Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1829-08-07
A FATHER.
from the Yankee
TIE SLEIGH RIDE

the other day, heard a terrible noise in the
bar,ro"m, and thinks I, iii just put my head in
a heap of fellows, here's Johnny Biddle, he'll 90
and that makes ten,-and hauled me IN among
them What's the occasion says 10, sleigh
ride over tn Shaws (every body goes to Shaw's
that goes Safeguarding )wth gals, fddIes, and
trolic Whoorah, says I. l motion says Dr.
Partridge, that every gentleman go right straight
now, and get his sleigh and lady, and meet at
| Hank s col ner and with another whoorah we
burst out of doors and scattered.
1run full speed to the widow Beans Her
daughter Patty's the handsomest girl in Cascon-
| bay had given her some pretty broad hints,
and only waited for good chance to pop the
question. And out it shall come this very night,
| says l.
bounced into Widow Beans out OF breath,
and was near catching Patty in the suds. She
had Just done washing, and was wrnging out,
standing in the midst of tubs, pals, mops, and
| kettles. She strrck all of heap at the
sight of her spark, and would have blushed nicely
| lguess, If she hadn't been asred she should
| be already. word N your ear, Patty, says l.,
giving her n wink, and stepping aside into a cor
ner, and told her what was brewing. Ill run
and borrow the Deacon's sleigh and come back
| right away, saysI. Dye needn't be i'm such a
tearin' hurry, says she, for I have to shift from
top to toe You see what pickle am in. All,
| Fatty, says i, beauty when unadorned is adorn-
| cd, the-well ] VOW, says Patty says she. And
OIL shot, for how was l to follow up such bold
speech, butt couldn't help staggering all the
| way to the Deacon's to think how swimmngy
matters were going on. j was 80 full of this that
| | entirely forgot to make up a story to fob off
upon the Deacon, till got almost to his door,
| tor the Deacon is sworn enemy to all frolicking
and so is his mare. I'll tell him, says L. I'll tell
him, l want to carry a grist to mill. But that
Will be found out--no matter so it is after the
election as the politicians say.
| The Deacon give mortal squint at nv face.
when l'did my GRAND, but ( was safe behin,.
shirt collar. He then fell to chewing his cud
and considering. Mothers clean out says I-bo.h
rye and injun. The Deacon spit Well neigh
bour, If you arc afear'd to trust fellow, here's
two shilllDgs aforehand Poh, poh, John, saws
he, walking mp and pocketng the money, not
trust you hear that-now Joshua tackle up
Sukey. You'll drive the critter slow-and now
l think on it, you may bring back my grist, that
is now at the mill-and look sharp at the miller,
| John, when lie strikes the to II measure. II wos
| too late to stick at lies now SO promised eyerv
thing, Jumped into the Sleigh and steered to the
| widows with flying colors. 1t is the height of
gentilIty, you must know, for lady to make her
beau wait as long as possible, on such an occa sion
. sat oyer heap OF warm ashes in widow
Beans parlor, listening to Patty stamping about
in her stocking feet, in the chamber over head
for one good hour. Then ] stood uo to the
looking glass and frizzlcd up my hair, changed
my shirt pin to a new place, thought over some
speeches to make under the Buffalo skin. and n.
/ ln
sort of sianting fashion.
At last Patty appeared in her glory ; and was
just crooking my elbow to lead her out. when
in como mother Bean, Where are YOU pwyin TO
Patty A sleigh riding mother What, and leave
your cousin Dolly all alone, to suck her fingers !?
| a pretty howd'ye do that, after coming all the
way from Saco to you. Here was knock
down argument. All my plans of counting and
| comfort melted down and ran off in a moment
saw directly Chat the widow was resolved To
push big Dolly Fisher into my sleigh, whe Their
or no and there was no remedy for the widow
Bean is stump That is neither to be got round
nor moved out of the way. made some mention
| about the small size Of the Sleigh but she shut
| my mouth instantly. Let me alone, SAYS she /
went sleghing afore you was born, youngster
And IT don't know how to pack sleigh, who
does-Patty Bean, stow yourself away here
and stink yourself up small, if there isn't room
| as the fellows used to say. Now Dolly, hoist
| yourselfin there. And she tumbed her into
the sleigh like shot from shovel, or a cartload
otPumpkIns into gondola. 1t was chuck full
Johnny Biddle, in my day, they used to pack us
| layer upon layer At this hint, | sDeaked round
| to Patty, to begin the second layer upon her Ian
Butthe widow was wide awake. She clencbed
me by the collar, and patting upon Dolly's
knees, here's the drivers seat, says She Plant
your feet fiat, firm, nice, Jump up JOHNNY
and now away with her my lad
ny tins time had got so ravin mad that 7
could hold in no longer. / fell foul of the old
mare, and If didn't give it to her about r;gbt.
then there's more ONE, that's all. The Deacon
| counted the welts upon her hide a week after
wards, when he called on me toa reckoning
which was made with chalk upon the Upper fan
OF his every day hat Sukey not upderst,nd;na
such jokes, took the DIT in her teeth and shot oR
right on eeDd, like a flash OF true Connecticut
l.ghtning. 'emini how ye swmmed over it.
And the houses and barns, and fences and nras
tyes flew by us like scud by the moon. And
yonder Is Hanks corner. Whorab and ,yboo-
rah, answered all the ladies' and gentlemen with
one voice Sukey, scared at the noise, turned
tne corner win firt and the sleigh was bottom
upwards I'm a-whoa there whoa The firsf
thing knew was that was in the bowels IF i,
snow bank, Jammed dswn under half ton of Dbl
w FIsher. thought | should never soc dsv
light agan--and when they hauled me out. I
lett print IN the snow very much like cooked
up hat knocked into the middle of nert woaL
as the sailors say.
however, no bones were broken We shook
our feathers and crept into our nest again laugh
ing as loud as the best Of them. T'he sleishs
were now formed into string, the fiddler follow
ing, anu away we started on the road to Shaw's
bells juggling, fiddle sounding, and every body
halIooing and screaming for joy.
Peter Shaw heard the racket two miles of,
TOT no was Always on the look out of a moon sbi-
ny night. He fell to kicking up a dust in the
best room, TO put it TO rights and whom we ar
oo hoo, was swept, the best japan can
wood, and little Ben was anchored close SSnder
the Jan to tug at the broken 2winsed bellowses. |
NO ire appeared, but there were strong symtoms |
OF ~, tor there was no lack of smoke and part
OF Ut missing the way up the chimney, strayed |
aoont the dancing room, which give me a chance
70 hat off another comp iiment upon Pattv,s boau.
", as Dcing the cause of drawing the smoke
Every Body laughed at the novelty Of the idea
but there was no time tor chat. AS soon a, we