The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1860-08-15
@RlRttr1 Sturu.
How Ben Purtle got his
Wife.
A WESTERN STORY,


hair stood as il it cherished the supre
NEST contempt for its neighbor. His face
was as freckled as the most bespol,ed
turkey egg. His nose supported at the
bridge large lump, while the end turn.
sd viciously to one side. His mouth had
every shape but a pretty shape. His
form was as uncouth as bis face was ugly.
The very climax Of ugliness was Ben Pur-
tie. What WAS more still. Ben had "A
handsome, bouncing, blooming wife-such
as can only be grown upon country
farm.
How the deuce, said to Ben one day,
did you ever get such a wife, you un
couth, mis- shapen, quiu,essence Of mon.
t.osity
Ben was not at all often led by the i'm.
pertinence Of my question, and forthwith
began to solve the mystery thus:
We'll, now, gals what sensible, amt
cotched 10y none Of your purity and hifa.
lutin airs. I've seed that tried more'n
once. You know Kate war alters cousid,
cred the purties, gal in these parts, and
all tue young fellows in the naborhooG
u,cd to try 10 cotch her. We'll, used
10 90 over to old Sammy's too, just TO
! kinder look on. YOU know, and cast sheep
eyes at Kate. But marcy sakesl had
no more thought that | could get Kate
than Jerusalem cricket cud hide in The
hair that wasn't on old Sammys bald
head-no stree. But still couldn't help
gowing, an my heart would kinder Hut
ter, and my eyes would bum all over,
when Ia 60 TO talk with Katy. And one
day when Katy sorter made fun Of me
like, it almost killed me sure went
home with something like a rock josting
about i'll my breast and d. clared ID hang
my.cl: with tho tiis, plow line found.
Did you hang yourself: T.
NO: daddy b!azed out 10 me for TAX
ing cid Ball {" the pasture III the morn.
inE, and scared me SO that forgot it,
Go on, said I, seaine Ben pause with
apparent regret that he had not executed
his vow.
We'll, soon on Sunday morning-I
recon it Was year after tha, hanging
scrape-l got up and scraped my face
with daddy's old razor and put on my
new copprus britches, and n new linsey
,at nanny had dyed with sassafras
| bark, aud went over to uncle Sammvs.
Now I'd got tc loving Kate like all crea.
| ,ion, but never cheaped to any one
about my feelings. But knowed WAS
on the rgh, side of the old folks
We'll, now. amt it quar- continued
Ben, how fellow will feel sometimes
Something seemed to say as went aloag
Ben Purtle. this is n grea; day for you;'
aud .hen my heart fiutterei and Jumped
! ike jay bird in a trap. And when ]
got Iherc aud seed Kate with her new
checked homctpuu frock on, rally
thought I'd take the blind stsggers any
how
Ben paused again to brush the log
from his eyeIIds, and then continued
We'll found the order Of the day was
| 10 so -uusradin" hunting. Joe Shap and
! his Two sisters, and jim Bowles was thar
III knowed n long time that Snap was
,:9ht after Kate, and hated him worse
thaa hog hates TO fnd the road out Of
a ta,er pstcii but didn't let on. Shnp
had on white bri:nhes and fiue shoes and
broodco,h oyercoa.. bot everybody know
ed he wasn't worth re-, cent. lie walk
ed with Kate and you ought TO have seen
the airs he pu( on. IL was Miss Kate
this and MISS Kate that, and all such
nonsense. After awhile we came near
sough we had to cross on log, and I'd
IL notion to pitch the sassy good for moth
my into the water.
why didn't you 4 | asked.
Stop, never mind said Ben giving
| al
brown. Nothing must do but Joe Sbap
must lead Miss Kate across fust. He
jumped on the log in high glee and took
Kate's hand, and they put of. just AS
they got half way across, a a,arnstion big
bull frog jumped off inio the water-you
know how they hnllow--'Snakes! scream
ed The fool, and knocked Kate off to her
waist in the nasty, black muddy water.
And what dye think lac done Why, |
run backwards and foreds, a bollerin' for
q pole to help Kate out OF the water.-
Kate looked at me, and couldn't stand
il no longer. Curchuck J tten feet from
the bank at the first jump and had Kate
out Of thar in no time. And dye think
the scamp didn'i come up alter we'd got
out, aud said 'Ar, you hurt, Miss Kate =
My dsnder was up. | couldn't stand
it; cs,ched him by the seat Of his
white briicbes aud coat collar, aud gin
toss. Maybe he didn't 90 clear under
when he hit the wsisr. i didn't see him
out. Ne and Kate put for the house.
When we started off, Kate said
Ben. just Let me hold to your arm,
kinder feel sorter seak'
'Gepea, Jimmy J felt 30 quar- when
she took hold. I tried to say something
nice. but my drotted mouth would not
70 off, no how. But felt ss strong as
an elephant, and helped Kate along
Bimby, Kate, said
Ben, tbat Joe Snaps q good for moth.
ing, sneakIn' cowardIy nobody; IL he ev.
or puts his head inside Of our house again
I'll souss him with the dish water, sure
u tried to say something agsin, but
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