The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1917-03-15
No Fool Like
An Old Fool
And In Love Young People
Are Not Overwise
By J. BERRY CRAPO.

into his study and said to me:
"Frank, | have letter from your
Uncle Mark, in which he offers to
| take you to live with him and leave
you all his property at his death.
You know that, being poor clergy
man, have nothing to leave you,
and by going to your uncle you will
eventually be rich"
"Do you advise me to accept the
Offer" asked my father.
"Thcrc is certain important rea-
son for my not wishing you to do so.
Your uncle is a monomaniac. He
has had love affair which has turn
ed out badly and has conceived what
he fancies to be a hatred Of all wom-
en-. He declares that he will never
marry, ana his spleen is so great
that re wishes so far as possible to
prevent any woman from enjoying
L,s property. He therefore makes
it a condition with you that you
shall bind yourself never to marry"
Being too young to settle such an
important matter for myself, my ac-
tion was decided upon in a family
conference, or, rather, by my moth
er, who, being the last court Of ap-
peal in all matters pertaining to the
household, decided that | should ac-
cept the offer. She gave no reasons
in support of this decision, but it
was supposed that she fancied my
uncle might find a new love and his
antagonism to women would vanish.
In this case | would at least be edu-
Gated by him.
When ! went to live with my un-
Gle he was forty years old. At that
age man, especially if soured by
the miscarriage of love affair, is
not likely to fall into another one.
Instead Of softening toward the op-
posite sex his antipathy increased.
Had my uncle desired to bring me
up to break my contract he could
not have placed me in a position
better calculated to bring about
such a result. An old housekeeper
was the only woman in our home
except the negro cook. We do not
covet what we have, but what we are
deprived of. | went to school with
boys and never associated with girls.
From the time | was fourteen till I
was twenty | did not know what it
was to have a girl friend. When /
saw them on the street going to
school l would turn to follow them
admiringly with my eyes. One day
when | was about sixteen, walking
with my uncle, one of those 1.-the
creatures whose skirts extend only
to their ankles passed me. lie OBJ
served me turn and look at her. !
"You have remarked, | see" he
said to me, "that innocent looking
creature. She is very pretty to look ,
upon, | admit, but under that grace !
and beauty is poison-poison Of the /
most virulent kind. She will grow
up to womanhood without a spark !
of that sense of honor which is born
in US men and which | and your
schoolmasters are endeavoring to
stimulate in YOU" I
| Nevertheless, Uncle Frank" II
replied, "she's mighty pretty" I
| A deep sigh was his only response. ]
This girl l used to meet every dayA
as we were going to school. She!
must have seen admiration in myE
eye, for after awhile she would pass
me with a very conscious look, cast,
ing her eyes in every direction ex,
cept toward me, hitching her shoul- .
ders, brushing back curl that hung
on one Of them or in some other
way indicating that she was awarel
that youngster of opposite sex was !
interested in her. In one of theset
meetings she was sufficiently agitat-i
ed to drop several Of her books. II
took them up and handed them toI
her, she avoiding looking at me as if
l were an ogre, a glance at whose
face would turn her to stone.
Not having any assurance and de-;
string to give her a flower, oneI
morning upon meeting her DROP
ped it on the pavement shortly be-,
fore we passed. l turned, dreading|
to see her walk over it with her.
head turned contemptuously up-\
ward, and when l saw her stoop and
pick it up my heart beat like a trip
, hammer. | considered that l had
been a marvel of bravery. | Won
, dered how had dared do it.
, From the moment l saw her pick
: up the flower | had not the couragel
= to hand her openly l was changed
: man-boy. | grew bold as lion.
A few days later went to school
/, with bunch of violets in my hand
and on meeting her did not fear
/, marvel of courage that I was-to
] toss them to her. She caught them,
!, md the smile she gave me set my
| heart ahame.
And so Dame Nature went on
with her work as quietly as if an old
e curmudgeon was not attempting to