Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-06-04

that men were the meanest, slowest. cow.
ardliest, or scariest creatures in short.
good for nothing but to lay under an an
ple-tree with their mouths open, and wait
until the apples dropped into them.
This observation was cireulat ed from
mouth, to mouth, and like the riddle of
Sphinx, was deeply pondered by Sally's
lovers. If any of them had wit enough to
solve its meaning, certainly no one had
pluck enough to prove the answer
Not of this poor-spirited EE9wa Vas Sam
Bates, stalwart youth, "a II il win
! ter, six feet two Inches in bis stock kings In
summer he didn't wear ANY, Sam was
not handsome in the ordinary sense of the
term. He was freckled, had big mouth,
/ and carroty hair. His feet-but no mat
ter, he usually bought number fourteen
and half boots, because they fit him Let
ter than seyens or eights. Sam was wag-
on-maker by profession, owned flourish
ing shop and several hundred acres of un-
improved land, which secured to him the
reputation of independence. For the rest,
he was registering blade, good rider,
crack shot with the rife, and an accom-
plished fiddler. Bold to the confines of
impudence, he was favorite of the fair;
with heart as big as his foot, and fist
: like sledge-hammer, he was the acknowl-
: edged cock Of the walk, and preur chevaz-
Ter Of the pine hill country.
r MIR. Bates met Sally Jones for the first
) time at quilting, aud in sixty seconds af-
) ter sight he had determined to court her.
He sat beside her as she stitched, and even
had the audacity to squeeze her hand under
the quilt.-Truth is mighty, and must be
5 told Although Sally did resent the i'm
pertinen,e by strick with her needle, she
was not half SO indignant as she ought to
have been. dare not say she was pleased,
but perhaps should not be far from the
: truth if did. 1t is undeniable that the
more she admires courage aud boiiness in
the other six-Sally blushed every time
e her eyes met those Of her new beau, and
: that was as often as she looked up AS
q for Sam, the longer he gazed the deeper he
: sunk 10 the mire of love, aud by the end Of
t the evening ais heart and his confidence
. were both completely overwhelmed. AS
: he undertook to see Sally home, he felt a
1 numeness in his joints that was entirely
q new to him, and when he tried to make
q known his sentiments as he had previously
i determined he found his heart was so swell
q led up that it closed his throat, and he could
i, not utter word.
Mhas saseed se lie cured sHfsdu sneak xas
it his sleepless pillow What's come over
e me that | cant speak my N ind to pretty
. gal without chicken? o Lord but she
e. is too pretty to live on this airth. Well,
q I'm a-going to church with her tomorrow;
sr and if | don't fix matters afore l get back,
tken drat me"
le It is probable Sam Bates had never
ia hearkened to the story Of Rasselas, Prince
of of Abyssinia,' or he would have been less
to credulous while thus listening to the whis
pers of fancy, and less ready to take it fol
", granted that the deficiencies of the day
be would be supplied by the morrow. Tomor
" row came, and in due time Mr. Bates, trick
ed out in a bran new twelve dollars suit o
,er Jews clothes, was on his way to meeting
IT, beside the beautiful Sally.-His horse, be-
in decked with new leather bride, and a nev
,s, saddle with brass strrups looked as gay as hi
as master. As they rode up 10 the meeting
N, a triumphant glance at the crowd of Sally
1T. adorres that stood around filled with norti6
cation and envy at his successful audacity
Saly's face was roseate with pleasure am
bashfulness.
nc "Stop minute, now, Miss Sally II
we jist get down and lift ye off y
Of Sam essayed to dismount, but in so dc
oh ing found that both feet we're hopeessl
on fast in the stirrups. His face swelled an
MI Redeemed like a turkey gobbler's. In val
tbe he twisted and kicked; the crowd was e,
No pectant; Sally was waiting Gosh dar
E the sterrup! exclaimed Sam, eudeavoring
break the feathers with his desperate kick
). At this unwonted exclamation Sally locke
our up. and saw her beau's predicamcnt. IL
ux- bystanders began to snicker Sally WI
n grie,ed and indignant. Bouncing out of b
ing saddle, in twinkling she handed her e1
or trapped escort a stone. Here Samni
inc chunk your foot out with this y
no. Oh, Sally Jones, into what an error d
ng- your kind heart betray you, to offer th
,ver untimely civility in the presence of the q
tty, sembledsc scounty-admirers, rivals and al
be- Sam took the stone and struck frant
blow at the perth ,cious sturrup, but mi
will sing his aim, it fell with crushing force u
he'd on soft corn that had come from his we;
an ing tight boots. Whoa, darn ye! cri
she be, losing all control of himself, and thre;
was ening to beat his horses brains out vi
INK the stone.
che Don't strike the eritter so, Sammy, 81
ing old Jones; you'll gin him the poll ev
for but jist let me ongirth the saddle, a I'd We
will get you loose in no time.
nus In short, the saddle was unbuckled, a
IL Sam dismounted with his feet still fast
ssed the .stirrups, looking like criminal in 70
rthi- hobbies. With some labor he pulled
in his boots, squeezed them out the sturru
h or and pulled them on again. The ten
was Sally stood by, all the while manifest
,osed the kipdest concern: and when he
Poor finally extrieated, she took his arm {
irl to walked him intochurch. But this unlu,
to be adventure was too much for Sam
and sneaked out of the meeting during the
4 tur- prayer, pulled off his boots, and rode he
It, as in his stockings From that time S
d, to disappeared from society. Literally
daw- metapborically be shut UP shop. and b.
S, BIZ up his fiddle. He did not take to liq
!, and like = fool, bat took to bis az and clea
ricks, don't know how many acres of rug
,se. hnd. heavy timbered land. thereby incr
eenth ling the value Of his tract to the anoul