Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Wayne County, Ind.) 1831-1837, 1833-06-01
From the .Nc,r- York Constellation
SCOREFUL MOLLY GRAY.

SsstLilt, tOt a. : pls4sSs1 bAit'eS"s "''~ -
jcct;ng good Offers, in hopes ofgetting
hettcroncs, :hcv not un!requcntly over
stand their market; and in ti!e end are
.ain TO accept Of any oiler they can
ret. il order 10 avoid what they cor
sitcr the more dreadful alternative OF
living and dviag old maids.
Nelly Gray. Of Toppingtown, was
n very pretty lass. and very proud
ore. She was the seventh daughter of
deacon Nehemiah Gray, moderate
farmc-, who. to tax his ability to the
utmost could rot give lis daughters
cac.: Il setting out exceeding two hun
dred dollars. Her six sisters had all
married respectable farmers and me-
chaDics. and were well to do in the
world. But Molly who. was the beau
~ and pride Of the family. resolved to
look little higher than her sisters.
She would not take up with the hum
drum fcllers-thc farmers and me-
chanics Of Toppingtown--nor she. She
wondered that her sisters had no more
respect for themselves than 10 marry
such coarse, uHmanDerly critters. For
her part, sl1c meant to have a man that
was somebody.
Before she was fairly eighteen, she
began to be wooed. Her beauty, the
responsibility Of the Deacon. the Dea-
cons wife, and indeed the whole fami-
~, early procured her plenty Of sui
tors. But they were not Miss MoIly's
taste and though she felt some little
vanity IN being wooed, even by farm
crs and mechanics. she was not to be
thus won.
Her first lover was Joshua Plough
share. He was a sober. industrious.
moral young man oftwcnty-three, well
to live, and resolved on getting wife.
lie was quite taken with Molly Gray,
iDsomuch that he never passed her in
the street or saw her at church, but
his heart beat as though it would fly
out Of bis jacket.
''She's an. all fired handsome gal,
that SAID he to himself, 'and i'll could
oily marry her, should be the hap
pest teller in all Topp.ngtown.'
Indeed Joshua was so smitfen with
the Deacons pretty daughter, that he
thought of little else day and night.
He dreampt other beauty when asleep
and unused upon her charms when Il
wake. Sometimes, when driving his
oxen, and thinking Of his love, he
would exclaim--'Come hither, Mollyrl
meaning Berry, tie name Of his near
OK. And he called a favoritc bay fill,
after the name Of the Dcacon's daugh- |
ter.
The operations OF his heart had All
effect upon his outside; and he took
uncommon pains to appear spruce at
church, at evening parties, and
wherever there was the least proba-
bii;ty Of meeting with bis charmcI.
Indeed he laid out more money upon
clothes than his habits Of economy
would otherwise have permitted. mere
iy TO render his person attractive in
the eyes of Molly. Thus he endea-
,ored to make favorable impression
upon ncr heart. but on the subject OF
love 1t was Il long time before he ven
tuGcd 10 break the ice. lie loo ked.
and blushcd, and sighed. but said not
II word on the theme which he most
wished to speak upon.
At length. however, bis resolution
was screwed TO the sticking point. and
orc Sunday evening, in the month of
May, be!le!d Joshua tying his bay FLY I
TO Il hook at one corner of Deacon
Grays house, Molly was looking out
-; the window at the tine-whether
in expectation Of Il spark, or mcrcI,
10 eljoy the beauties of the spring,
history saith rot; but as soon as she
saw Mr.. Ploughshare ride up. she
modestly withdrew behind the cur
tain.
As soon as Joshua had pulled down
the legs of his unmentionables, which.
socthc to say. had slipped very consi-
deratly for want of straps. he tapped
at a.e door, but so timidly, that his
heart beat nearly rs loudly as his hand.
walk in.'' said the Deacon in a
loud voice. i'll order TO drown the noise
of the deg. who like many ether un-
manncr'y ours. always received strar-
gers with a bark.
Notwithstanding. however. the
Deacon spoke loud, Joshua did not
hear him. and was obliged 10 knock
again.
.Walk mr. replied the Deacon lou
der than before. but Just at that IL
slant in addition 10 the barking Of the