A little wisdom from cupid this Valentines
Valentine’s Day, a day of love in the month of love, February, circled with hearts, candy, and a lot of roses! A time when a young man’s fancies turn to love and toward the fairer sex as he is lost in her dazzling glory. Or as my Ol’ Daddy was prone to say, “A time when their love and ignorance got mixed up!”
Just such a time wandered into the lives of the following couples. Tom and Elanor, early 1900s; A young Oklahoma cowboy drifted out of Indian Territory and found work on the sprawling JA Ranch on the Llano Estacado’s yawning enclosures of Palo Dura Canyon. You see. young cowboys of the day were prone to work hard waiting for payday and a chance to unwind.
Usually this meant riding into town at a breakneck speed where the first of their dollars went to a bath, a shave, and some new clothes. Then they stopped at the nearest saloon and through wine, women, and song, they were able to blow through the balance of their paycheck!
Sometimes, they survived to attend the Saturday Night Shindig at the schoolhouse. And that finds Tom Blasingame bashfully asking Miss Elanor for a dance. This chance meeting grew into a blooming romance and eventually marriage. However this young schoolmarm found the remote stretches of the Campbell Creek Camp more than she could handle and she returned to her hometown of Claude, Texas, to once again become the school marm. And Tom continued with his work, but would periodically ride the forty miles into Claude to visit his wife.
When interviewed later in his life, he was asked the question, “Why did he make this long and treacherous ride and just what was he thinking.” Replied Tom, “ Why I warn’t thinking atall, just enjoyin’ the ride!”
And then there was young Jack Potter and Cordie Eddy, Jack was a Texas cattle drover of the late 1800s whose boss found him daydreaming on the job and advised him to find out what was amiss.
A miss was the problem and Jack rode a hundred miles to see her, practicing his speech all the way, but to no avail, because when he arrived, it was “Howdy Mam,…How’s the crops,…and Say, hows your Ma and Pa!” he was to bashful to talk of love and marriage, but he did ask her to go to a dance with him.
After the dance while they were on the way to her home, he still could not speak of love and marriage, though he knew he had to do it. But for now he bragged about the hoss she rode and maybe could some day be hers. But at the homeplace, he carried her saddle to the barn and led his pony to the gate to head for camp. His one last question as they said farewell was, “Now this here pony, is he mine or is he ours?” To which Miss Cordie replied, “Our pony Jack!” with words as soft as moss, Then Jack claimed he kissed her, but Miss Cordie said he kissed that hoss! S. Omar Barker wrote that poem about his friends Jack Potter and Miss Cordie Eddy in their later years where romance continued to hold them!
There are many love stories including the one of Ol’ Jim Cathey and his young bride Stella. Four years of courtship that persevered through the grace of God and His glory. A match that culminated in the marriage of a beautiful young and winsome Lass and a true country bumpkin. A joining of hearts that has spanned most of sixty years at the present time and growing…but then THAT is another story!
Cupid’s Wisdom
He crawled out of bed at daybreak, a long trail to make,
Miles to ride before day was done,
With purpose in mind, great distance to unwind,
From rising to setting of sun.
He pictured her sweet smile, that carried him a while,
As he pondered on words of love,
Then came visions of her walk, an’ the lilt of her talk,
Like unto the cooing of a dove.
It was the romantic way, the cowboy would say,
Cupid’s arrow was in the air,
When the cowboy was smote, brought songs of love from his throat,
A love tune with a western flair,
And as this scene played out, there was nary a doubt,
Of the words that he would say,
But as he arrived on the scene, Ol’ cupid was unseen,
An’ the words in his mouth would stay.
So he bragged on his hoss, ‘cuz lovin’ words were at a loss,
He was blabber mouthed an’ tongue tied,
But he kept up his hope as together they hit a lope,
Thoroughly enjoyin’ the ride.
But they must cease to roam, ‘cuz it was time to go home,
tho he hadn’t popped that question yet,
but in a roundabout way, he did have his say,
‘Course, not afore sufferin’ a sweat!
An’ the gal rose to the task, knowin’ he’d never ask,
Tho she brought him right to the brink,
Well, he went with a grin, when she lassoed him in
‘Cuz he never saw Cupid’s wink.
When you take a gal for a ride, a cowboy’s tongue gets tied,
Yet talkin’ about a hoss ain’t hard,
So when you get in a stew, that’s exactly what you do,
An’ for that hoss he thanked the Lord.
An’ I tell you to this day, it’s just a cowboy’s way,
Caution to the wind he will toss,
A sweet kind hearted lass, will shore bring things to pass
But it shore helps to have a good hoss!
© Ol’ Jim Cathey
Ol’ Jim Cathey and his young bride Stella wish each of you a romantic Valentine’s Day!
Come join us at First Baptist Marlin or attend a church of your choice.
God Bless each of you and God Bless America!