Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1857-09-10
Shirt MisEellung
FINDING A HUSBAND.
BY PEGGY NOREHEAD.

l
"Uncle, may 1 ride Milo?" said
one bright june morning, as he sat at
the breakfast table.
''Ride Milo"
ayes it is such beautiful day"
s'But he'll throw YOU
eThrow met And 1 laughed merri
lily and incredulously. "Say yes, dear
UNCLE" continued eoaxingly, "there's
no fear and I'm dying for canter."
you'll die of canter then," he re-
torted, with his grim wit, "for he'll
break your neck. The horse has only
been ridden three times, twice by HIM
self and once by joe"
ssBut you've often said I was better
rider than Joe" Joe was the stable
boy. "That's a good uncle, now dc. .
And L threw my arms about his neck
and kissed him.
knew, by experience, that when 1
did this 1 generally carried the day.
My uncle tried to look stern; but [ saw
he was relcnting. He made last eff
fort, however, to deny me.
"Why not take Dobbin ?'' he said.
'.Dobbin - L cried. "Oh, snail pac-
ed Dobbin, on such a morning as this.
One might as we'll ride rocking horse
at once"
"Well, well,'' he said, eff must, l
must You'll tease the life out of me
if don't let you have your way. l
wish you d get husband, you mink,
you're growing beyond MY control"
'Humph! husband. Well, since
you say so, I'll begin to look out for
one to-day
Hell soon repent of his bargain, "
said my uncle, but his smiles belied his
words. "You're as short as pie-crust,
if you can't have your way. There" !"
seeing | was about to speak, ''go and
get ready, while [ tell Joe to saddle
Milo. You'll set the house afre if l
don't send you off.
Milo was soon at the door, gay,
mcttlcsomc colt, who laid his cars back
as mounted and gave me a vicious look
I did not quite like.
Take care" said my uncle. Its
not too late yet to give 1t up.
was piqued.
Il never give up anything I said.
"Not even the finding of husband,
eh ?''
NO. I'll ride down to the poor
house and ask old Tony, the octogena-
rian pauper, to have me, and you II be
forced to hire Poll Wilkes to cook your
dinncrs'' And as | said this, my eyes
twinklcd mischicveously, for uncle was
an old bachelor who detestcd all strange
women, and held an especial aversion to
Poll Wilkes, sour old maid of forty
seven, because, years ago, she had plot
ted to entrap him into. matrimony.-
Before he conld reply, gave Milo his
head
John Gilpin, we are told, went fast,
but went faster. 1t was not long be-
fore the colt had it all his own way
At first 1 tried to check his speed; but
he got the bit in his mouth and all I
could 10 was to hold on and trust to
ses went by us like wild pigeons on the
wing. AS long as the road WAS clear,
we did well enough, but suddenly COM
ing to a blasted oak, that started out,
spectre like, from the edge of a wood,
Milo SHE'D, twisted half around, and
planteI his forc-fect stubbornly in the
igrouud. L did not know L was falling,
till felt myself in mud-hole, which
lay at one side of the road.
Here was fine end to my boastcd
horsemanship But as the mud was
soft, / was not hurt, and the ludicrous
spectacle presented, soon got the up
per hand of my vexation. GA fine
chance have of finding husband, in
this condition." said to myself, recall
ling my jest with uncle. 'If l could
find some mud dried now, and pass my
self for mud nymph, l might have a
chance. And l began to pick myself
up.
'-Shall help you, Miss ?" suddenly
said a deep, rich, manly voice.
l looked up and saw young man,
: the suppressed merriment of whose
black eyes brought the blood to my
: cheek, and made me for an instant
ashamed and angry. But on giancing
again at my dress, 1 could not help
laughing in spite of myself [ stood in
mud at least six inches higher than the
tops of my shoes. My riding skirt was
plastercd all over, so that it was almost
impossible to tell of what it was made
My hands and arms were mud to the
elbows, for | had instinctively extended
them, in protecting myself.
t The young man, as he spoke, turned
to the neighboring fence, and taking of
. the top rail he placed it across the pud
die, then putting his arm around my
t waist, he lifted me out, though not with
d out leaving my shoes behind. While
a he was fishing these out, which he be
: gan Immediately to do, L stole behint
the enormous oak, to hide my blushine
J face, and scrape the mud from my stock
S ings and riding skirt. had managed
c to get the first little cleaner, but th
last was as thick as ever when my com
panion made his appearance with tn
missing shoes, which he had scrape'
till they were quite prcsentable, an
W leading Milosby the bride.
II "Pray, let me see you home, sal
h. &C TF 1,o,, 1vill mount oroin Til lon