Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1853-06-24
From the Autauga (Alabama) Citizen.
Aunt Tabby Curious on the Girls.

Messrs Editors When we got the 4h number
of the Autauga Citizen, we read to aunt Tabby Gu
rious, the article which, you will recollec in that
number, urging young men to marry. After | I'm
shed the old lady laid down her knitting raised her
specks, and broke out follows:
= Now rally | am surprised to hear men talk
sol Always urging the boys to git 'em wives-to
marry = arry-marry Telling em many wonder
full things about faithful companions smoothing
cares, sowin; on shirt buttons, and don't know
what all. Isay 1t! If things were like they used
to be- then they might talk In my raisin' man
could git wife as was wife! But there amt
gal nova days, in my whole KNOWN, that is fit for
wife! How on arth can they be fit to get married.
when they never have done nothin' in creation but
be an expense? They did, nor they don't
know how to do anything but sleep till breakfast ;
git up and firt and founce and quarrel about the
cookin': eat, lie down the sofy, rub snuff, read
novels and receive calls. Receive calls indeed -
This is what they call it now days, when boy
goes to see a gal. In the good old times, they call
ed it by its right name-gon sparkin But I'll
be bound if was boy never would marry one on
'um. And know if the boys know'd how no count
they are, and how smart the gals to be- and how
nasty and filthy they are they never would either.
For only do think To see a gal with a mop big
enough to black shoes with Grained in her mouth,
making her jaw stick out like she had egg in it,
while the nasty Spite is running out both sides of
her mouth-looking for all the rid jest like soft
soap running out of the old leakin' soap key my
nanny used to have-to them draw back their
heads and daubt away with great gaum of stuff
enough to make the dogs sick, and then taie their
hankerchers right clean and white and smear it all
over, trying to get the filth off their pretty mouths
say, to see all this-oh, dear, hardly know how
do feel for have their hankerchers look Jest
like an old newspaper after layin' grog shop
floor tor month"; all smeared and begaumed from
end to end. And mercy us! they think nothin' of
spittin their nastiness right on the hearth And
upon my word, Eve em 90 to spit out DOORS and
| q f1 RIO In And
! did see sight, here And O. Jest let a boy
come. How they will slip and hide their nasty old
| brushes, run for water wipe their mouths on their
hankerchers, and them spit, filth and all, in
their pockets and then set up jest like butter would
mt melt in their mouths. And then, dear me, how
they will twist their mouths double up their tongues
rt their heads about, and roll their eyes jest like
I've seen sick calf do. And then the novel they
have Just read is SO nice-so divine Such and such
| a one IS such an Interesting character Another
is so life-like' 0, they were so interested -
Mercy me- interested with such low-life stuff
things that did nor hardly ever could happen
Dear me, how things have changed. When Johnny
use to come to we had other things to tall
about. We read good books, and studied abou
things that were some account. I'll be bound h,
meyer come and ketched me usin' snuff or lyin' OF
the sofy, or readn novel. No. indeed. had 9th
er business to tend to. | had to spin, and weave
and help cook. And was some count, too. | wa
healthy-l didn't look like skeleton dressed up il
clothes but was rosy-red, and had flesh enough t.
look like human. And of eveniEs, when I wa
done spinin', johnny used to hold the breach while
reeled my thread. | recollect to this day how ST.
he use to look at me, and how he used to slip in
word when the old folks couldn't hear. But, oh me
there is no use in talkin'-such days are gone.
the boys only had such gals to court and MARI
these days, in my days, then they might mar
ry But save if they do marry these slim, wasp
wasted snuffeating, novel-reading, sofy-sleepine
absent minded, cross grained, affected things tina
now grow up, don't know what will become of EN-
for they jest much fit for wives as calf is fc
= Judge"
= Here laughed right out, for the old lady wa
+ much excited, and when she heard me, she saic
you needn't laugh, for all this is the truth, an
- you know it." U. KNOW