Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1843-12-15
THE SUCCESSFUL GOING ON OF
MAI. JONES' COURTSHIP.


Miss Mary up 10 the chalk Crismus-
Well, | done if, MS slick a whistle, tho it
come mighty nigh bein a serious undertaken
But I'll tell you all about the whole circum-
stance. The fact is, I'd made my mind up
MORN twenty times to jest go and come rite
out with the whole business, but whenever
got where she was, and whenever she looked
at me with her wihchin eyes, and kind o.
blushed at me, always felt sort o. streeked
and fainty, aud all what / made up to tell
her was forgot, so couldn't tell you nothing
about poppin the question, as they call it..
Its mighty great favor to AK of rite pretty.
gal, and to people as amt used to it, it goes
monstrous hard, don't it, They say wild
ders don't mind it 10 more'n nothin. But
I'm maxim transgression, as the precher
ses.
Crismus eve | put on my new suit and
shaved my face as slick as a smoothin iron
and went over to old Miss Stanley. AS
soon as went into the parlor whar they was
all sitting round the fire, Miss Caroline and
Miss Kesiah both arfed rite out
"There, there" SEES they, 81 told you so
knew it would be Joseph"
whats | done Miss CaroIine?" ses l.
"You come under sisters chicken bone,
and do believe she knew you was coming
when she put it over the door,"
"No, didn't-I didn't, no such thing
now" ses Miss Mary, and her face blushed
red all over
ooh you needn't deny it," ses Miss Ke-
siah, you long to Joseph, now jes as sure as
theirs any charm in the chicken bones"
/ knowd that was first rate chance to
say somethin, but the dear little Greater
looked so sorry and KEEP busbn So couldn't
say nothin zactly to the pint, so | tuck a
chair, and reached up and tuck down the
bone, and put it in my pocket.
"What are you gwine to do with that bone
now, MAORI" SEES Miss Mary
'I'm gwine to keep it as long as live,"
ses /, "as Crismus present from the hand
soonest gal in Georgia"
"When sed that she blushed worse and
worse"
"And you shamed, Major 2" ses she.
"Now you ought to give her Crismus
gift, Joseph to keep all her life" ses Miss
Carline.
"Ah," ses old Miss Stanley, "when was
a gal we used to hang up our stocking
"Why mother |" ses all Of m, "to say
stockins rite afore -"
Then ! felt leetle streaked too, caus
they was all blushin as hard as they could
"Highty-tity ses the old lady-"what
'inement. I'd like to know what harm
there is in stockns. People nowadays is
getting so mealy-mouthed that they can't
call nothing by its name, and l don't see as
there any better than the old time people
was When was gal like you, child,
used to hang up my stockns and get m full
ofpresents."
The gals kept larfin.
"Never mind" ses Miss Mary, "the
Majer's got to give me a Crismus gift
won't you Majer 2"
ooh, yes" says I, you know promised
you one"
'But didn't mean that" ses she.
'I've got one for you, what want you to
keep all your life, but it would take three
bushe bag to hold it, SEES l.
"Oh that's the kind" SEES She
"But will you keep as long as you liver
says |.
Certainly will, Majer."
"Now you hear that, Miss Carline," say:
/, "she ses she'll keep it all her life"
Eyes, will" ses Mary, but what is it,
"Never mind" ses I, ''you hang up bag
what it is in the mornin."
"Mss Carline winked at Miss Kesiai
and then whispered to her-then they boil
laughed and looked at me as mischievous al
they could. They 'spected 'somthin."
"You'll be sure to give it to me now, if
hang up bag, "ses Miss Mary.
"And you promise to keep it, SEES l..
"Well, will, caus know you woudn'
give me nothin that wasn't worth keepin"
They all agreed that they would hang u
bag for me to put Miss Mary's Crismu
present in in the back porch. and about
o'clock told 'em good evening and wen
home.
set up till midnight, and when all wa
gone to bed | went softly into the back gate
and went up to the porch, and thar, shor,
enuff, was great big meal bag hangin t.
the lice. 1t was monstrous unhandy to ge
into it, but was tarmined not to back out
so got some chairs on top of bench, am
got hold of the rope and let myself down in
TO the bag, but Jest as | was gettin in, tn
bag swung agin the chairs, and dow
they went with a terrible racket But no
body didn't wake up but old Miss Stanley
crate big cur dog, and here he cum rip
and tarin through the yard like wrath, an
round and round he went tryin to find wha
was the matter. sot down in the bag an
didn't breathe louder than kittin, for fea
he'd find me out, and after a while he qui
barkin. The wind began to blow Donna
Bile cold and the old bag KEEP turnn roun
and swingin so it made me seasck as tn
mischief | was fraid to move for fear tn
rope would brake and let me fall, and tina
sot with my teeth rallin like | had an agel