Iowa news. [volume] (Dubuque, Upper Mississippi Lead Mines, Wisconsin Territory) 1837-1841, 1838-04-28
TOM TowsoN'. Story.

J
Ridgley's daughter. Now one can't
tell It as we'll as Tom told it to me, but
| will tell it as well as | can.
| Tom, you see was poor, and had but
sorry education: but he was very
quick to learn, and some said Tom had
the clearest head in the country. Tom
lived on Poverty Plantation, as he call
ed it with old widow Towson, his mo-
Their, and the farm, which was small,
was all they had between them. The
fact is, Tom was handsome fellow, in
homes pun or broadcloth. One cloudy
afternoon Tom went down into Silver
Valley to see old Ridgley about a di-
vision line on Joe Gibson's plat Of Pow
erty Plantation.
| A storm came on just as he drew up
opposite Col. Rridgley's lane gate.
Ridglcy was proud old chap-rich
too-and report said that his daughter
was "almighty" handsome. Now
Lucy had been brought up in the best
style, and was a high lady in the neigh
borhood. Some said that she had re-
fused several capital offers, but that's
neither here nor there, as Tom, you
know, could not think Of her.
Well, the storm ragged, and in rides
Tom--hooks his horse to an apple tree
goes up the wide steps, and ends
with loud knock at the door. Jim
Squirrel opened the door, an old negro,
who had carried water to Toms father,
when he Toms Father) cradled in
Rrdgley's green fields.
"The Colonel in?"
eyes sir, come in,' was the ready
response.
Tom was led into large old fash
toned parlor, where he found the Colo
mel reading, his wife sewing, and his
daughter writing. The old man nod
ded without rising, and told Tom to sit
down; while the old lady very reserv-
eddy drew her chair closer to the wall.
Tom felt little curious.-The daugh-
ter too, threw two or three beautiful
glances at him, which made him feel
Still more curious. He made SO many
blunders in telling bis business, that
a kind smile began to show itself upon
the faces Of all in the room, which en-
couraged Tom, who instantly recover
ed his self-possession, and added to their
mirth by many intentional errors and
oddities.
"Colonel," said Tom, s'it's quite out
Of the question for us TO settle this
now.'
s.Why so?" inquired the Colonel.
"On account Of your daughter, Sir?"
replied Tom.
"My daughter!" returned the Colo
mel, astonished, spray what has she to
do with it?''
"Why," said Tom, 'sshe has knock
ed me into cooked hat with those
black eyes Of hers"
The old lady drew up although she
could not suppress smile, while the
daughter blushed, in spirit Of her at
tempts to laugh contemptuously. -As
for the old Colonel he was so astonish-
ed at Toms impudence, that fora while
he lost the use Of his tongue. They
all looked at Tom in silence, and in the
mean time they remarked his figure,
high forhead and intelligent eye; while
the irresistible good humor ofhis coun-
tenance, entirely disarmed the Colonel,
who burst out with hearty laugh at
Lucy. Miss Lucy curled her sweet
lips into sort of good hundred scorn,
and hastily Withdrew.
The next thing we see is Tom, in
his homespun, seated at the supper ia
BILE, delighting the Colonel with his
droll stories, complimenting the daugh-
ter, and flattering the old lady. The
old lady put a plenty Of sugarin Toms
tea, and Miss Lucy was full half hour
in drinking one cup.
Tom took leave shortly after supper.
'Plague take the tellow!' cried the
old man as Tom rode out into the lane,
and the tears of joy still stood in his
eye.
Z "He is quite handsome" quietly
remarked the old lady.
"Not he," rejoined Miss Lucy, and
a few months after she was Toms wife,
Scene in the West.
= CHART OF HEALTH.
Lone. "A complaint Of the heart grow
ing out of an inordinate longing after
something difficult to obtain. It attacks
persons ofboth sexes, generally between
the ages offifteen and thirty; some have
been known to haveitat lineage ofsixty.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES ofmind; Civ