Smyrna times., 1861-12-19
SELECT STORY.
KISSED BY MISTAKE.

sWill yon be at home to. night, Hetty !, ard !
The speaker, q tall, muscular, well-looking
Young farmer, redeemed TO the very roots of his
hair, az though he nad committed some very
wicked act, instead of asking a very simple
question.
He was bashful. extremely SO was Josiah
Ha wley, at least in the presence ofyoung ladies;
moss Of all in the presence of the girl he loved.
No young farmer 10 all the country possessed |
a better farm, OF talked with more confidence
among his conpoers Of stocks and crops. and on
kadred subjects. But the glimpse of some
pretty face OF feet coming ii his direction af
fecIed hun like a fash Of fiightning. On such
occasions be never knew what TO do with his
hands and eyes. and always felt like screwing
himself i0to a mouse hole. How he ever con-
niSsd 10 approach Hester Thomas on the sub
ject st his preference for her, probably remains
10 this day aa much a mystery to himself as it
10 10 others.
But the young lady had quite an amount Of
tact and clsverness slowed away somewhere in
her pretty lhIle head, albeit it was set on the
dmped. experienced shoulders Of seventeen.
JOSIAH was worth, in a worldly way, much more
than any other of her suitors good locking aRd
intelligent enough to satisfy any one bat an
over fasIidIOus person; uaexceptiOnable, in
shsri, barring his excessive hashfulness, which
was fruitful source of merriment, among the
youag people in their little circle. And SO,
shen JOSIAH, in his awkward, laundering way,
bsgsu to EXHIBIT his preference for her in va
fI"us lItlle ways, such as waiting on her to
a'd rom singing school, constituting himself
Der escOrt when she rode horseback to the soli-
nFy church 10 the woods. aud singing her Ost
st qshtmg parties. Heliy took it all in the
easiest, piessantsst manner possible. The
grls laughed. and the young men cracked sly
J-kes al the expense Of her tImid su,or /; but
HsiIy stsOd Up ter him vary independently
encouraged him out Of his shyness-noticed
any unfortunate bIander, and very likely helped
him along considerably when his feelings
rssehed the eliminating point one moon
light autumn evening as they were walking
hume together from prayer meeting.
That wac week ago. EIetty said " yes,
aad agreed TO bring father anG mother round
en the subject, Josiah had not been to the
house siacs-prObably feeling very much like
dog SenIuring upon the premises of the per
sOs whose sheep-fold he had just plpadersd
As yet. neither had the courage 10 speak to th'
'fullng powers on the subject and Hetty
feeling as If she wished to put the ordeal off a
long as possible. al any rate to have one NOR
confidential talk with him on the subject
said
Mother is going over TO Aunt Ruth's TO spen
the evening, aud wants me TO go. But CUES
] Won't I've been working on fathers shirt
ali day. besIdes doing the dairy work, and Ia
ss tired ss can be. So guess they'll have t
gs.wilhpu, me. Don't come until eight o'clock
] SHALL be through putting things to rights then
and will let you n.'
Ot course, Josiah was not too ebtuse to uH
dsrsIsnd that. aod forgot bis bashfuluess SO ia
as To petition for o good kiss, which was per
smP'orIIy refused, Of course.
No, chat. De take yourself of. Thin
aidn't see you ftgetting around Sarah Jone
st deacon Bidger's yesterday evVning! Nv
ret forgotten that, sir!
How, Heuy--
Bot the appeal vas broken off by tantal
zng Laugh; and as he sprang forward to tax
PieAssnt revenge on his tormentress. sh
slipped away and raa up the path to the hOus
where he saw her wave her hand as she di
appeared viIhin the kitchen porch and the
be turned from the gate and took the rOa
homsvard,
Tue tea ihings had been carried out, Il
table set back sgainst the wall, the cruu.I
Helly's work stand drawn up in front of ii
blazing drs. 4 beautifully piled waiter
grestred apples and plate of cracked walnu
wsfs on II, IN close proximity to Hetty's VOL
basket. sraf .s. -.t....tt
On one side of the FIRE sat Mrs. Thomas,
and far, al peace with ell The world, rockir
ssd knIltlng aRd refreshing herself at 50 nd
Intervals with q bite from half eaten app
that lay on ths corner Of the table, and iouc
ing every now and then ja a caressing mann
with Aer foot sleek. lazy looking cat III
purred aud winked on the rug before b.
tietty sation the other SIDE, sowing aud bu
10 thanking, how che should tell her moth
that shs expected 9 visitor. She would ha
g'sen ths world TO be able to say, iu an
hsnded manner that she expected Mr.. Ha wi
10 drop Ia, about eight. But she recolIecl
ws.a t~iag ef Conscience how hard she b
u'ed To get ths old lady 70 accompany her b,
saad 70 Aunt Ruth's, 10 spite of her foTwsrnir
e's spell Of neurslgia,, hpw she alsa had pie
nss1' che asan excuse for not going hers
And ahs knew her mother was quite sh
eHoaghto draw her own differences from ih
tets, and from ber being dressed with upus
rso spend an evening sl hoGse,
u Shall notsoareIo tell her now. Shell
nsrs 10 ihink want her 10 get out Of the '
80 imight hsye Josiah ali I'd myself. az
shosid never hear the last of it, And ia
wlss little girl shs was silent.
TIL venture my word on ID, you would
hsss ~onqefsd at our Young farmers despe
snthfslsasnl il you could have seen IIstly I
mas as abs sal sewing By the sfresids shs,
4HN sssHe Hast " eA pt
@kHi ifflEs ii