The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1855-12-05
LOVE IN THE BACK WOODS,
OR, OLD JIMMY wAp6Lk's fIasr coUsTsH,r.

OR, OLD JIMMY wAp6LEs fIRsT CoUaTsa,P.
"Talkin' O. sprees. boys, pats me in
mind o. my young days: ! should rather
guess l was in for 'em some myself them
times.
This was said by an old man whom We
will introduce as Mr.. james Wsddie, or
rather as "oid jim Waddie" Everybody
Except the reader) knows him and HIS
penchant for yarns spinning. 1t is the
evening Of militia training day. There
are a goodly number, after the company
is dismissed from duty, who was lounsins
around, and all gathered about the sfore-
said old Jim to hear his yarn, TO which he
had already begun the prelude, and waits
for somebody to urge him TO go on; this
there are enough to do. He then en-
quired what they would have-"one of
his huntin' or courtin' sprees?" The boys
unanimously took the latter. Then after
requesting that none ofthem should laugh
till he got through, with few prepsrato-
ry hens, and assumption of a comical
face, he. commenced. q wish could re-
port in his inimitable language verbatim,
ct Hteratim.)
"When I was a boy, you know, daddy
moved from Virginia to Kaintuek, I'd
been born and FOUGHT up ON the fronteers,
and Kaintuck was paradise for ne to
hunt bars and Ingins in. But / forgot
you want courtin' story. Well, aitho'
was always cuttin' up some deviltry
among the boys, yet somehow 1 was little
shy and skeery among the gals. liked
the critters prodigiously, but about the only
way could manage to show it, was by
castin' sleeps eyes to abundance at 'em.
We had meetin's as well as frolics some
times. While the preacher was preschin'
Observation-Disclosures, brother kindness and
love, l wasn't thinkin' o. nothin' else. /
used to set where / could look the gals in
the face-and then gaze at some purity
one till she'd blush as red as o pepper-pod.
Then l felt SO queer about the gizzard,
and wished an earthquake would come
and throw me right i'll her lap. l was in
love, bat / couldn't tell who loved most.
There was Peggy Masonhammer, a mighty
fine gal, even in her tow-linen frock; her
cheeks was as full as China pigs, and a.
red as a turkey gobbler's: and then there
was Sally Perkins, with her glorious strip
ed homemade cotton frock, besides her
har and eyes as black as ink; and then
there was dimple checked blue ey'd Lotte
Smith, who always toted her shoes and
stockings in her hands till she got in
l couldn't tell for my life which 1 liked
best-sometimes one and sometimes an
other, but alters the last one I looked at
But when Squire Crumpton come to our
diggins, his two gals took the shine off
the rest on 'em, specially the Oldest one,
Betsey. l shan'r attempt to describe her;
but when | tell you she had calico frock,
with yaller flowers, as big as your hand,
brass earbobs, besides half a dozen strans
o. beads as large as the end of your little
finger, you may think she was charmcr
Il did, any how. Of all the magaum
bon@m eharmers ever seed she was the
magnuna 6onesG And so all the young
fellers said, too. When l fust seed he-,
/ it was at Deacon Shocks meetin'. ] fas-
tened my eyes on her till hers met mine;
she looked steadfastly, then smiled a
charming smile, and blushed and look
ed down. Lordyl there was fluttern'
then equal to saw-Inil tween my two
Jacket pockets, felt as a gorer. From
that hour l was too big for my brseches;
/ of Sundays, borried dads breeches he'd
been married in before the revolutionary
war, and come off at his knees; but as he
was tall and warn't, they, came below
minethree or four inches Agin the meet
in | was prepared to cut a big stiG sis
ter Sal, for the purpose, starched and
ironed my new fine shirt as stiff and slick
as a sheet of tin. The shirt had the fin
est kind of fax linen in the bosom and
collar, but. the invisible part of it was sars
tow, with a hem that would cable a steam
boat,
Now, while she was smoothing the
wrinkles near the said hem with an iron
just hot from the fire, down stairs tumbles
one o. the ternal brats, knockin' the breath
out'n it. It was Saturday night, and she