Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1853-04-20

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from me, he called an old jockey to his side, called
Bot, and put the following question:
"Bot, do you remember that colt we called Tom,
that 1 bought of Daddy Jenkins: how he used to
jump all the fences kick in all the front boards of
buggies, break stalls, bite, and run away, before
I got him % ~ "
Bot said he remembered him.
s'When I got him. said Dan, f" do you remem-
Der how completely I broke him of his tricks;
how he kept me busy for six months, what fine,
active, sagacious, hardy beast he was, and what
a glorious price / sold him for !''
Bot said he did, and looked as if he would like
to know what had happened to the horse Tom;
indeed, he inquired. ~
80, nothingt" says Dan, ss / have not thought
of him before for long time.''
And further Dan Ferguson said not.
That evening Dan called at the house honored
by Miss Feliciana Wellington, and sat long
time, laughing when he ought to be sober, and vice
versa, until Miss j. Felciana got exceedingly pro-
voked
The next day he called again and sat long
Precisely how the matter was managed it would
take too long to relate. Miss J. Feliciana was
alternately vexed, worried and fattered until she
came so near hating Dan that she could think of
nothing else No hour of the day was secure
from his impertnent but friendly visits. At night
Miss J. Feliciana could see nothing in her dreams
but huge watch seals, and would frequently dream
herself to be uncomfortably and fearfully whirled
through the air after fast horses. In her dreams
she would see Dan approaching, and would run
like wild horse to avoid him, but all at once
would bring up in stately mansion, richly fur
/ nished, and would receive the congratulations of
her friends as Mrs. Ferguson. There never
was poor girl so bedeviled When she took her
pen or pencil to write a scrawl, the name of Dan
Ferguson was sure to slip out on the paper, which
Indignantly she would throw into the fire. His
desire to marry her, and her determination to re-
ject him, she never doubted. But all at once Dan
cooled off, and would drive other young ladies',
more particularly blooming young widow, past
the house without ever casting glance in that
direction at all. Unexplainsbe conduct! Miss
J. Felieiana Wellington felt lonesome without his
| annoyances. Had he been making her dupe
Did he nothing for her after all1 But no vis-
its from Dan. At length Miss j. Feliciana must
leave Harrisburg. Her hostess partially under
standing, perhaps knowing all about the case,
Qhese married women are magicans in reading
the mysteries of courtship,) invited Dan to tea,
and no one else. When he came, Miss J. Fell
ciana did the best she could to meet him like
very common acquaintance, but she couldn't put
it through to suit her. She was first very pale;
then very red; then she was nervous and trembled
like leaf, and against all propriety, shed few
| tears, which she thought she concealed. But af-
ter tea she and Dan, quite against her previous
remonstrances, were left together in the paror.
Some circumstances, unexpected no doubt, (con
found these married women,) took the lady of the
house away, and she stayed away. But when she
did come back, it was obvious that Miss j. Fell
ciana had been both laughing and crying, and was
upon the whole decidedly more composed and ra-
diant in Dams presence than ever before. AS for
Dan, his great red face seemed te look larger and
redder, like full moon in smoky night. He
related quite abruptly the fact that they had
sstruck up bargan.'' Miss J. Feliciana again
both laughed and cried.
Miss J, Felciana Wellington saw new light
beaming on her pathway. She began to look up
than she had imagined; practiced her looking
glass more and her speeches less: in short, mari
red the rich old bachelor, DAN FERGUsoN. 1t
was wonder and town talk. When any of
Dams old friends joked him about the rights, his
eye twinkled with peculiar twinkle, which seem
ed to say: "Leave me to take care of that p
Miss J. Feliciana Wellington was appointed ora
tor to deliver an address at the next yearly con-
vention and intended to distinguish herself. But
before that time arrived she became very much in
terested in needle-work. A ladies' fair or some
thing else was in contemplation, for she never
tired of stitching, and cutting, and embroidering
little garments, and Dan would sit and see her do
it. Itwas curious for Dan to see what scollops,
what improbable embroidery, what unaccountable
eyelet holes, and how ingenious devices were made
one after another to peer out from the dreary
waste of white muslin, like stars from the sky in
clear night.
At the time of the convention, her address had
not been prepared. She had deferred it from time
to time, and almost forgotten it. But if she had
not done so, it would have been impossible to de-
liver it. She was unfortunately taken sick and
could not get out for a number of weeks. 1t prov
ed to be extremely fortunate that she had pre-
/ pared for the fair.
When she was little restored Dan said, s'Jen-
ny Z" for the rascal had got to calling her Jenny
for short. -
"Jenny !" said he, SIS it not fortunate you did
not have two =
elbow do you mean :" inquired Mrs. Ferguson,
languidly.
Why,' said Dan, "That little thing is one.
If you had had an oraton, too, it would have been