Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1849-11-09
setl, TIawIxin,s Larceny.


There is tradition in Humtown, and very gener-
ally believed to be true which, whether true or false
throws bit of romance around the plain matterof-
fact business of Seth Hawkins courtship-a court
ship otherwise not remarkable for incidents other than
the Sort viz suspicion of intention, accred-
tied attentions, and contamination" as every body
does it.n
This little incident, SO the talk ran among the
neighbors, a jewel in its way, and shook with
laughter the whole community Of that quiet town
for long time from the parson Of the parish down
to the very toe-nail of the local body polite.
Sunday night was the season which Seth chose on
which to do his weekly deUoars, as Mrs. Horribly
would say: and his road to neighbor jones', whose
daughter Sally the object of his particular hopes,
lay across three long miles of hard territory stumpy
as an old Womans mouth, and as irreelalmabie as
prodigal son, gone away for the third time.
One all-suffciently dark night, unheeding wind
and weather as gallant and spruce lover as ever
straddled stump, Seth sin best bib and tucker"
and dickey, and all, started upon his accustomed
weekly pilgrimage to the shrine of Sally Jones-a
sweet girl, by the way, as strawberries and cream
are sweet.
Seth knew every landmark, if he could see it, but
the night very dark and In little while he be-
confused in his reckoning and taking the light
which cleaned from farmer Jones' cottage in the dis
tance for guide, he pushed boldly on regardless of
intermediate difficulties, surgng occasionally to the
right or left as some obstruction rose in his path
| til he stem on sailor would say, to huge
stump, and rolled incontinently the other side
He gathered himself up as best he could, shook
himself to ascertain that bones were broken and
then restarted his mission of love- his ardor
what damped by feeling the cold night wind playing
in fanatic jets around his body, denoting that the
| conclusion had preached his oh-fe-for-shames and
no the particular delight of his eyes in contem-
plation of their artistic excellence.
He knew not the extent of the damage sustained,
but soon gaining the house his first glance over
his person. ascertain if decency would be violated
by an unwonted display, but seeing nothing, and
trusting to the voumnous proportions of his coat for
conceament he felt treasured, and took his seat IN
profered chair by the fire.
While conversing with the farmer about the wealth
en- and with the dame upon the matter of cheeses he
glanced at Sally and saw with painful surprise that
she was looking anxiously and somewhat strangely
towards portion of his dress She averted her eyes
she caught his glance, but again catching her eye
upon him, he induced to turn his in the same di
recton and saw, good heavens was it his shirt ooz
ing out of six inch aperture in the inside of one OF
the legs of his nexpressibles He instantly changed
position and from that moment was on nettles Was
he making more revelations by the change! He
watched his opportunity to push the garment in a
little could he succeed in hiding it, it would relieve
| his embarrassment. Again he watched his chance
and again slowed away the linen It seemed inter
minable, (ike the Doctors tape worm, and the more
he worked at it the more there seemed left.
In the meantime his conversation took the hue Of
v,
the questions asked the first line Of Soloons song
does to the melancholy burthen of
| "sOld Marin Pettingi1''
| At last with one desperate thrust the whole dis
appeared, and he cast a triumphant glance towards
Sally. One look suf6ced to show him that she ha6
comprehended the whole and with the greatest efor
was struggling to prevent laugh. Meeting his
glance she could contain herself no longer, bu
screening with accumulated fun, she fed from the
room and poor Seth unable to endure this last turr
of his agony seized his hat and dashed madly from
the house, clearing the stumps like racer, in the
dark, and reaching home he hardly knew when Oh
| how.
As soon as he was gone, Mrs, Jones looked every
where for clean night gown that she had laid ou
for service on the back of the chair on which Sett
had sat- She positive she took it out, but where
upon earth it was, She couldn't conceive
"Sally !" cried the old lady from the door, have
you seen my night gown ?'
"Yes'm,n echoed her voice, if the last stages o.
sutfocation 'yes'm, Seth Hawkins aoore 1T home n'
1t was unfortunately the case; and poor Seth had
slowed it away in the of his pants. It was
returned the next day with apology, and he sub
sequently married Sally but many years afterwards
if article of any description was missing of appa
rel otherwise, the first suggestion was that Seth
Hawkins had slowed it away in his trousers.
How the story got about nobody knew. He never
told it, and Sally never told it, nor the old lady, mol
the farmer, but every body knew it and laughed go
riously at it too.