hollandgirlOPSomewhere in Canada. B.C., British Columbia Canada4,464 posts
A heart warming story...........The girl with the rose.....................part one............ Posted: Aug 5, 2008, 4:21 PM PST
Whom do you Love? a lovely heartwarming story....
John Blanchard stood up from the bench, straightened his Army uniform, and studied the crowd of people making their way through Grand Central Station. He looked for the girl whose heart he knew, but whose face he didn't, the girl with the rose. His interest in her had begun thirteen months before in a Florida library. Taking a book off the shelf he found himself intrigued, not with the words of the book, but with the notes penciled in the margin. The soft handwriting reflected a thoughtful soul and insightful mind. In the front of the book, he discovered the previous owner's name, Miss Hollis Maynell. With time and effort he located her address. She lived in New York City. He wrote her a letter introducing himself and inviting her to correspond. The next day he was shipped overseas for service in World War II.
During the next year and one-month the two grew to know each other through the mail. Each letter was a seed falling on a fertile heart. A Romance was budding. Blanchard requested a photograph, but she refused. She felt that if he really cared, it wouldn't matter what she looked like.
When the day finally came for him to return from Europe, they scheduled their first meeting - 7:00 PM at the Grand Central Station in New York. "You'll recognize me," she wrote, "by the red rose I'll be wearing on my lapel." So at 7:00 he was in the station looking for a girl whose heart he loved, but whose face he'd never seen.
hollandgirlOPSomewhere in Canada. B.C., British Columbia Canada4,464 posts
Part two the girl with the rose
Mr Blanchards reply to this ..........
I'll let Mr. Blanchard tell you what happened: A young woman was coming toward me, her figure long and slim. Her blonde hair lay back in curls from her delicate ears; her eyes were blue as flowers. Her lips and chin had a gentle firmness, and in her pale green suit she was like springtime come alive. I started toward her, entirely forgetting to notice that she was not wearing a rose.
As I moved, a small, provocative smile curved her lips. "Going my way, sailor?" she murmured. Almost uncontrollably I made one step closer to her, and then I saw Hollis Maynell. She was standing almost directly behind the girl.
A woman well past 40, she had graying hair tucked under a worn hat. She was more than plump, her thick-ankled feet thrust into low-heeled shoes. The girl in the green suit was walking quickly away. I felt as though I was split in two, so keen was my desire to follow her, and yet so deep was my longing for the woman whose spirit had truly companioned me and upheld my own. And there she stood. Her pale, plump face was gentle and sensible, her gray eyes had a warm and kindly twinkle. I did not hesitate. My fingers gripped the small worn blue leather copy of the book that was to identify me to her.
This would not be love, but it would be something precious, something perhaps even better than love, a friendship for which I had been and must ever be grateful.
I squared my shoulders and saluted and held out the book to the woman, even though while I spoke I felt choked by the bitterness of my disappointment. "I'm Lieutenant John Blanchard, and you must be Miss Maynell. I am so glad you could meet me; may I take you to dinner?"
The woman's face broadened into a tolerant smile. "I don't know what this is about, son," she answered, "but the young lady in the green suit who just went by, she begged me to wear this rose on my coat. And she said if you were to ask me out to dinner, I should go and tell you that she is waiting for you in the big restaurant across the street. She said it was some kind of test!"
It's not difficult to understand and admire Miss Maynell's wisdom. The true nature of a heart is seen in its response to the unattractive.
I love that story! To often we judge people by who they are on the outside and not for the person within. I think that is why internet dating has become so popular. We are forced to judge people not by how they look on the outside but who they are as a person on the inside first. Then if we like who they are on the inside we get to know who they are on the outside. JMHO
hollandgirlOPSomewhere in Canada. B.C., British Columbia Canada4,464 posts
countryangel79: I love that story! To often we judge people by who they are on the outside and not for the person within. I think that is why internet dating has become so popular. We are forced to judge people not by how they look on the outside but who they are as a person on the inside first. Then if we like who they are on the inside we get to know who they are on the outside. JMHO
You are wise it will get you somewhere if you keep thinking that way.
hollandgirl: You are wise it will get you somewhere if you keep thinking that way.
