Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-11-04

rHn CoURTsHIP AND MARRIAGE
OF JOSHUA WHEAT.
Did you ever see . bashful man,
reader? If you have, you have seen one
Of the most awkward, ungainly creatures
maong the human bipeds. Now there
amy be something very attractive and
interesting in the shrinking timidity of
. blushing girl, though I confess ] have
my doubts in regard to it; but bash
full man, who ever pities him? Though
by one sex, and laughed at BY
the other, always doing what he never
ought to have done, and. saying what
he never intended to say, he is one Of
the most pitiable objects in existence.
To be sure, in these days Of brass
and assurance, when every body thinks
himself as good as his neighbor, and a
great deal better, they are very rare.
But still they are to be met with occa-
sionally, though they are quickly dis
appearing, and probably in few years
there will be no trace of them left.
My friend Joshua Wheat was one OF
this unfortunate class ofpeople. 1say
was, for he has improved wonderfully
Of late years. But l will not anticipate.
No one could have seen Joshua en-
ter q room where there was company,
especially ladies, without being aware
Of this popularity of his. He gener-
ally either Numbered along, looking red
and foolish, or shot hurriedly in, with
q white, scared face, hiding himself as
soon as possible from observation be-
hind door, or in corner. If there
was chair or stool anywhere in the
room, which was very apt to be the
case, he generally managed to stumble
over it, which was not at all calculated
to add to the grace Of his entrance. Il
apretty girlspoke to him he stammered
and turn d all sorts of colors, looking
as frightened and ashamed as if he had
been convicted of sheep stealing.
Poor Joshua! there certainly. never
was man who had q higher opinion
of the better part Of creation, or more
capable of appreciating the blessings
Of matrimony; yet he had reached tn
age of twenty-eight without being ont
step nearer towards realizing them thar
he was eight years before. He had fv'
brothers, but though none Of them hat
half his good looks or sense, the.
possessed what he did not, plenty o.
assurance, and a tact Of showing al
they did know, and were all married
and happily settled in life, while be re-
NAMED fo.lorn disconsolate bachelor
1t was not from the want Of means
to support wife, for he had plenty o.
this worlds goods, well stocked farm
q nice new house, besides money in tn
bank. 1t certainly was not for want O.
girls, for there were scores Of them il
the town where he lived, of all sort'
and sizes, black-eyed, blue-eyed ane
gray-eyed, and eyes of no color at all
No, Joshua WI heat remained unmarried
merely because he had not the mora
courage to look any one of the girls il
the face and say, 81 love you-wil
you marry me?''
These words are very simple, and tt
the uninitiated are very easily spoken
yet have known many q mans cour'
age fail him at the thought of saying
them, who would have ridden into tn
front Of the fercest and hottest battle
without the shadow Of fear.
s. At last all the girls of Joshua's &C
quaintance were married to drawer il
not better men all but one, Mar,
Dearborn, the prettiest one among then
all, and as good and sensible as sh,
was pretty. Mary had plenty Of suit
ors, but she turned cold shoulder t,
them all, being fimly determined il
her own mind that if she married at al
she would have nobody but Joshu;
Wheat.
Joshua had taken great shine tt
Mary ever since they were children
they used to 60 to school together il
the little red school house on the hill
he drawing her to and from school il
the winter on his little sled, and bring.
ing her apples as red and shining a.
her rosy cheeks.
When they grew older he still exhibit.
ed his preference for her, though il
a somewhat different manner. Ever,
Sabbath, after meeting was over, h
would post himself by the church doo1
to escort her home, and in the evening
arrayed in his Sunday BEST he nigh
have been seen striking Decline fo1
Squire Dearborn's. About nine O'Clock
the old folks would 60 off to bed, leaving
Joshua and Mary together, and there
he would sit, looking straight into the
fire, scarcely daring to move or breathe,
with the momentous question trembling
on the very tip Of his tongue, yet never
breathing it. No nearer towards the oh.
ject Of his visit when he left the house
than when he entered it.
Things went on in this way for a
number Of months. But at last an
event occurred which gave Joshua quite
start. A son Of DR.. Hale, the vii
lage physician, came home from COL
lege, where he had graduated, it is said,
with considerable distinction. He was
q tall, lank; smooth faced fellow, with
more learning than brains, and more
brass than either. He saw Mary in
church the first Sabbath after his re-