Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1850-05-17
4 Serenaae in Worth Carolina.


Not thousand years ago, and not thous-
lived a young lady, the daughter of very plain
country folks, who had just returned from
distant boarding school-haVing finished her
education. Her residence was on the. western
bank of little river in this country The
period of which I write was September Be-
tween the family mansion and the waters
edge was five acre potato patch. The roots
were cultivated in hills and the vines were
/ luxuriant.
On the opposite side of the river quite
number of young gentlemen lived, who were
noted for their gallantry. Their devotion to
/ the sex had induced them TO unite their accom-
! plishments for the formation of a serenading
band The return of the young lady referred
to, afforded them an opportunity of doing the
genteel. They accordingly met on clear,
moonlight night, and each furnished With mu-
sical instrument, betook themselves to their
boat to give musical treat to the fair return
ed.
With muffied oars they noiselessly crossed
the river and gained the beach. With steal
thy tread they approached the house at the
hour Of midnight, and ranging themselves in
line, at signal from their leader, violin,
flute, clarionet and trombone, in one mighty
blast, TO the tune of :" Old Dan Tucker broke
the stiffness of night and the &" old fok's'
slumbers. The mother screamed from alright
and called to the daughter for an explana-
ton of the unusual noise and was informed in
reply that it was serenade!'' Mistaking
the reply she yelled to the old man who lit
tie deaf was sitting bewidered at the, TO him,
confused sounds.
The wife's report 50 they are ''cannonading
US! = satisfied him. He flew to the gun rack,
and taking down old {" blue tiger hurried
down stairs and aroused the house. Mean
while the young lady stood at her window
with the curtain half drawn, drinking in the
melody that was waited up.
The boys, innocent as Sir Isaac's dog Dia-
mond, of the mischief they had made, were
laying themselves out upon the last variation,
when, at twenty feet distance, the old man
showed around the corner his old musket, and
drew trigger. She did not shoot, but the fire
rolled, bright as falling meteors. A stampede
of electric suddenness took place-the - lead
err Of the band leading in a bee line for the
boat, followed in commendable nearness by
his company. They hurried in the start, but
the repeated efforts of the old man to get his
L" piece off, increased their effort at speed
and a call by him for chunk of fire to touch
the priming, told still more. They forgot the
vines and Cucb a Of 81 JOY,I
was never witnessed. Headlong they fell,
and at each fall, the sound of broken fiddle
strings or battered drums foretold the death
of that band. Helter skelter, rolling, crawl
ing and stumbling along, they gained the wa
ter's edge and their boat. and such pulling
men-of-war's men might have learned some
thing from then.
The vines so impeded the old mans prog
ress so that he did not reach the bank with
his " "chunk" till the cannona3ers were out of
gun shot, and he returned well stisfed that
his timely appearance and courageous manner
had achieved the salvation of him and his
In the melee the old lady flew q for safety
and succor," whence she could not be found
that night Next morning she was discovered
under the wheat barn, and after many assu-
RANGES that the cannonaders were routed, was
prevailed upon to come forth.
All the parties in the frolic are so sore up
on the subject, that we dare not mention it
and l would not have them know that had
written this for the dowry of the girl and her
self to boot.