Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1862-05-31
ONE OF THE COURTINe srRAPEs.

@Hs! hs hs' say, Mister, did I ever tell
vs bout 8 sorape that Sal, here, and me got
inter when we was cOurtin', afore We was
msrried %
No. believe not
"H4l hs ha Ihen must tell you abaut
il. for il vss''--
q Now, Dave, don't 90 and get to tellin' that
cid yarn sgin, for lis too bad, / declare it's"
"HOli yer t4ter, old oman, and don I inter-
rupt me sfOre the gentleman-you know every
word of it is true, so you do.'
No, l don't know no sich thing, %
don't"
ssWelI, as Use agoin' to say, Mister, il was
rich. We all lived in old Kentuck then, and
a purity wild sort of country it was too P.enty
IF bars, and painters, and Injins, and sich
like. Why, sir, We thought no more of kiln
a bar then than / think Of KILN a hog now,
and you may be sure don't think much Of
that.
Well, as Use a sayin', it was purity wild
country. We all lived there, and old Mr..
Thstch, old Tom Thatch-Ssl's dsd-he lived
there too, and mortal queer old customer he
Was, csn tell you. When he built his house
he dug a hole in the side of the bill for it to
set in-the top of the house and the top Of the
hill were just even. Then, you see, he didn't
have to build no chimbley, cause why he Just
went 20 work on the top Of the hill te diggin'
hole about i've feet acrost; and he kept on a
diggin' il till be got clean down to q level
with the floor; and then he came down into
the house and dug out a alfred, bouncin' big
Fireplace. till il reached the bottom Of the
hole; after which, you see, he was ready to
Ere up.
We'll, one Orful cold night in the wintsr,
arter Sal, here, and me, we'd got things purity
we'll along
Now, Dave, do for goodness sakes quit
tellin' on that / think I'd be ashamed on
myself, so would 80
Fucker up, old 'un, pucksr up till get
through, and then it'll come your turn As
Ise ssyin', we got things purity far along
that is, I'd popt the question to Sal, and she'd
sed yes, and we'd both well nigh got over
it
No,c, Dave
And Use a-gOin' to az the old folks in the
mornin'"
Far shame! ,"
No, not fur shame, but fur Sal, though
I must own as how felt kinder ashamed to
DO il.
Well, Sail and me, We was a settin' up
aIore the fre-which was 8 orful big one, made
Cutn 4 iOgs-snd we was a ssyin' loVin' things
10 one another, and huggin' and a kissin' -
Dave Dave! you know that ain I so, now,
20 yOu do. You know well enough that L
wouldn't begun to let you kiss me afOre We
was married :"
As I'se sgOing to say, we was a settin' up
aiOre the FIRE enjoyin' ourselves purity well. 1t
was away late IN the Dlglt'-
ShOekin'-sitch q man. You'd better 90
fur to try to make folks think we were orf1l
sorts Of people, and that " asn't no better nor
| should bin! i wouldn't sit up away late
with you nor any other young man when was
q gal, to a saved your plagued necks, 50 /
EJuldn tt
odd oman, I want you to quit inter.
ruptin' me when I'm a talkin' to the gentle
man, so do. If you don't dry up I'll tell
him all about how that time was when Bill
Towers come to your dads"
"S;Op, now, none Of that-you hush, Dave
and | will
It's bargain. Well, it was away late in
the night. ! he cid man and the old 'omsp
IN bed snOrin' away like sixty, and Sal
aLi me, We was enj yin ourselves purity well
afOre a rousin' big FIRE
Ser I to her, Sal, you can't begin to guess
now well likes ys!'
Sez she to me, L specks yer jokiP, Amt
ye,'
Ssz to her, All but that I likes We
better nor my own life. If I'd see ye in the
river drowndin', I'd jump right in and drown
with (smackl you, so 1 would +"
Sci she, % no. Davey, (smack) wouldn't
let ye. But specks yer (smack) jokin'
Ser I, No, indeed, I'm in cold earnest,
.fi. var my last words on yearth wish l
Issy die this menit if dsn't like yo better'n
all the rest Of the gals in the world: yes bet
teri emmy thing else If don't (smaek) tell
ye the solid truth hope the Old Scratch may
come and carry me away afOre draw anuther
breth -
These last words were scarcely out'n my
mouth afOre kurthunder came some orfui,
skerry, trinenjOus big lOokin' thing down the
chimbly, kerslatter right inter the fire, snd
commenced kickin' the blazin' chunks about
the room, and q maxim a orful Onearthly
nOise- Sal and me, We gin q couple Of the
dreadfulest screams ever before hear'n in old
kentuek, and jumpin' up lit on the bed right
atop Of the old man and the old oman, and
that was the last We know'd for q minnit or
two.
When Sal and me, we came to our senses
We lOOkt up. and thar we seed her dad and
daI's old blind mare, and her dad was lead.
in her dads old blind mare out'n the house
by the foretOp; and there wss a orful smell Of
burnt hair in the room. Poor old mare ; she d
got to stumblln' around, pickin at the green
grass what the heat of the FIRE had caused to
grow about the top Of the old mans patent
chimbley, and seein' as how she couldn't see
stin Of anything, the first thing she know'd
she slipped in; and that's all on it."