The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1858-05-14
How Mike came near losing Sally, but
didn't.

How Mike came near losing Sally, but
didn't.
Say, have you heard the news 2"
"Wla, news p
"Why, Mike Han and Sally Brown got
married last evening"
The uation YOU don't say SO p
"Ycs. as sure as you live ; but between
You and me, Mike came mighty near not
gettin' her"
"IIow was that 2"
"Why, came very near g.t,in her my
SELF"
You 7"
Yes III tell YOU about it. You SEQ
Mike, and me Wen, ever TO Bethel meeting
house one evening to PRAYER meeting, for
no oth"r purpose ;han that Of going home
with Sally. saw him as soon as Id got
III, and he saw me, SO We boil, knew what
We might depend on.
"N hen meeting was out we both made
" dive Tor the door to go i'll for tho chan.
rrs; but, as good luck would have it, lie
got c"'anyled in among the people, and SO
beat him to Sally, and cut him out rs
slick as Il wLis.lr. Ii: Ill found chest of
gold i, wouldn't have pleased me a whit
better, for You see, was already in love
with tie Gal. We talked and laughed
along as merry as crickvts, and but for tho
fact that there had Leen shower of rain
the evening before, which had left pudlcs
Of water here and there in the road, every
thing wonil have been just as it should be.
For my part, | didn',care copper for
tho puddIcs in fact, am not sure but
w"n'd rather have had them there, for each
one OF them made it necessary for mo to
take Sally INN arms and leap over, which
by the way, was anything but disagrceable.
1t would certainly have doue you good 10
see Inc pu. on tho agony" every time l
came to one Of these ru,ldles. 1'done it
Tor the express purpose OF Lu''ing tho feel
ings Of Mike, who was following along af
ter us in crowd as sober as Judge. Of
course Sally and I led the way all the time.
1t was very dark, so dark we could scarce
~ see tile ground, yet we could see all tho
puddles Of water very plainly by reflection
AS they looked white.
Soon after we entered the lawn running
up 10 Tom Smiths, SAW AN unusual large
puddle. Telling Sally to hold her temper,
| took her around the wais: and made an
awful leap. Do you think. lit safe and
sound on the other side =? No, sir 1 lit
with one leg Oh either side Of the neck Of
IN old white COW that lay in the road, and
which had mistaken for puddle Of wa
ter. The COW being doubtless as much sur
pr'std as myself, splang up hind feet first,
and the next instan! Sally and found our
Selves landed on our heads. But that was
not tho worst o:it---one Of the old Lrutc's
horns caugh, in the strap Of my wastcoat,
and away she went, dragging me down tho
lawn, aud loaring like lion. I suppose
she bad dragged me nearly fifty PAGES be.
fore he: Lo!l tore loose but us the road
was Pcriec'l smooth, sustained but little
injury. The only scroms hurt that l had
received was an internal one, and that was
caused by the sharp s9ual that Sally gave
when We lit upon our heads. 1t went
through me Ike a knife, and kept on ring
ing in my ears, for had no idea but the
poor girl was killed.
AS soon as could clear tho dirt out Of
eyes, hurried back to learn the worst. In
a very little while learned it, but in diff.
iercnt way from any had expected. There
cane Sally down along the other side of the
lawn, swinging on Mixes arm, and laugh
ing fit to kill herself Don't you think
was mad ? hadn't word 10 say, but
just dropped back ard cut across the fields
and left them.
~ few nights ago, ! called on Sally with
determination to pop the question and
bring matters to,a close. went over the
whole rigmarole, and she listened to mo till
I was through, and then with one Of tho
most provoking laughs you ever heard, sLe
looked up and told me was little too
late-she was engaged. Mike had got the
heels Of me. and nothing under the sun but
the old COW was the cause Of it."
"Co'ning hastily into chamber, I had
almost thrown down crystal hour-glass.
Fear lest | had. made me grieve rs if l had
broken it. But, alas, how much precious
time have cast away without any regret !
The hour.g lass was but crystal, eacl, hour
pearl that but like to be broken, this lost
outright that hut casually, this done viii
fully. A better bour-glass might be bought
hut time lost once, is lost forever. Thus ws
grieve more,f fpr toys than for treasure. Eosd
give me al hour.glass, not TO be by me. bus
to be in me. Teach me to number my days.