Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-03-31
MISCELLANEOUS
From The !Spiru efhe Times.
The Runaway Match.
BY MAIL. JONES, OF PINEvILLE.

dent what I'm gwine to tell tuck place
1t caused a great sensation in Pineville al
the time, and had the effect to make fellers
monstrous careful how theyru away with
other peoples daughters without their con-
sent ever sense.
Mr.. Ebenezer Doolittlc was the bomina-
blist man after rich gals that ever was.-
He hadn't been kcepin' school at Pineville
MORN six months, before he had found out
every gal in the settlement whose father
had twenty niggars, and he had couried
all Of en- within a days ride. He was
rather old to be popular with the gals and
somehow they didn't Ike his ways, and
the way they did bluff him off was enough
to discourage any body but a Yankee
schoolmaster what wanted to get married,
and hadn't many years ofgrace left. But
1t didn't seem to make no sort Of difference
to him. He was bound to have u rich
wife Of 'em, and if he failed in one case it
only made him more persevering in the
next. His motto was, Never say die'
Betty Darling, as they used to call her,
old Mr.. Darling's daughter, what used to
live on the Runs-was about the torn
downest ofa gal in all Georgia. Betty
was rich and handsome and smart; and had
move admirers than she could shake stick
at, But she was such a tormentin little CO.
quct that the boys were afraid to court Ter
In downright earnest When Mr.. Doolit-
tie found them out, he went rite at her like
a house-a-fre. She was just the gal for
him, and he was determined TO have her at
the risk of his life.
Well, he laid seige to old Mr.. Darling s
house day and night, and when he couldn't
leave his school to go and see her, he rit
letters to her that was enough to throw any
other gal but Betty Darling into fit of
the highstericks to read 'em. Justas eve
ry body expected, after encouraging him
just enough to make the leller believe he
had the thing did, she kicked him fiat
But shaw! he was perfectly used to that,
he was too much of flosofer to be dis
couraged by such rebuff, when the
game was worth pursuit
He didn't lose a minit's time, but Jest
brushed up, and went rite at her again
Every body was perfectly surprised to see
him gwine back to old Mr.. Darlng's, af-
terthe way he had been treated by Betty;
but they was great deal more surprised,
and the boys wasterlibly alarmed in about
a month, at the headway he seemed to be
making in his suit. All at once, Miss Bet
tvs conduct seemed to change towards
him; and though her father and mother was
terribly opposed to the match, any body
could see that she was beginning to like
the schoolmaster very well,
Things went on this way for a while,
TIL bime by old Mr.. Darling begun to get
so uncsay about it, that he told Mr.. Doo-
little one day that he mustn't come to his
house no more, and that if he ketched him
sending more love letters and kiss-verses
TO his darter by his niggar gals he'd make
one of his boys give him alfred cowhi-
den.
But Mr.. Doolittle, didn't care for tha,
neither. He could see Miss Betty when
she came shoppin, in stores in town, and
there was more'n one way to git a letter to
her. What did he care for that old Oar
lingl His darter was he'd and hart in love
with HIM, and was jest the gal to run away
with him, too. ifshe was opposed by her
parents. And as for the properly he was
certain of that when once he married the
gal.
On Saturday, when there was no school,
Mr.. Doohttle went to old Squire Rogers,
and told him he must be ready TO mar
ry couple that night at exactly ten o.
| clock.
Num- sayshc, you mustn't say a word
to nobody Squire. The license is already,
and the party wants to be very private
Squire Rodgers was one of the most ac-
commodatin fellers in the world on such
occasions. Mrs. Rodgers was monstrous
cranky cross old lady. And nothing done
the squire so much good as to marry Others
it didn't make no odds who they was,
Besides, Mr.. Doolittle was an injured man
and member of his church
Mr.. Doolit;le arranged the whole busi-
ness III first rate order. Miss. Betty was to
reach him at the end of her fathers lane
disguised in ridin dress, borrowed for TIC
occasion, when he was to take her in a
close one horse barouchc and fly with her
on the wings of love, as he said he would 10
the Squire's office where they was to be
united in the bonds of wedlock, before any
body in the village kno'd anything about it
He had made arrangements at the hotel
for a room, which he seed fixed himself for
the auspicious occasion, andhe writ letter
to friend ofhis downin Augusta to be thar
next week to take charge of his school as
he thoughtit might be necessary for him
to keep out ofthe way of old Darling for a
few weeks till the old fellow would have
time to come to. All day Mr., Doolittle
was bustling about as ifhe wasn't certain
which end he stood on, while the sunshine
of his heart beamed from his taller colored
face in wayto letevery body know some.
thing extraordinary was gwine to happen
Just after dark he might have been seer
drivin outby himselfin a barouche towards
old Mr.. Darling's. Every body 'spected
somethin, and all hands was on the lookout
1t was plain to sec Squire Rogers impor-
tance was swelled considerable with some
thing, bu; nobody could get word out ot
him.