly
dressed, his clothes were not country
clothes. 1t seemed to me that he might
pass anywhere as a city bred young
man. And Lila-how my heart went
out to the poor child In her effort to
dress In a fashion more in keeping