Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1849-09-26
How Seth Hawk is,s stGie the Old
Lldy's Night Gown. t

n.
) very generally believed 10 be true. whic,
ihouSh true or false. throws a bit Of n.
nance around the plain r,af,er-of fac,
business OF Seth Hawkins cour,ship-a
, cour;ship not otherwise renarkahle f,y
INCIDENTS other than the common sort.
VIZ: suspicion of inten'ion. accredited
attentions and happy consumatioii, as
'every body does it,
IhIs little incident, 50 the talk runs. n.
mong the ncighbors. was a level in lis
way ana shook with laughter the whole.
community of that quiet town for "a lonr
time. from the parson OF the parish down
to the very toe nail OF the local body po-
little.
Sunday night was the season which
Seth chose on which TO do weekly de.
yours. as Mrs. Horribly would say: and
his road to neichbor Jones' whose daugh
ter Sally was the ohiec, of his particular
hope, lay across three long miles OF hard
| territory, stumpy as an old woman's
mouth and as irreclainable as a prodpal
son gone away for the third time.
One all sufficient dark night, unheeJ-
ing wind and weather, AZ rallan,
and spruce a lover as ever s,rads,led n
stump. Seth. ''in the best bib and tucker"
and dickey. and all that. started npon his
accustomed weekly pilgrimage TO the
shrine of Sally Jones-a sweet GIRL bv
the way, as strawberries and cream are
sweet.
Seth knew every land mark, if no
could see it. but the night was very dark,
and IN little while he became confused
IN his reckoning; and taking the liuht
which cleaned from farmer Jones' cot
ta9e IN the distance for a guide, he push.
ed boldly on. regardless of Intermediate
difficulties. surging occasionally to the
right CT lett as some obstruction rose in
his pafh. until he ran stem on, as sailor
would say, to high stump. and rolled
incontlnently over the other side.
lie gathered himself up as best he
could shook himself 10 ascertain that no
bones were broken. and then re-started
Oh ms mission OF love, his ardor some-
what damPed by feeling the cold night
wind playing in fantastic jets around his
BODY, denotng that the conclusion had
preached his oh -tie-for shames, and thai
thc seven and siNpenny cassmeres were
no more to be the particular delight of his
eye IN contemplation Of their ariis.ical cy-
TIC knew not the extent Of the DANA.
Ses sustained, but soon gaining the house.
MS ilfst glance was over his person. to
ascertain IL decency would be violated by
an unwonted display, but seeing nothing.
and trusting to the vo.umino,s propor
tons OF his coat for conccalment he felt
rc-asSurcd. and took his seat ia a prof
fered chair by the fire
whist conveTsing with the farmer
about the weather, and with tho dame un-
on the matter OF cheese, he glanced at
,any and saw with painful surprise that
she was looking rather anxiouslv and
somewhat strangely towards a portion Of
ms dress. She averted her ewes as she
caught ms glance, but again catching her
eye upon iiinl, ie was induced to turn hi,
III me same direction. and saw. rood
heavens. was II his shiri! oozing ont of
SIX men aperture in the inside of one Of
ms ihcxpressib!es! He Instantly CHANGED
MS position, and from that moment was
on hettles Was he making more reve-
lations by the change! lie watched tho
,ifst opportunity 10 push the garment in
iituc; could he succeed in hiding it, it
would relieve his embarrassment. Acain
ne watched his chance and again slowed
away his linen II seemed inicrninable
IKE the Doctors tape wortr.) and the
more he worked at il the more there SEEM
ed left seine
In the 'n" meantime h.s oony,;, -.
he nue. OF his agony, and his ~ ON
'ofe as much relation TO the questions
'sked, as the first lines Of the song nf
solomon does TO the melancholy burthen
# "Old Marin Pettingill''
NJ last. with one desperate thrus,. the
shoie disappeared, and he cas-, trium.
'hant glance toward Sally. One look
ufiiced to show him tn at she had compre-
'endcd the whole, and with the greatest
fort was struggling 10 proven, laugh.
Meeting his glance she could contain
erseif no longer. bu, screaming with ac-
umulated fun. she fled from The room.
nd poor Seth, unable 10 endure This last
urn OF his agony. seized his hat and dash
Il madly from the house. clearing the
Jumps Ike a racer in the dark. and
eaching home he hardly knew when or
ow.
As soon as he was gone. Mrs. Jone,
'oked about for clean night gown that
ne had out for service on the back of the
hair on which Seth sat. She was posi-
We she took il out, but where upon ear.I,
was she could not conceive
''Sallyl" cried the old lady from ,he
oer. shave yon seen my night gowny,
Eyes M echoed her voice, as if i'm the
st stage OF snffocafon, .ycs'n. Sell,
awkins wore il horne,''
1t was unfortunately tie case, and
Dor Seth had slowed j, away in the crew
'se OF his pants. 1t was returned the
ext day. will, an apology; aud he subse,
lently married Sally, aui many wears
if an article of any dcscrip-
On was missing. Of apparel or otherwise.
&c first suggestion was sure TO be that
eth Hawkins had slowed it way in his
owsers.
How the story got about nobody knows
never told il, and Sally never fold II
y tue Old lady. nor the farmer. but every
dy knows II. and laughed gloriously II
tool Boston Sunday News.