Daily American organ., 1856-05-02
From the spirit Of the Times.
Winning a Widow.

times arrived about ten o'clock at night and as
was bound up the Mississippi, and did not want to
miss her, determined. TO wat in the wharf ohce-
Shortened the time by paying few visits to cot
fee house and billiard room in the town. During
one of these l noticed the arrival OF party OF
French Creoles who talked and swoFe over dozen
ssmallard ducks" loud enough to have made you
believe they'd been on the war-trail after Canaan
ches, and brought in as many scalps. At last
walked over to the wharf Office, settled down and
found comfort in cigar, and as much OF news
paper as the rather misty light Of bull-eyed lam
tern would give me- The fire in the stove roared
bravely and sent out plenty OF warmth. had
dropped the paper and only held on to the cigar,
when suddenly woke up on hearing the door open
and couple Of men enter. They found chairs,
and drawing up to the stove, continued conver
sation, evidently just commenced as they entered
"And So Buffer is going to be married"
"Wal he is--and good match he's made OF it,
tell you what, she's a roarer. II he don't have
to put kicking breech on her afore he's married
a week. you may cal. me fool. She's got eyes
like panther and if he only lets her get the bit
atween her teeth-just for once-she'n carry him
further nor he wants TO GO"
..What makes him want to marry her, then?"
"Nggers, mules, and as neat plantation as thar
is OH the Bayou Two hundred and fifty hogsheads
clean sugar last crop, and if they'd only cut the
cane airlier, fifty more atop OF it. she had new
steam engine put up last season, and though that
cussed baggage burners cussed humbug, yet
reckon It's all paid for and all Buffers got to do il
step in, hang up his hat and set right down to live
like a fighting cock"
"Why didn't you 20 in theres The last time
came down the liver heard you were bucking up
to the widow"
"Wal now, Jim, to be honest, did think afore
that Buffer stepped in, that just had it all my
own way, and that / was gon to get her, sure! As
these here French say, | made eyes at her'--sav-
age! But some how 'nother she always went dead
agn old Massissip. "A man from our State had no
kind of show, and, though put the 'tentions 10
her like an uncle il didn't seem to be no use tryin.
Bout time she did kind of lean my way, you see
mare bout the end Of grindn' season, old Farabole
Civ dance down in his sugar house, and 'vited
me and the wdder, and raft more; and down we
went and the widder kind felt her oats, and we
reeled it off in the airly part of the evening fit to
kill but by'm-by that Buffer came on an just
knocked me cold
.sYe see he'd been down to the city, (New Or
leans, and only rived on the Bayou that night,
an hearin that there was COINS on down to old
Faraboles sugar-house, down he cum WAL sir,
he was drest to death in the hansumest kind OF
storeclothes, and the women were right up on end
as soon as he came in.
" / see the widder ixin' her panther eyes on
him, aid Jest said to myself Dick Tareout, you
IN lut 8S wen Clear, LDaI ere DuHST lOO uiuCu tOi
ut in the close line felt it at oncet WAL sir, in
about minnit up comes Buffer, smiles at the wild
d r in fashinatn' manner, an ensists on dancin'
with her. Ser she, Yes, Mister Buffer, it will af
ford me the greatest pleshureP Gratest pheshure! !!
Wal, the way he squeezed her when they danced
rather think t did. | kept an eye on Buff r
Now, you see, he'd been stavin' at the Saint
Charleses an putin it through like forty, an he'd
larnt all the last agones in the way of bowin'
md Sayinf laatla pafhiy,fs an III
carried his hat In his hand all over the sugarhouse
down among the biers, an up round back of the
ingine--whar the Ticker was-everywhar he toted
that ar hat
"Now the widder didn't jist exactly kncw what
to make of it--coz it was new wrinkle-so twic't
she said to him he'd better let Big jake one of the
house niggers, hold it for him but twant no use,
he held on tot tight as wrench; at last, jest as
they war in the middle Of dance, sez Brffer, with
sech smile, sez he Mrs. Noirveux, for your
sake III do most ennythingln An he actually
held that ar bat in one hand and hit it lick with
t'other, and fetched top an rim right into a pan
eake--knockedit right down fat
II tell you wot, when the widder see him do
that, she was Jest ready to drap, she was SO come
over with his 'tentions Sacrificing a bran new
hat and all to crafty her little whiml | see at
once how he goin, an determined, sir, to
head him of. So stepped up round back of the
ngine, whar the Ticker war; an took most rou-
sin big horn Of old Faraboles rum, an huntin',
found my hat. II was right new one--none Of
your Kosshoot or wool hats, but reg'lar beaver,
stiff as a stove pipe, and shone like pair OF new
black boots; so | lays hold Of that hat and goes
round back of the ingine an takes another swim
gDg' big pull at the rum and then felt jest ready
for action. The dance was through, and as cheers
was scarce, the women were all seated few
seats in front of the bilers an Buffer sas plin'
on the soft things, and the widder was lookin'
tickled to pieces, when / made my appearance on
tie stsgei
81 works up to'rd the widder, an when I'd got
atween her an Buffer seq /, Allow me the pleas
ure of your hand for The next setp
"'0h, sez She with leetle sigh, I'm 80 come
over that hardly feel abul to dance agin!'
"NoS, sez l to myself, old feller, spread your.
selfor die and jest swings my hat round forrd
an, jest as / said You'd better say Yesp you'll
get over it dancin', held that ar hat in one
hand Gust Buffer did his) an with t'other hand
druv the crown down with sech another lick, that
the lining jumped right through and bust the eend
clean out"
Raley," said she, "you skeered melp an ]
think 4 mout have done it. Thar was my bat, all
Knocked into Internal pieces, no bigger than bits,
the rim all hangn loose the sides smashed in. the
lining running out and the top Off Bout that
time, 1 turned my eye, and thar stood Buffer a
holdin' bis .hat-jest as good new, and all in
shape, sirl looked at il twice--no mistake it
was whole.
Sez he, 2 You ought to get a spring hat--shap-
poh mechanic, as the French call em. I've one
hereP An then he ups and shows the whole in.
sides Of il, an how it works, and the hull lot of
men looked Mt him, like IL he'd had stove pipe
chock full Of diamonds; the wilder specially pat.
ternized him, tuck him under her wing, an give
me the cold shouIder-straight Buffers got her
I'm tired Of La-Fooshe, an am goin' back to the
hills, whar thar ar no more widders that fellers
can cotton down to with>spring hats
BOuk AND JOB PRINTING, =