Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-07-06
From, the Mer Bedford Gazeite.
AUNT PEGGY'S COURrSHIP.

sandy. Gou forgotten spot: me Terror vi mari
ners! the snare Of bachelors! that dear, h0mely
out o. the way isle Of the ocean, where all the
sons are brave, and all the daughters-faIse-
alas. that such should be fact! and have been a
thousand times assured Ut its truth; and as [
could scarcely believe the tale in its fullest ex-
tent, had frequently revolved in my mind whe.
Their there was not something on our part which
provoked this usage from the FAIR, when bust.
mes, called me to the island, few months ago,
and / determined not To leave it until | had slf.
led the matter to NV entire Satisfaction. had
a comely aunt there, who ia her younger days
had been reputed a coqnette. aud OF her Il re.
solved 10 learn what tSid procured tor the lair
isls aders this unworthy character caug ht her
one iay in what she termed a clamonHg mood,
aud forthwith commenced operations with such
a etst Of queries, guesses, aud Insinuations, that
she Oegan to suspect my design
.Weii,' says she,' -pose thee means me-
You. INV good aunt.' said l, 'upon my word
| never th0ughi-
.pah! know what thee is arter; somebody
has Dspn teilin thee a lockram about Old times
when vas IN nv galship Yes, YES, dare
say they pictured me out 10 kill No don't thee
believe word on't. and if thou'Itprnnise not
to iaugli at an old woman for telling love s'ores
~! give thee all the rIngtums aud thee may Judge
whether | was to blame.
AUNT Peggy, Said |. with decent gravity,
III BE- as grave as an oyster.
Hold thy tongue. sauceb0y. aud don't inter
rupt. Well. in the first beginning thee must
know tha, it was the way formerly Tor felers and
gals to 90 together in gangs; there was the up.ih-
town gang, the Weseo gang. the Ponqua gang.
and forty -leven besides. We was the Ne"to-
ners. Afterwards they called them companies;
Z, ;otio. E,r. hut hon au
consarn There va, about dozen of Us, aud
capshee times We used to have junkettin, and
frnIickin aud slcha There was one teller in the
gang nsmed 10 Ray-may be thee's heered on
him mine nnnurrd uncle! he was il raal smart
voungster, aud all the gals would a. jumped to
a. had him IN minute liked him well enough
IN self but a0nld'nt let him know il. Tor fear
he would be olfish; aud kinder though, he
had sneakin notion. | a'anta going to tell
thee a the ringtums OF our cOurtship, only il was
finally set down that Peggy Darling wa, artereG;
and 10 Ray had to pay his treat Well, pretty
soon from that 10 went to sea, and afore hr went
he told me | mus, be true ana constant, ana
write to him by every ship. (tor my father and
mother bein quakers, had considerable of an
education for them times,) and he wound off with
sayin, Nov Peggy mind what say, and don't
20 for to be having any thing to say with thea
other felIers. Tor it would go nigh to break my
heart il thee did, 1t makes the enemost cry now
to think how pitful ID looked. 'WeiI.' says [
Il wont, says 1, and he lett his watch with me- to
take care of, aud telIed me to think OF him when
| wound it up. twas lovely great watch,
can seem to hear it tick now. Well, finally he
went, and felt sorter lonesome for good while,
and when the gals come after the TO 60 a croisn
or any thing, I wouldn't stir my length, but
staid pokin at home, till at last thinks |, ~har's
the use! 10 will be gone this two years, and when
he does come home there is no sartalniy about
nothin; SO I went into the gang again; but
was constant to 10 all the time. and looked out
for letter every ship that came.
Wel-abOut this time there was skyIarkin
Teller right straight fr"m Bnston, that some how
or other got greet with US, and we give HIM an in
vte to jine u.s. He was a 50 neat and so mincin
and so perlite there was no living. and he always
consulted that all the gals was betwottled to get
him, list because he come from Boston town
and he want nothin but little counter jumper
to a broken merchant arter all. But | let him
know pretty middIng quick that didn't care
sumarkee for doZen jist ike HIM; bleye it was
tor that very reason that he took to takln sight
o. nutice of me, and always went home with me,
and all the gals was ready to die. His name was
John Dino.
Well-one fust day we all went 10 take walk
down to the cawbars; comm home John Dn0,
maneveted round and contriyed to get along side
of me. so when he had got along considerable
ways il was pretty dark, and says John, saws he.
Peggy sposen we dodge and run away from the
rest Well. says $50 with that we cut round
Xii CoIeman's corner up through Jethro Folger's
aIey--way down back of aunt Rhoda Mays,
and they missed US entrely; but lost one OF
my tottIed heeled shoes and thought die [
should. for could not demise what he could
have to say SO viIent private; and we walked
along ever so far and he never opened his lips;
at last couldn't keep in any longer and snek.
cred right out. He thought was Iaughn at him.
and he gifted round his great black eyes and ask.
ed what the matter, was; nothin' says H. only It
is lucky faint daylight, for guess should look
pretty queer if it was, ,rotoxin about with only
one shoe on .One shoe on, says he, how
came that aret' So told him how dropt it Cd
when we split round the corner; and then o! such
conniption as he was in tor tear should k,teh
IL, r.. - ,v,s hinder slopDv. and he All