The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1864-03-18
MARY PARKS BEAU.
BY LENoRE GLENN.

n 1t was the night Of our weekl
d, singing. OF course we all went, 70
it wa. the principal gathering for ful
that we had in our village, and it wa
always well attended by the younl
folks, whether they were singers O
not. To be sure there were parties
enough, but we never relished then
quite SO well MS to go to the churcl
every Saturday night, have n little
singing, and any amount OF fun, joll
ing, and even flirting.
l said we all went on this night
1--WE" consisted Of two neighbor girl:
and myself, who always went togeth.
er everywhere, unless some young
gallant should have the boldness to
step up and impudently walk Off with
US; and strange to say, this was a
frequent occurrence. 1t was q bad
Inight-dark, muddy, and drizzlino
rain but nothing kept us at home
on Saturday evening, and we found
the old church as light and cozy, and
as well filled as it commonly was.
We had scarcely yet become com
fortaIly seated around one of the
stoves, still busily talking all the
while with those already there, when
Mary Parks, who lived at the other
side Of the town, came running up TO
me, with a very happy, triumphant
expression on her face, and STOPPING
over me, whispered: Il guess Mr..
Smith brought me here to night; so
you needn't he thinking he will take
yon home. He stopped for me. and
came under his new umbrella. What
do you think Of that, Sue Brown?'
Il don't think thot Il concerns me
at all, and I'm sure I haven't the
slightest objections 1 answered.
"Ah, YOU need not tell me that;
know better
And away she skipped to inform
some of the rest, supposed. I did
not like the insnuation in the least.
tor John Smith was nothing more to
me than any other Smith, and pre-.
sumo he felt the same in regard to the
Browns. He was almost 4 stranger.
in fact, not having attended the sing
ing very much, and had, 1 believe,
waited on me home two or three times
during the past six months.
As tor Mary Parks, some one had
once told she was the prcttiest girl in
town, and ever after that day she be-
lieved it, and often made herself APP
pear foolish by acting accordingly
She was rather good looking, but 9th
crs thought there was some quite ns
pretty, and several that were really
her superiors in claims to beauty
nut he that as it may, Mary thought
She was the village belle, and nothing
gave her greater pleasure than to re-
ceive attention from gentlemen who
had first bestowed it elsewhere She
seemed particularly So on this even
ing. For my part | tutGed mp my
long nose (Which, by the way ipclines
a little heavenward) and thought sic
had better be sure she spited some
body before she glored too much in
her conquest; and. receiving 4 very
patronizirg glance from Paul Jones,
inst at that moment, made myself
over the deep injury she
had done me in thinking | had cared
for John Smith, and was ENJOYING a
victory over me. She was something
of Il coquette, too, very dcceitful, aid
one of the greatest hands gamemake-
ing | ever saw; yet she had n way
about her that was pleasing TO stran-
gers. | can think of nothing else TO
compare 1T to than fonding and pat
roniZing them, that seemed to please
some rs much rs it disgustcd others.
She almost outshose herself in this
particular, that night with Mr.. Smith
The fellow was really bewildercd, and
| could not but laugh as he looked Mt
her in such wonderment, rs if he did
not know what to make of her llatter-
ing advances.
Well, the singing and gossipping
were all over, and we started home.
I was so much taken up with Paul
Jones company that l did not notice,
as we left the house, that Mary and
Smith were close behind us until |
heard her lauging and joking, and
heard the principal part Of several
sentences, which | soon became aware
were really intended for my ears; but
they soon left us, and | forgot all
about the affair until the next singing
night came round, aud found us once
more gathered in the old church,
1t was beautiful evening for the
time of year, and the gathering was
unusally large; even Smith was again
among the number something very
uncommon for him to attend two eve
nings in succession. I supposed of
course, it was on Mary's account and
| presume she thought so too, by the
way she gathered us girls in one cor
ner of the church and took us immc-
diately into her confidence.
81 tell you what it is, girls, that
John Smith need not think he is 60
ing on in that kind OF style; l won't
have it! l don't believe he is any
body anyhow; and if he thinks to be-
come one of Mary Parks gallants by
one lead he is slightly mistaken, and
l mean to let him know it, too"
"Did he bring you, Mary?" some
one asked
mo, he did not stop for me to-
night; or he may have done so after
| left, for / came very early on Dur-