Paul Shickley lived in Marietta, the beautiful town overlooking the Susquehanna River in central Pennsylvania.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marietta,_Pennsylvania

Sometime around 1910, Paul was given a postcard from a devoted admirer.

The postcard was not mailed, suggesting that it was hand-delivered.

The face of the postcard shows a well-dressed couple kissing amid blossoming trees.

The legend reads, “You are much sweeter than the sweetest blossoms.”

On the leg of the man’s suit, the sender wrote, “Paul”.

There were other pencil markings that might have been words.

I have digitally removed the pencil marks in one image; the original can be seen below.

On the reverse, the same sentiment is repeated – “Dear Paul, you are the sweetest blossom of all”.

The message concludes with, “To My Dear Paul Shickley” and the name, “Mary”.

Paul seems to have been pleased with the scene and the sentiment; he preserved the postcard throughout his life.

From young lovers in the Springtime, one expects expressions of rapture and admiration.

One hopes that Paul and Mary were good and kind to one another, too.