The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-03-05
SALLY JONES

SALLY JONES
! Nathan Jones, small farmer in our vicin-
~, had daughter, as pretty and buxom lass
rs ever thumped but.crmilk in churn. and
whether you saw her CARRYING eggs to mar
het on flea bitten mare, or helping to stir
; alpie-butter at boiling frolic, or making
4 long reach at a quilting, or sitting dcmure-
ly IN a log meeting house on II Sunday, in
short, wherever you saw her, sh ALWAYS
.o'E"d US pretty,lf notprettIcr, than she had
ever done before.
| Notwithstanding ncr attractions. it will
scarcely be credited that Sally had reached
the mature age of eighteen without a sutor.
Admirers, nay, lovers, she had hy the score;
aud whenever liquor was convrncnt, many
L sober youth got drunk because If her, and
many si;hlns bachelor would willingly give
his riding horse, or even share in DADS
farm for her.
There was indeed no lack of will on their
part; the difficulty was in mastering up
courage to make the proposal. Mankind
seemed for once, to be impressed with Il
proper sense Of it's own unworthness.
Now, far be it from any one 10 infer from
this Sally was prudish Or unapproachnblc.
! On the contrary, she was AS good hulnurcd.
ms comely and disposed to be as loving as
she was lovable.
! Poor Sally . 1t is a great misfortune for a
girl to be too handsome; almost as great as
10 be too ugly.
There she was, sociuble and warm heart
ed as pigeon, arniabIo ns turtle dove,
locking soft encouragement, rs plainly as
maiden modesty permitted, TO her bashful
IN hn Il i al o.,
Ter twiIdin@ their thumbs, bling the bark
. Of their riding switches. and playing Il mum
bcs Of other sheepsh tricks, but never say
ing word to the purpose.
Sally Was entering her nineteenth year,
when SHE was one day heard TO observe that
men were the m"anest, Slowest, cowurdiiest
onrleSt creatures : in short good for nothing
@ut To lay und"r an apple tree with their
mouths open. and wait until the apple drop
ped into them.
: This observation was circulated from
mouth to mouth, and like the riddle of the
sphynx, WIS deeply prndercd by Sally's low.
ers. II any one OF them had wit enough 10
solve its III meaning, tGr!rinlv NJ one had
pluck enough TO pore the answer.
+ Not Of this poor spirited crowd was Sam
Dates, stalwart youth, who stood. in viii
ter, six feet two in his stockings, (in SUNNI er
he did't year AMY
Sam was not handsome in the ordinary
sense Of the term. He was freckpd, hnd Il
big mouth, and carro:y hair. ills fcet-but
no matter-he usua..y bought number four
teen and half, because they fitted him bet
ter than scycns or eights.
Sam was a acon-makcr by profession.
owned hourishinc shop. and several hun-
dred acres Of unimprOveu land, which scsu-
red 10 him the reputation of lnderpndence.
For the rest, he was a registering blade, a
gooi rider, q crack shot with n rire, and an
ACCOMPLISHED Edr.ler. Bold TO the confines
of impruIrnce. he was great fayorlte vi
the fair; with heart as bio As his t5Df. fit
Ike s"d-c hummer he was the acknow'-
edged cock of the walk and preur rhsrel.y
of the pine hill country.
Mr.. Bates met Sally Jones for the first
time at quitting and at sixty seconds after
sight he had determined to court her. He
sat beside her As she stitched, and even had
the audaciiv to squeeze her under the Quilt.
Truth is mighty, and must be tod.
Although Sally did resent the imncrt;nr
cnce by stick with her needle. she was no,
h&!s 50 indignant as she ought TO have been.
dare not say she was pieu>el. bat perh,p.
| shonlt no, 10 far from The truth if d d. 1t
is undrnnbio that the more gaut.. and mod
est woman is, the moyr ste aL:n.res cour
ngs and bo.ducss IN the other sex.
Sally blusncd every time her ercs met
those Of her new beau, and that was as often
az she looked up
As for Sam. the longer he gazcd the deep
er he Sank Ia the mtre OF love, and bv the
End Of the evening his heart am! his coui-
dence were both completely overwhelmed.
As he undertook to see Sally home, he
felt IL numbness in his joints entirely new to
him, and when he tried to make known his
sentiments as be had previously determined,
he found his heart was 50 sweled up that it
closed up his throat and he couldn't utter a
word.
.WAnt darnd sneak was H. groanrd Sam,
~ he turned that ni~ht on his slcepless nil.
low. what's come over lne. that can :,
speak nv mind to pretty gal withou,
chok;n? O Lord but she was to, pretty to
Uyo on this airth. Well, rm II going to
church with her tomorrow and if don't
Gx matters afore get back, then drat me- )
1t Is probable Sam Bates had never heark-
ened to the story Of .Rasseins, Prince Of
Abvssinin.' or he would have been less cred
ulous while thus listening to the whispers of
fancy. and less ready to take it for granted
that the Deficiencies of the day would be
supplied by the morrow.
To-morrow came, and in due time Mr..
Bates tricke1 OFF in q new twelve dollar suit
Of jews clothes, was on his way to meeting
beside the beautiful Sally. lis horse be-
Gecked with new saddle and brass stirrups,
looked as gay as his master.
As they rode up to the meeting house.
Sam could not forbear casting II triumphant
glance at the crowd of Saiy's adorers that
stood there filed with modification and envy
at his successful audacity.
Sallv's face was roseate with pleasure and
bashfrlness.
.Ston minute, now Miss Sally III list
e., dorm and help We off,