The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1852-11-11
LOVE IN THE BACKwOoDs,
To be read sy Young Nan to his "Ducky."

y
for 'esa some myself them times, said and old
/ man rTtfom will introduce as MIR. Waddle or
rather old Jim Waddle. Every body Except the
reader) knows old Jim and his penchant' for
yarn spinning. 1t is the evening of militia
training day, and there are goody number
who after the company is dismissed from duty,
/ are lounging around and all gather about
/ old jim to hear the yarn he has commenced,
/ and he only waits to be urged as there are
plenty to do this the company not keptlo
in suspense. ''What viii ye have, boys" de-
manded the old man, ''of my hunting or court
ing sprees p
Oh a courting spree by all means, answered
half dozen voices.
/ Well when l was a boy, you know-daddy
moved from Virginny to Kaintucky, I'd been
b,rn and fotched up on the frOnteers and Kahn
tuclly WAS perfect Paradise for me to hunt
bars and Injins in-but L forgot, you want
courting yarn.
Well although was always cutting up some
deveitry among the boys, yet some how was a
little shy and skeery amongst the gals. like
the critters prodigious, but about the only way
l could manage to show it was by casting sheeps
eyes at 'em We had meetings well as frol-
les sometimes. While the preacher was preach
ing tender heartedness, brotherly kindness and
brotherly love. warnt thinkin' of nothin' else.
used to set where could look the gals in the
face, and then gaze at some pretty one till She d
blush as red as peper pod. Then L felt so
queer about the gizzard, and wished airth
quake would come and throw me right in her
lap. | was in love but l could not tell who
loved most Tiar was Peggy Masonhammer,
mighty fine gal atty in her tow-nen frock, her
cheeks wur as nuS China pigs.and as red as
a turkey go6 ...rean md then thar Sally
Perkins. with l,Jr city striped home made cot
ton frock, besid, 22er hair and eyes as black as
ink and then thar was dimple ey'd Lotte Smith,
who always toated her shoes and stockings TIL
she got insight of the meetin'. Well o. these
three I couldn't tell for my life which L liked
best. Sometimes one and sometimes another,
but always the last | looked at. But when
Squire Crumpton come to our diggins, his two
gals tuck the shine off the rest on em, especial
ly his Oldest one Betsey. ] shan't attempt to
describe her, but when tell you she had cali
co frocl with yaller flowers big as your hand,
brass ear bobs besides half dozen sirens of
beads as large as the end of your little finger,
YOU may think she was a charmer. l did any
how, as lawyer Iiggins say of all the magnum
bonumest. And so all the feers said too. When
/ fust seen her it was at Deacon Snooks meet
in I fastened my eyes on hers till hers met
mine, she looked study at me, then smiled
charmin' smile and blushed and looked down.
T ~, pr1++a tbann 70
mill, between my two jacket pockets felt 1
was a conner. From that hour was too big for
my breeches and on Sundays | bOrried dadds
breeches he'd been married in before the Reyo-
lutionary war; and come off at the knees, but
as he was tall and | warn't they come be-
low mine three four inches Agin the next
meetin', | was prepared to cut big stiff Sis
ter Sal for the purpose starched and ironed my
new fine shirt as stiff and slick sheet of
new tin. This shirt had the finest kind of flax
linen in the bosom and collar, but the invisible
part of twas coarse tow with hemthat would
cable a steamboat. Now while Sal smooth
in the rinkles near the said hem with iron just
hot from the fire, down stairs tumbled one of
the eternal brats knockn' the breath out on it.
1t was Saturday night and she was the only one
up, and runs TO it of course, but before it comes
too, the iron had made its mark, that is burnt
two holes in the hind part of my linen Next
mornin' | put it on as it was, then dads true
blues, then the first pair of regular built pair of
shoes I'd had. | was seventeen just that
mornin' and in my Sunday riggin' felt myself
man and was resolved if Betsy Crumpton was at
meetn to show it. Well she there, and
| axed her company and got it wilkins by her
side, felt as light as nothin. | scarcely touch
ed the ground | walked on. But shant tell
you the fine thinks thought and said to her on
the way, and more after we got home (oh yes,
do said number of voices No you'll have
enough without that, you're to skim the cream of
the story yet.
She kept me up late Say two o'clock and
IN spite OF the novelty (it bein' the fust time)
got sleepy. Now the Squire had just come to
these parts and put up one story, one roomed
| log cabin, and the whole family except some OF
| the young ones slept below. L was little Lash
fu ABOUT g~.ne to bed thar, but was three
.ailes from norne, and it rainin' like blue
o.azes. had to do it, and did without axposin'
che blanks IN my linen. l resolved to be up a
fore anybody else in the mornin,' on the same