Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-06-12

BY AMY RANDOLPH.

SNV"AAA6 oooAu' CJ0OulntCu MlS Ash0ke
ton, as she gave one glance through the win
dow at the darkening storm and tempest of
the outer world, and threw another messy
barked log upon the huge fire that lighted up
the room with a Pickering radiance. "Why
l 90 believe tho snow is two feet deep a.
ready" .......
1t will be jolly sleighin' for the donation
party" remarked Hiram Pinkerton, a prom
ising young giant Of some twenty eight years,
who sat by the blaze, vigorously backing his
Sunday boots. II say mother T., m
"Weli, what's wanted" said the old lady,
raising her spectacles the better TO observe
her son, who was comforting his huge limbs
into all sorts Of shapes. - ,.-..... -. ....
II wish you'd tell me, MOTHER" resumed
the young man, with sheepish duck of his
head between his shoulders, 'what feller d
ought to do when he wants to make love to a
gal ?"
Nonsense, Hiram," CALCULATED the old lady,
giving her knitting needle jerk, Saint you
'shamed to be askin' such foolish question
at your time o'life, too?"
mo, but I'm in earnest, mother-I am"
pleaded Hiram. ''Iwant to ask Mlly Rob.
bins to marry me, and am hanged if know
how to set about it? A chap can't be expect
ed toknow these things by instinct, and I've
gone there Sunday nights for pretty nigh two
years, now.
"Well. why didn't you ask her to 60 to the
party? Squire Robbins don't keep sleigh"
81 did calculate to, but just Us was maxim
up my mind what to say, Jim Martin asked
her to 60 along with him, and she said yes,
right under my very nose ~
"Then ask her to come home in your
sleigh" 49,.
Il can do that, sure enough T. said Hiram
complacently, rubbing his hands together.
"And then sit close to her and squeeze her
hand every once and awhile, and finally just
tell her that you set store by her, and say
plump up and down will she have you
That's the way that should go to work"
I'D sight rather chop cord of wood ~
said Hiram.
20, pshaw-'taint nothing when you get
used to it" said Mrs. Pinkerton, rehectively
rubbing her spectacles with the corners OF
her black silk apron
';Dnt ain: used to it-that's where it is ~
said Hiram as he went up stairs to his bed
room, candle in one hand and shining boots
in the other, to dream of the evcntful morrow
which should witness his grand coup d'etat
in the field Of Love,
1.-THE young people who had the donation
party in hand had sent specially to the clerk
of the weather, whoever that influential per-
son may happen to be, to request favorable
evening, the stars could not have twinkled
brighter in the violet vault of Heaven, or the
sleighing have been more propitious, and in
consequence thereof the quiet Little parlors OF
the parsonage were crowded at an early hour
in the evening.
There were scores of pretty girls there. but
none prettier than Milly Robbins. She was
a trim, slender like fairy, with bright hazel
eyes, and gold brown curls that seemed to
have discovered the theory of perpetual mo-
ton in their dancing luxuriance," and some
how her fresh glrlish bloom, set off so daintily
by pink merlno dress, ard pink ribbons
| reminded me irresistab!y of fair blooming
rose. IL say, Milly p whispered James Mar.
tin rogishly, as Hiram Pinkerton's tall figure
doomed in the doorway, "there's an admire1
of yours impending! Shall l retreat. and
give him fair field ~
"Nonsense," said Milly, tossing her pretty
head; Il shall tell aunt Matilda to 60 AM
amuse him-he's rather favoritc of hers."
Aunt Matilda, plump little old maid who
owned to thirty five years of sunshine, shook
her head solemnly at her niece's impcrtinence
"You ought not to talk so, Mildred" she
said in warning tones. "Mr. Pinkerton is s
very respectable young man. though be may
not be so snowy as some of the modern beaus
and -" ~
But Milly did not wait to hear the end O
her aunt's tirade-she ran away to help dis
pose Of jar of butter, and two eleaginou:
hams, which Hiram Plnker.on tired Of brand
ishing IN mid air, showed sight of depositine
on delicately embroidered piano cover.
1--WE are very much obliged to you for this
offering, Mr.. Pinkerton," she said with {
most dimpled distracting little smile.
Hiram opened his mouth and shut it again
shifted himself perspringly, from one foot tt
another. and considering what he had better
say. Nothing occurring to him as feilcitiou:
to the occasion, he said-nothing.
| Twice during the evening he was on thu
point OF declaring himself, in defiance of ma
ternal advice, once when he brought Miss
Mily saucer of pink ice cream, and succeed
ed in depositing half its contents on the Skin
| of her dress, and a second time, when she a k
ed him if he did not dance. But he found
himself unable to muster courage.
II s'pose | must ask her to 20 home in my
Sleigh" he pondered, as the company began
gradually to dispense. "Wonder what had
ought to say I'd rather fight wild cat
any timer
At that moment Squire Robbins genial face
met his eye, he caught at the suggestion as q
drowning man grasps at straw.
"Goin' home, Squire ?"
"Wel, yes" said the Squire, in hearty
good humored voice; "its getting late for old
folks like Mrs. Robbins and me and DR.. Lee
has offered US seats in his sleigh. and so
thought -
II say, SQUIRE" whispered Hiram, in Q
sepulchral tone, 'would you be good enough
to ask Miss Robbins to let me drive her home
I've got a capital buffalo, and my horses is
awful spry.'' .'.5
"Why don't you ask her yourself ?''
laughed the Squire.
"Cause I don't like to-" sheepishly re-
sponded Hiram, coloring to the roots Of his
red brown hair.
swell, I'll do your errand and welcome
said the Squire good humoredly.
Hiram's eyes followed him greedily, as he
strobe into the midst of the circle of Young
people and delivered his message. In mo-
ment he returned.
'"She'll be very happy" was the answer,
land you must take care not to tip her into
snow drift, Hiram, eh p ~.,r
The Squire went his way chuckling, leav-
ing Hiram in state of nervous delight at the
prospect of an hour-long tete-a-tete with the
golden-haired Mildred. !
..Yeu get up your sleigh, Pinkerton, and
I'll bring the young lady down, when she's
well wrapped up" said James Martin. when
at length he came to claim his promise.
can afford to do that, thought Hiram,
filled with generous pity for his defeated
adversary. "Poor fellow, s'pose he does
Eeerbad to think I've got such q start Of him."
"There, Pinkerton, take good care Of her, :"
uao Masf;n,a ad;nra ton NO haiiftod Tho Gttlo