Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1851-05-16

friend is too good to be lost though its racness may
not accord with the exalted tastes Of the Miss Nan
eyties who dress the legs their tables in rled
talettes and faint over a nude cherub.
s.Fire In the Rear 30 among the Girls.
Old Squire Parish was an hospitable old SOUL
Every Friday evening it the delight of the girls
of the Academy and the bows of the School and Col
ege to go out to old Squire Parshs farm, about six
miles from town, and stroll in the woods battle in
the creek search the orchard and the hen nests and
turn everything about the premises upside down.
And old Squire Parish would sit in his chimney cor
ner, pipe in mouth, and tell them stories about the
first settlement of the country, and how ''Old Hck-
ory" whipped the Indians-for the old Squire had
been in Jackson's army-and never let the boys of
without at least story about the told man. as
the Squire delighted to call the General.
One Saturday, about the middle of the afternoon
Bill Jones,-a wild, harum scarum young fellow, Of
some sixteen winters-rode up to the Squirrels door
and hailed the house. His summons was answered
by that black young rascal JOSH who told Jones that
the boys gone squirrel hunting but you bet
ter believe, Mass Bil1' continued Josh, that the
galsis carrying on high. Why Mass Bill you can
hear em squealing clean up here Jones learned
that the girls had gone to their usual bathing place
which was at the foot of high precipice, and only
approached on that side by solitary footpath
which was guarded by 'Dinah." On the other side
Of the creek, lay broad sand bank, so that one
could approach it without being Jones had
been to the Squres house so often that he knew all
his stories " by heart,n and it almost impossible
to find the boys in the woods he determined to
have some fun out of the girls. About quarter OF
mile up the creek lived Old Aunt Judy" and
there Jones and his attendant, JOSH Immediately pro-
ceeded. While Josh went to the old woman, and for a
opence purchased the largest gourd in her posses
sion, Jones slipped behind the garden and threw off
his clothes, then cutting off enough ofthe handleend
of the gourd to admit his head and making holes
for his eyes, he slipped it on his head and jumped
Mt so as no had fba
bathing place, it commenced floating towards the
shore until within few yards of the bathers when
it drifted against limb which overhung the stream
and lodged If Jones had looked through the loop
holes Che swears he didn't he would have seen a
sight that would have made the gourd itself blush.
On rock were three four swimmers, alternate
ly squatting down and rising up on their heels and
initiating the cry of the bull-frog and when one
would say ''chugl' they would all plunge into the
water frog fashion At another place they were
striving to duck each other while third party was
leading by force, into the water coy damsel, who
had been too modest to undress before many folks
But Joness gourd did not long remain unnoticed in
the water and the damsel who espied it, sailed up
to it, seized it. and with slight resistance it came off
and disclosed the curly head of Bill Jones Miss Betsy
screamed and Bill Jones yelled Miss Betsy and the
other bathers rushed up the bank and Jones, in his
fright and confusion followed them. Here the girls
turned on him. seized him. and threw him on his face
twined his arms around sapling. and having bound
his hands with kerchief Jones lay defenceless in
the power of his captors. The girls now leisurely
dressed themselves, and then each provided herself
with trim birch willow rod and, without fur
Their ceremony, began applying them to the back,
Sides and legs of poor Jones. Jones twisted, and
Jones writhed, he drew himself up, and he spread
himself out he begged and he prayed. But in vain.
His captors nsensble to pity, until their
were fatigued, and their rods frayed into ribbons
Alas, for poor Jones he not yet to escape. His
tormentors provided themselves with fresh instru-
ments and stationed themselves in along the
footpath from Jones's tree to the waters-edge and
on the rock from which he to plunge, was pos
ted stout country lass whose strength he had often
tried in wrestle and whose endurance he had often
tested in bran-dance." At last he was released
and told that he was to run the gauntlet He could
not but comply. Strai tightening himself up, and
drawing long breath, he started at full speed, as
he thought; but, at every step, something touched
him that accelerated his motions, and, as he was
about to take the last. final leap, such blow
fell upon his rear that the sparks few out of his
eyes, and he bounded half the stream at one
leap. This rock has been known as Joness Leap
ever since.
Without stopping to any more ofhis fair friends,
Jones fastened to aunt Judys cottage, dressed him
SELF gave Josh thorough kicking, borrowed sheep
skin from aunt Judy, mounted his horse, and rode
slowly back into town. And, from that day to
this, Bill Jones has never shown his face, any
other part of him. in good old Squire Parishs house,
nor the stream that runs by its door.
g MEGATHERIUM.'