[Β©2010 BY CLINTON09; ALL CHARACTERS ARE OVER THE AGE OF 18; THE ACCOUNTS ARE FICTIONALIZED AND DO NOT REFLECT UPON ANY ACTUAL PERSON OF THAT PERIOD; FOR AGES 21 OR ABOVE]
[Foreword: This account reflects upon the American Civil War period. As such, 100 years before TV, Playboy, and the like, it re-counts sexual escapades, such as they were, in the Victorian vernacular. In other words, there are far hotter pieces on this fine website than this historical tome. Additionally, many readers will find the ending disturbing. We thank you for coming on board, however; ship's company dismissed.]
It was an exciting moment for me. Up until this point, I had been bored to tears serving aboard various '90 day wonders', those cobbled together merchant ships sporting one or two cannons, converted to blockade the Southern ports. Now, the Navy (USN) had re-assigned me to a new boat secretly being built in the Brooklyn navy yards.
I was assisted in securing lodging not far from those shipyards. Being a farm boy from Ohio, I must say I was impressed by Manhattan: Such a whirligig of trolleys, carriages, local railroads, single riders, and pedestrians. Of course we had horses back in Ohio, but pedestrians? By the hundreds! I am sure that horses would always be a part of Manhattan, of course, but the endless number of people moving about was a new thing for me.
As I was new to these parts, my friend Patrick (also a Navy officer but a native New Yorker) took me to a local dance. Among the various unmarried people was a clutch of four women. Three of them were Brooklynites, while the fourth was a cousin from Kentucky. Eileen was her name, with fair hair and the prettiest visage I'd ever laid eyes upon. As I tried to 'make time with her', my friend Patrick grabbed me and took me aside, with apologies to the ladies.
Patrick: "John, have you gone daft? Are you crazy?"
Me: "What in the world are you talking about?"
Patrick: "About that girl you are courting; her friends told me she was 19. Didn't you notice something about the girl you seem to be sweet on? Her skin is not alabaster pale white, as it should be. A woman should be shielded from the sun and the toils of the field. Her arms fill out her sleeves, her hands rough-hewn. She obviously is a farm girl. Haven't you heard about such women, being a farm boy yourself from Ohio? These 'maidens' work long hours in the sun, their fair skin being ruined until it looks like leather--like tanned leather."
Patrick: " Their bodies are not soft and feminine; instead, they have solid, almost rock hard bodies, their very unladylike muscles showing upon their arms and their stomach. Their legs, tanned as they were, would have shapes to them and also be solid. Their figures would not be the soft, pale, smooth form of a Michelangelo or DaVinci painting. Their waists would become wasp-like, small, from the hard work; their rib cages sweeping upward towards their breasts. Their breasts would NOT be soft, pale, and gently lying atop their bosom. Instead, these farm wenches would have breasts tightly formed and 90 degrees from their bosom, pushing outward."
Me: "Whew, I'm glad you warned me! I cannot imagine falling in love with some blonde wench, her skin bronzed from the sun, her breasts large, firm, and upright. Heavens, a large breasted tanned blonde with a tiny waist and legs tanned, shapely, and firm. To think that farm boys are left with no choices but to amuse themselves with this riff-raff!" [My friend, relieved at my rapid grasp of things, patted me on the shoulder and left the dance hall. For my part, I went to the clutch of four girls, aged 18 to 24, to see if I could secure a more proper woman to court.]
Well, since Eileen was new to the area, the three friends were anxious to get her a beau. In spite of the worthwhile warning from my friend, I split off with Eileen. Soon, we were seeing each other more regularly. It was not always possible to go out, as a chaperone was not always available, but we made due. It turns out she was quite the dancer. The only thing was, she did not keep a proper distance, actually brushing up against me a few times.
I was shocked that I felt the buttons of her blouse poking against my cotton shirt. The shocking part was, those were NOT buttons! My heavens, her nipples must have been hard. I suppose it was cold in that dance hall. I was afraid that she was not a proper girl, so I tested her. I actually put my hand upon her upper arm. She slapped me as any woman would. That was a relief.
I was anxious to 'test the waters' with her, so I proposed marriage. She was delighted, saying yes. Soon we were wed. I could not afford much of a honeymoon, so we had to stay in the area of nearby Long Island called, collectively, the Hamptons. My heavens, what a pathetic collection of dilapidated weather-worn homes, hard up against the sea.
The citizens there were completely oblivious of this terrifying creature, which they called a 'horseshoe crab' walking on their beaches. They also were willing, even enthusiastic to consume an equally strange and terrifying beast they called a 'lobster'. As much as I knew that horses would always be a part of New York, I was even more certain that THAT area would never amount to anything. My opinion was not improved when the owner of our bungalow held me up for a full dollar for each night that we were to stay there...-
Eileen and I had our bungalow near the sea. I was so excited. I must confess that this would be my first sexual encounter. Growing up in a strict, proper home, I had never so much as seen the ankles of my beloved mother and sister, let alone their figures. I will admit that I had had illicit, evil thoughts about them, imagining their naked ankles, naked arms, even naked shoulders. I was so ashamed.