Plymouth weekly banner. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1856, 1855-12-20
Love in the Back Woods.


'Talkin' O. sprees. boys, puts me in
mind O. my young days. should rather
guess was in for 'em some myself them
times.
J This was said by an old man whom we
will introduce as Mr.. James Waddle, or
rather as 'old Jim Waddle' Every body
Except the reader) knows him and his
penchant for yarn spinning 1t is the
evening of militia training day. There
are goodly number. after the company
is dismissed from duty, who were loung
ing around, and all gathered about the
aforesaid old Jim to hear his yarn. to
which he had already begun the prelude,
and waits for somebody to urge hun to go
on; this there are enough 10 do. He then
enquired what they would have-'one Of
his huntin' or courtin' sprees?' The boys
unanimously demanded the latter. Then,
after requesting that none of them should
laugh ill he got through, with few pre-
paratory hens. and an assumption of
comical face. he commenced. Q wish
could report his inimi,able language,
rerbatim ct literatim.)
when was boy. you know, daddy
moved from Virginia to Kaintuck. I'd
been born and FOUGHT up on the fron,eers.
and kain;uck was paradise for me TO
hunt bars an Ingins in. But forgot you
want courtin' story. Well. although
was always cu!t:n' up some deyiItry
among the boys, yet somehow / was lit
tie shy and skeery among the gals lik
ed thu critters prodigiously, but about he
only way | could manage TO show il, was
by castiu' sleeps eyes 10 abundance at
'em. We hnd meetin as well as frolics
sometimes. While the preacher was
preachin' ,enderheartedness. brother kind
! ness and love. | wasn't thinkin' else.
used to set where | could look the gals in
| the face-and then gaze at some purt,
one ill shed blush as red as pepper pod.
Then felt so queer abou, the gizzard. and
wished an earthquake would come and
throw me right in her lap | was in love
but couldn't tell who | loved most
There was Peggy Masonhammer, nigh.
ty fine ga. even in her tow linen frock:
her cheek was as full as China pigs,
aud as red MS a turkey gobblef's; and then
there was Sally Perkins. with her glo.i
eusly striped, homemade cotton frock
besides her har and eyes as black as ink
and then there was dimple checked blue
eyd Lotte Smith. who always toted hel
shoes and stockings in her hands till she
got in sigh; of meetin.' Well. on thes,
three couldn't tell for my life which
liked best-sometimes one and sometime,
another. but alters the last one | looked
at. But when Squire Crumpton come ,e
our diggins. his two gals took the shine
off the rest on 'em. 'spe cially the oldes,
one, Betsy. | shau't attempt 10 describe
her; but when tell you she had calico
frock. with yaller flowers. as big as YOU,
hand, brass earballs. besides half dozen
strans O. beads as large as the end OF vour
little finger, you may think she was q
charmer-I did anyhow. OF all III,
'magnum bonum' charmers | ever seed
she was the mdgnum, boneSt! And 50 al
the young fel!ers said. too. When fus
seed her, it was at Deacon Snooks' meet
in fastened my eyes on her Ill! her:
met mine. she looked s,eadfastly. ther
smiled charming smile, and blushed ant
looked down. Lordy there was a fut
term then equal to a saw mill, 'tweer
my two jacket pockets. felt as a conner
From that hour | was too big for m,
breeches OF Sundays. | borried dad
breeches he d been married in before tn
revolutionary war. had come off at hi
knees; but as he was tall and warn
they came below mine three or four inch
es Agin the meetin' l was prepared Il
cut big stiff-sister Sal. for the purpose
starched and ironed my new inc shirt a:
stiff and slick as sheet Of tin. The s,,i.
had the finest kind OF fax linen in III,
bosom and collar. but the invisible par
of it was sars tow, with hem that woul.
cal bic steamboat.
Now, while she was smoothing tn,
wrincles near the said hem with an iror
Just hOi from the fire. down stairs tumble
one O the tarnsl brats. knockiu the brea,l
out'n it. 1t was Saturday night, and sh
, was the only one up, and ran TO it il
course. but a(ore it come to. the iron hat
made its mark-that is. burnt two hole
in the extremity of my linen. Next NOR
min / put it on as it was, then dads tru,
blue. then the fust reg'lar built par @
shoes Ia ever had.
l was seventeen just. that Sunday morn
in.' and in my Sunday rigiu'. felt mysel
a man. and was resolved, il Betsy Crump
ton was at meetin' TO show it. Well sh,
was there. and axt her for her company
and got it. Walkin' by her side, fel
as light as nothin'-skercely touched tn,
ground | walked on. But shan't tell th
few things thought and said to her OF
the way, and more after we got home
oh yes Co. said several voices. No
you'll have enough without that; your,
, TO skim the cream of the story yet.
She kept me up late; soy TWO o clock
and in spite of the novelty-(it being III
first time)--I got sleepy. Now tie
, Squire had just come to these parts. an,
put up a one-story one-roomed log ca bin
. and the whole family. 'cept some of tn
young on's. slept below. l was leetl
. bashful bout gewine to bed thar. but i
, was three miles from home. and it wa
, ranin' like blue blazes! l had to do it
r and did without exposin' the blank in M
linen. resolved TO be up afore any bod
else in the mornin' on the same accoun