Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Wayne County, Ind.) 1831-1837, 1837-05-20
MIscRlLANEOUS SELECTIONS.


MlscRILANEOUS SELECTIONS.
mr. VILLAGE PnzE.
In one Of the loveliest villages Of old Vir-
a;nia there lived in the year I75-, IN old man
whose daughter was declared, by universal
consene. % be The loveliest maiden in oil the
country round. Tho veteran, in his youih'
Ia been athletic and muscular aboveaan his
sjlows; and his breast, where - always.
wore them, could show the adornment Of
three medals, received for his victories 10
0vmnastic feats when . young man. His
6suahter was now eighteen. and had been
souehs in marriage BY many soitors. One
brought weaIth-another fne persOn-an-
other this. and another that. But they were
Ill refused BY the old man, who became at
last . by.word for his obstinacy among the
Young men of the village and neighborhoOd.
Al length the 18th birthday Of Annette,
bis charming daughter, who was as amir
able and modest as she was beautiful, arrived.
The morning Of that day, her father invited
al the youth Of the country to hay making
froliek. Seventeen handsome and industrious
young men assembled. They came not on
" 20 make hay bot also to make love to the
fair Annettee. In three hours they had filled
the fathers barns with the newly dried grass
and their own hearts with love. Annette
bv her fathers command, had brought the
malt liquor Of her own brewing, which she
presented to each enamored swain with her
own fair hands.
~Now, my boys" said the old keeper of
the Jewel they al cOurted, as leaning on their
pitchforks they assembled round the door in
The cool Of the evening, "Now my lads, you
have nearly oil Of you made proposals for my
Annettee. Now. you see, don't care any
thing about money or talents, book learning
lo~ vn:n~-I NC vsyelo hv
al q any man in the country.--But want
her to marry man Of her own grit. Now,
you know, or ought to know, when was a
yOungster could beat ything in all Virgin
nv in the way O. leaping. got my old wo-
man BY beating the smartest man on the Eas-
tern Shore, and I have took the oath and
sworn il, that no man shall marry my daugh-
ter without jumping for it. You understand
me, boys. There's the green, and here's An
nette,' he added, taking his daughter, who
stood simidly behind him, by the hand. 'Now
the one that jumps the iurtherest on dead
level: shall marry Annette this very night"
This unique address was received by the
yeung men with applause. And many a
youth, as he bounded gaily forward to the ar.
ena Of trial, cast glance Of anticipated vic.
tory back upon the lovely object Of village
chivalry.-The maidens left their looms and
quilting frames, the children their noisy sport:
the slaves their labors, and the old men then
ar,n-chairs and long pipes, to witness and tri
umph in the success Of the victor. All prOph
esied and many wished it would be young
Carroll. lie was the handsomest and bes
humored youth in the country, and all knew
the strongest mutual attachment existed be
tween him and the fair Annette. Carroll ha'
and in a country where such athletic achieve
ments were the sine qua non Of mans Gle
verness, this was NO ordinary honor. In
contest like the present he had, therefore, ey
cry advantage over his fellow dthletc.
The arena allotted for this hymenial cor
test was level space in front Of the villag
inn, and near the centre of a grass plat. n
served in the midst Of the village, denomin;
ted the ~green." The verdure was qui,
worn of at this place BY previous exercise
ofa similar kind, and hard surface If san,
more be6ttingly for the purpose to which
was to be used, supplied its place.
The father Of the lovely. blushing, an
witisal happy prize, (tOr she we'll knew VII
layers were the judges appointed to decid
upon the claims Of the several competitors
The last time Carroll tried his skill in this e
ercise, he 'Acleared" to use the leaper's phra
eology---twentv-one feet and one inch.
The signal was given, and by lot the your
men stepped into the arena.
edward Grayson, seventeen feet" erie
one Of the judges. The youth had done
utmost. He was a pale, intellectual studeu
But what had intellect to do in such an
renal Without look at the maiden he Il
the ground.
~D,ck Boulder, nineteen feet" Dick vi
laugh turned away, and replaced his CO;
~Harry Preston, nineteen feet and thr
snChna U-MWeol drnN Harry Ppestov, che
ted the spectators, ''you have tried hard
the acres and homestead"
Harry also laughed, and sworc he on
jumped for the fun Of the thing. Harry "
rattle brain fellow, but never thought
,nasrimony. He loved to walk and talk, a
laugh and romp with Annette, but sober m
viage never came into his head. He on