Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1853-12-03
Early Courtship In Ohio.
NEARLY AS IT WAS TOLD TO US BY OUR OLD
FRIEND-ovER GLASS OF CIDER.


NEARLY AS IT WAS TOLD TO US BY OUR OLD
FRIEND-ovER A GLASS OF CIDER.
If you can't get them that you want, you
must take them that you can git" and that is
how / came to marry Patsey. Love will go
where It's sent, any how, and we can't help it |;
and the harder a chap loves gall, the poorer
chance he stands to git her-the thing is just
here, the more he loves her the more shy and
trembling he is, and he can't half tell his feel
ins to her if he tries-while the careless and
unfeeling chap, that's got no more love in him
than boss, can't have dozen gals after him
at once. have thought the heart was like
mud turtles eggs; you dent the shell on one
side, dent on the other side made in the same
manner will bring all smooth again. So with
the heart; one girl makes dent, it remains
bruised till some other presses it, pushing out
the old bruise, and leaving in new one.
Well, we'll, accidents will happen; folks will
laugh; the world is more fond of fun than
logic; and they might as well laugh at me as
anybody
So agreed to tell you about my first court
ship 1t want Patsey; but my first sweetheart
was proper handsome girl. | worked for her
father. Ohio was all in the woods then and
everybody lived in Lighthouses, except down in
! Cleveland there was store or two. And my
three hundred acres, that is worth now one
hundred and fifty dollars an acre, wasn't worth
when bought it only three dollars. Pashaw,
pashaw! how times is changed Glad to git
corn bread and gummon gravy then had to 60
thirty miles-down to Chagrin-to mill. | al
ways used to 60 for boss instead of himself, for
l only +" heated" ninety pounds in weight, and
made lighter load over bag of corn on
hossback. Let me see, | weigh eighty now.
Well, was twenty-five years old, just about,
= nth hncc'c Aonphtar hnta lxya ays
thot she felt leetle above me, for was not
any taller then than l am now; not quite as
| tall as she was anyhow, and was working for
eight dollars month, and tn dress in tow linen
| at that. You never see one of them logging
| frocks, made like shirt, out of flax tow, did
We? Well, till bought this blue coat when |
married Patsey thirty and FIVE years ago, new
| er wore any but tow, and if it want Sunday to-
day shouldn't had it on, for / despise STRAY
aigance and new-fangled fumeries and thing
ombob noodles round yer big houses.
was in love thirty-ive years ago, head over
| heels in love, and never dared to say word
| about it. Her name was Jerusha. longed
to tell her how my heart swelled and burnt for
her as it thumped agin its "chist" but could
| never screw my courage up to the pnt---but
| thou't would some day-or some other day.
I'd been alone with her many time, and had
| resolved and re-resolved on popping it right
| out but the stiffness was as awful on them Ca
| sions as the roar of Niagara, and my heart
| would feel all over like your little finger does
when you hit your elbow agin a thing acci-
dental a tingGn' fulness.
Cuss my luck, said to myself, one Sunday
night as l cum home from mill after three
DAYS ride. Jerusha had a beau-a chap from
town, dressed as smart as a dancing master.
Ny heart jumped into my gullet the minute !
see him. / felt down in the mouth, for
knowed was gone feller. He had on broad
CLOTH Talk of your new tangled Gossop and
Gresham houses now but folks in them days
didn't have but one room down stairs and a
ladder to go up stairs; puncheon floors was
good enough below, and oak shakes split ont
by hand kivered the chamber floor. 1t was so
in bosss house, and l slept up chamber. |
want you to imagine two wooden hooks fixed
up to hang gun on, right over the hearth, on
/ the chamber beam; / want you to remember
! nv tow shirt, and want you to imagine my
feelings that night after ! went to bed, for Je-
rusha and the dandy chap had the hull room
below to themselves with rousing bright fire
| to spark by.
l couldn't stand the temptation to want to
hear what they had to say to themselves.
Whisper, whisper, whisper. You may laugh at
it. but it's the naked truth that l am going to
tell. ! have laughed myself at the same since.
When l heard something pop like a kiss, by
ginger l could stand my great heart-thumps
no longer. Curiosity and jealousy got the
upper end on me | wanted to see for myself;
so | slid out O bed, sitting fat like a tailor on
the floor, determined to hitch up just as sot,
inch at time, to the opening over the hearth
where the beam and gun hooks was. A cat
couldn't been no stiller arter mouse; but my
heart thumped louder every hitch, just as it
will when a man goes to do what aint right.
Well, Just as had gained the right pint to look
over at EN-, up tilted the pesky foor-down
went tow shirt to gun hook-and there hung
blind-fold like squirrel half skinned right
over my rival and sweet-heart-ready for
basting. l couldn't see 'em at all arter that,
and twas more than ten minutes before the
old boss awoke to tear me loose; dangling
around the fire. What, what, said he, got
spare rib, ha Let me down, said /. got
pretty well baked, anyhow, and amt been quite
so raw since in love matters. Lord, l never
looked Jerusha in the face from that day, nor a
girl in the neighborhood, for could swear she
told 'em all That accident got my grit up to
make .fortin.
went off few miles and married the first
chance got, Just out of spite-and Patsey is
worth all on 'em arter all-and marrying IS
lottery business Then don't hang yourself las
l did) because you can't get particular giri-
but recollect your heart is like rubber, 1t will
stretch good ways and not break.
Cleveland Herald.