Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1835-04-16

ter, and he went to work and pumped
the whole secret out of me. Then he
4 seemed so friendly that up and told
him all my experience with the women
from beginning TO end.
"Well John, saws he, 81 advise
YOU now, to wait till the twenty ninth
ofFcbruary when the gals turn round
and court the fellows. It's none of
\ my business. but, if / was you, would
not let the women make fool of me
any more"
Wen, took resolution and stuck
! to it firm; for whenl once set up my
ebenezer ] am just like a mountain. -
stuck to it till along pretty we'll into
January, when | bad to 90 10 singing
school. / MUST go to singing school,
Tor was leader in treble, and there
was no carrying on the parts without
me. But that was nothing, if it had
not fell to my lotto go home with Han
nah Peabody, four times running. Pc.
likeness before every thing. Well, she
kept growing prettier and prettier eve-
ry time, but only grit my teeth and
held on the harder,
BY and by, Sabbaday came round,
and felt sort Of uneasy, moping about
home and says ], this resolution will
never set well upon my stomach with
out air and exercise; and before | had
done thinking of this | was half way to
Capt. Pcabody's. twas about daylight
down as was passing by the kitchen
but hearing sort Of snickering inside,
| slipped up and peeped into the win-
dow, just out OF cusiosity.
There was no candle burning-for
Mrs, Peabody issaving oftallow-but
| could see Hannah and Poll Partridge, |
the help, telling fortunes, in the ashes, |
by fire light. turned round to 90 Off |
and run right agin Jack Robinson
Jack was come TO step out with the
help, and would insist upon it that !
should go in and see Hannah. "She
hasn't had spark this month";" saws
he, " and in you shall go, orI'll lick
ye."
Well, there was no lodging here,
and NIL | had TO do was to grin and
bear it. SO in I went, and once in,
good bye to resolution. The short & !
the long oft is, | was soon as deep in
thomud, as had been in The miro. But
/ bad another guess chap than Sally
Jones to deal with now. And here was
the difference between them. Where
you got slap in the mouth from Sal
Hannah kept ye Off with scowl and
cock up of the nose. And madam
couldn't bear handling. With her it
was talk but hands of Mister"
Butt rather guess had cut my teeth |
by this time. III hadn't learnt some
thing about the nature of women, the
kicks | had taken from all quarters had
fell upon barren ground. There is no
way ofdeaEng with them but to coax
and flatter; you gain nothing, let me
tell ye, by saving ofsolt sonp; and you
must be sly aboutit. II is no way to
catch wicked devil of a colt, in a
pasture, to march right up, bride in
hand; you must sort Of side along as
ifyou was going past, and whistle, and
pretend TO be looking tother way and
so, round and round till at last, YOU
corner him up; then jump and clinch
him by the torelock. O, I'm not so
great fool as might be.
But it was long tedious business,
before Hannah and ! could COME to a.
my sort Of an understanding. There
was old Captain Peabody was stump
in my way. He was aman that had
no regard for politeness he travelled
rough shod through the town, carrying
high head and a stiff upper lip, as
much as TO say g ] owes nobody MOTH
ing by" He had been a skip
per, and sailed his schooner all along'|
shore, till he got to be forehanded:
then went back up the country and set
down TO farming. But / never truck
lie to man, if he's as big as all out of
doors. And after he poked his fist in
my face one lection day, we never
hitched horses together.
Well, was afraid TO go to the house
and court Hannah in the regular way,
| had to carry on the war just when Il
where | could /; sometimes of dark
night, | could steal into the Kitchen
But my safest plan was to track her TO
the neighbours houses where she went
, to spend evenings skulk about till she
started home, then waylay her on the
road. Pretty poor chance, this, you'll
say. But as if this wasn't enough,
Hannah herself must join in to plague
me half to death.
You see, | wanted TO let her know
what | was artcr in a sort Of a delicate
underhand way, and keep myself on