Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1917-02-16
human beings were born into the world
was furthest from his thoughts.

In nature the first step in mating is
to build a nest. In my case there was
lot of preliminary work to do. My
first great object to accomplish was to
induce my mother to procure some
dresses that would reach at least to
my ankles. After much trouble per-
suaded her to engage dressmaker to
come to the house and make me some
summer costumes. By day mother
would give her instructions as to the
length of my skirts, and by night
would surreptitiously lower them while
| they were merely basted. When they
were finished mother would scold the
poor woman for not obeying her orders.
GLOW is your pupil getting on, papa?"
! asked one day.
mot at all. He's stupid as an owl.
He can't even conjugate the present
| tense Of the verb to love-"
college examinations"
Not this year."
Father was not looking at me, so l
! was at liberty to raise my eyes to
heaven with mute thanks and reSolv-
ed that, If the coaching should con-
tinue for another year, in case the in
structor could not teach the pupil how
to conjugate the verb Ito love" would
do 50 myself.
For a year Julian Trowbridge came
and went for his lessons, taking no no.
tice of me whatever. The next spring
I asked father if he thought his pupil
would be able to enter college that year.
Possibly" he replied, 'by hard bon
ing, but he has no taste for the clas-
sizes. don't see why his father wishes
to send him to a university"
HAS he learned to conjugate the
verb to lover" asked.
Father gave me a quick glance. l
had changed good deal within the
year and might now have passed for a
young lady. But he saw no conscious
ness of a double meaning in my de-
meanor and replied:
"Oh, he's got beyond that, Of course,
but he couldn't yet pass an examina-
ton on Caesars Commentaries"
He must be very backward" re-
marked carelessly, and as I left the
room father called to me, you're far
ahead Of him."
This gave me an idea. l had met the
"blockhead" many times, and he was
beginning to treat me with more con-
sideration. One day I said to him: II
think father is too impatient with you.
If you'll let me read Latin with w.
I'm sure Wen be help to each other"
He accepted my offer, and told ia
Their that he might spend the time he
was devoting to Julian in his library,
turning his pupil over to me. Father
was very glad to get rid Of him, and
the very next day Julian and / were
seated ON rustic bench under a tree
with Il copy of Vergil between US.
have boys Of my own now, and
surely would not consent to have one
Of them fall under such an influence as
Julian Trowbridge experienced at that
time. had no more intention of teach
ing him the dead languages than I had
of teaching him to fly in the air. For
tunately for him. however. l had in
herited my fathers ability to learn and
to teach them My object was to teach
him to conjugate the verb Ito love-
Il love, thou lowest. he or she loves, We
love, you love, they love" In short, IN
my code Of instruction every one loved
and that's all they did. But since
Julian's mind was bent especially upon
getting into college and he found in me
more seductive teacher than my
father the lesson resulted more to his
erudition than might have been sup
posed. I didn't care how much Latin
he learned provided he didn't fail to
master the verb Ito love-" Girls be-
tween. say, twelve and sixteen are
usually far more capable Of learning
than boys. This gave me an advan-
tage. l taught Julian Latin and at the
same time deftly wove in that other
instruction which was far nearer my
heart. l prepared him to enter college
and to be my future husband at the
same time. In learning the first he
was not as stupid as my father consid-
cred him; as to the other l confess l.
had a very hard time with him. He
would conjugate the verb Ito love-"
saying II love" with no feeling what
ever. One day while he was doing so
in this perfunctOry way sat very near
him-so near, indeed, that few loose
strands of my hair brushed against his
, cheek. Suddenly there came fervor
into his voice that had vainly ex-
pected for weeks. Then felt an arm
stealing around my waist, and knew
that my pupil was prepared both for
college and to be my lover
He passed his entrance examination
without q condition and gave me all
the credit for enabling him to do so.
But you do father an injustice" I
demonstrated. "YOu must admit
what? That old bookworm? He may
know a lot. but he has no ability what
ever to impart knowledge to any one
else. Why. do you know. he spent
months trying to teach me to conju-
gate the verb to love- without my be-
ing able to catch even the mood. As
for I am loved l didn't know any
thing obOTt IL :"