Thank you my grandpa tried to teach me not to judge a book by its cover. You never know what inside if you never look. You might miss the best thing that could ever happen to you because you judged the outside verus if you look for what is inside before judging the content.
hollandgirl: Sure hope you are telling the truth here Krazie and if you are, better change your handle as you show your far from crazy guy!
have to admit he is crazy for dating me!!! But he has always been that way since our first conversation here on CS LOL Have to be honest thats what grandpa always said cause once you lose your integerity its gone forever!
hollandgirlOPSomewhere in Canada. B.C., British Columbia Canada4,464 posts
countryangel79: have to admit he is crazy for dating me!!! But he has always been that way since our first conversation here on CS LOL Have to be honest thats what grandpa always said cause once you lose your integerity its gone forever!
Yippee the best news I have had all day! Let us know when your going to jump the broom okay? Very happy for you both!
I always thought a wise woman would have a stringent test to determine if a man has a true heart, modern girls should take note, there would be far fewer broken hearts!!!
hollandgirlOPSomewhere in Canada. B.C., British Columbia Canada4,464 posts
Wedvid: I always thought a wise woman would have a stringent test to determine if a man has a true heart, modern girls should take note, there would be far fewer broken hearts!!!
You are making a good observation here, about passing a test. Both the man and the woman passed the test here did they not?
hollandgirl: You are making a good observation here, about passing a test. Both the man and the woman passed the test here did they not?
Yes they passed the test, and the truth was the search for strong core values was perhaps more important back then. Faith, understanding and honesty were to some far more important in a world gripped by war, where many of the good honest men were drafted and died.
I don't think the 60's did very much for true love and romance. Inegrity seems often to be subject to one's perspective rather than something concrete. I am certainly dreaming of a romance that would involve hand written letters.
hollandgirlOPSomewhere in Canada. B.C., British Columbia Canada4,464 posts
Wedvid: Yes they passed the test, and the truth was the search for strong core values was perhaps more important back then. Faith, understanding and honesty were to some far more important in a world gripped by war, where many of the good honest men were drafted and died.
I don't think the 60's did very much for true love and romance. Inegrity seems often to be subject to one's perspective rather than something concrete. I am certainly dreaming of a romance that would involve hand written letters.
Yes things have greatly changed in the department of love. I don't think we can can it back either. Too much has changed and not all for the better. I grew up without a phone, refridgerator, oven, no Tv. and no computor. You know something I am very glad I did! We kids made up our own games we did not have Toys R Us. Buttons and matchboxes had to do. Al the games we played outside. Something different for different seasons. Eccept for progress in the medical fiels I even think I was born to late. Yes romance and all it entails has changed a lot. But today is today and what can we do but to accept it? Try it least to determine that You for yourself will try to put some romance back.
Report threads that break rules, are offensive, or contain fighting. Staff may not be aware of the forum abuse, and cannot do anything about it unless you tell us about it. click to report forum abuse »
If one of the comments is offensive, please report the comment instead (there is a link in each comment to report it).
Posted: Aug 5, 2008, 4:21 PM PST
Whom do you Love? a lovely heartwarming story....
John Blanchard stood up from the bench, straightened his Army uniform, and studied the crowd of people making their way through Grand Central Station. He looked for the girl whose heart he knew, but whose face he didn't, the girl with the rose. His interest in her had begun thirteen months before in a Florida library. Taking a book off the shelf he found himself intrigued, not with the words of the book, but with the notes penciled in the margin. The soft handwriting reflected a thoughtful soul and insightful mind.
In the front of the book, he discovered the previous owner's name, Miss Hollis Maynell. With time and effort he located her address. She lived in New York City. He wrote her a letter introducing himself and inviting her to correspond. The next day he was shipped overseas for service in World War II.
During the next year and one-month the two grew to know each other through the mail. Each letter was a seed falling on a fertile heart. A Romance was budding. Blanchard requested a photograph, but she refused. She felt that if he really cared, it wouldn't matter what she looked like.
When the day finally came for him to return from Europe, they scheduled their first meeting - 7:00 PM at the Grand Central Station in New York. "You'll recognize me," she wrote, "by the red rose I'll be wearing on my lapel." So at 7:00 he was in the station looking for a girl whose heart he loved, but whose face he'd never seen.