The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1858-03-16

Reu IN r1rlao ~ 81 /,
Theycsy elimax of ugliness was Ben Pr
n. Ho ~ rcs-ilalred, ara each hair e1ooi
- n L cherished the supsomest contamp
ar is next neighb0r. His face vas !,
iisckled a. the most bespottsd turkey egg :
His nose supported at the bridge largl
lump, while the end turned viciousIy to on
side. His mouth had every shape but ]
pretty shape His form was a. uncouth y
his face was ugly. The very climax Of ogli
ness was Ben Purte-what was stil more
Ben had handsome, bouncing, and blOom
In. wisc-such Is can only be grown npo1
i ! good old coantry farm.
NiOw the duce,' said 20 Han one day
| ibid you ever get such wills, yOn unc0uth
misskapen auintessenee Of monstrosity y
Ben was not at all offended by tho Taper
tincnce Of nv question; and forthwith be
| gan to solve Tho question, thus: ae
"Well, now, gals what's sensible Ain't
cotched BY mono of you purity hitalutin airs
| We seed that tried morn once You know
Katy was allers considerable the pnrtiest 81
In these parts, and ali the young fellers II
the nabsrhood used to try to catch here
Well, used to 60 over to old Sammy's too
just to kinder look on, you know, and cast
sleeps eyes at Kate. But, Lord sakasl
had NO mOre thought thns could get Kate
than q Jerusalem cricket could hide ia the
hair that wasn't on old Sammy's bald head
no stree. But still couldn't help going,
nv heart would kinder futter, and my eyes
would burn all over whenever Id 20 to talk
to Katy. And one day when Kate soasel
made fun of me, It almost killed me, sure;
| went home with something like rock JOS.
tin in my breast, and swore I'd hang my.
self with the first piow-line found r
"Did you hang yourself?
mo, daddy blaxed out to me for not tn.
king old Bell to the pasture in the morning,
and scared me SO bad that | forgot it.
60 on" said |, seeing Ben pause. with
apparent regret that he had not executed
his VOW.
aWell, soon, one Sunday morning.
reckon it was about = year after that hang
ing scrape, got up and scraped my face
with daddy's old razor, and put on my new
copprus briches and new linssy coat marin
had died with sasafras bark, and went over
to uncle Sammy's. Now I'd got to loving
Kate like all creation, but never cheeped
to anybody about my feelings. But know
ed was on the right side Of tho old FOLKS. =
"Well now, amt it quar-" continued Ben,
after slight pause, during which he rolled
his quid to more convenient place in his
mouth, "how Teller will feel sometimes p
Something seemed to say as went along,
Ben Purtle, this is a great day for you,' and
my heart f1uttcrsd and jumped like a jay
bird in a trap And when | got there and
seed Kate with her new homspun frock on
| rally thought should take the blind stag
gers enyhow."
Ben paused again to brush the fog from
his eyes, and then continued:
"Wcll, found the order of the day was to
90 muscadine hunting. Joe Sharp and his
two sisters and Jim isowles was thar. Id
knowd long time that Joe was right after
Kate and hated him worse than hog
hates To find the way out of later patch,
bat didn't let on. Sharp had on white
breeches ine shoes and broadcloth coat,
but every body know'd he warn't worth d
red cent He walked with Kate and you
ought to have seen the airs he put on. 1t
was Miss Kate this and Miss Kate that,
and all such nonsense. After while we
came near slough, whar we had to cross
on log, and Id notion to pitch the sassy
good ior-nothing into the water"
why didn't you," ] asked, sympathising
with the narrator.
stop, never mind" said Ben, giving me q
nudge. Providence done that all up brown.
Nothing must do but Joe must lead Kate
across fust He jumped on the log in high
glee and took Hates hand, and off they put.
just as they got half way across tarnation
big bull frog jumped off into the water
You know how they boiler. s.Snaks:
screamed the blasted fool, and knocked Kate
off up to her waist in the tarnal nasty
black, muddy water. And what dye think
he done? Why, run backards and foreds,
hollerin for pole to help Miss Kate out Of
the water. Kate looked at me and l
couldn't stand it any longer Curchunk
lit ten feet from the bank at the first Jump,
and had Kate out there in no time. And
Eye think the scamp didn't cum up after
we'd got out and said: AR you hurt, Miss
KateY
My dander was up. couldn't stand it,
l took him by the seat Of his white breaches
and his coat collar, and gin him toss.-
May be he didn't go clear under when he
hit the water. didn't see him out. Me
and Kate started for the house. When we
started off Kate said
ben, jist let me hold on to your arm, nv
knees feel sorter weak
'Gepeat jimmy felt so quar- when she
TUX hold. 1 tried to say something nice, but
my mouth would not go Off no how But
felt as strong as an elephant, and helped
along. Bimeby Kate said
ben, that Joe Sharp's good-for nothing,
sneakin, cowardiy nobody; if he ever puts
his head inside OF our house again, Iii souse
him with dish water sure
tried to say something again; but cuss
the luck, couldn't say nothing; but saueez-
ed her hand, and sighed like a cranky bellus.
We'd got clear out of sight of the Others
and, Kate says ss
ben, feel that you are my protector,
and believe that daddy's right when he
says you are worth all the rest of the bows
in the neighborhood.
Ben purtle," says |, this is a great day
for you, and made tremendous effort to
get my mouth OF again, and out it did pop,
sure enough. u g ID asae IS - ~
"kate,' says l trembling all over, II love
you to distraction and no mistake. I've
owed you long and hard. My hearts been
almost broken Tor two years, and 1 want you
20 say right straight up and down, whether
you are going to nave me or not?' g
Kate hung down her head, and didn't saw
nothing, but felt encouraged, for she kind
Dr. sighed. eI ~
'.kate, if you re gwins to have me, say 50,
Ind II you don't want to say 80, jest squeeze
ny hand "~lF.rs.ss y5
We'll, she squeezed my hand right Off
Lordy how | did feel felt like stream
II warm water or sasafras tea sweetened
with molasses was running through INV |
bones! and LEST cotch her in my arms, and
Kissed her right in the mouth, aud she never |
ried the first time to get loose.
Ben was SO overcome with this narration |
# his courtship, that a pause for breath was |
necessary ga
How long after that said I, "befere you |
we're married p
"Uld Sammy was mighty proud, and SO
vas the old woman about the thing, aud we |
married next fall after the muscardine
Grape ~
do you think your wife loves you yetY'
asked.
Why, I.ordy, yes. She thinks I'm the
ef,a call