Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1866-12-19

1
! hufy bout suthin' and sent her mItten
rolled up in one of these crlttur skins, and
ever since that she'd been mortal enemy
OF EN-.
II mistrusted that uncle Zack would be
! coming over to ak my opinion bout things
and how to proceed-(ye see | lived right
| t'other side of a four acre field from uncle
| Zack s)-as he always wantad to git my ad-
vice, cause it didn't cost nothing-for uncle
Zack was tarnel stingy man-so stingy he d
sometimes walk barefoot and carry his shoes
for fear he'd wear EN- out tew soon.
oval, sure enough, one morning, fore
breakfast, as | were sitting on the door sill,
whiting down the little end of a pine shin
gle TO pint, who should come up but uncle
Zack didn't let on | seen him at all, but
kept whiting away and singing,
so. Widder Julip's beautiful bird,
She's got the sweetest voice that Ze bed iah
heard.
And the pootiest foot hat ever was put down on
the green sward.
''Ye see l m a poet, and | made this right
up jest as went along, csuse | knew it d
make uncle Zack feel kinder bad and bring
him right to the pint.
8 'Zebcdiah says uncle Zack, coming up
in great husteration; Zeoedlah! says he
why, hello. Uncle! ~ says |, jumping
up; is this ere you? How dye du l
| hahn seen We for a long time And then
[ went right up aud got the old fel er by the
hand, so affecticnate like and says |: I'm
| Gle, you look pale, this face were as red
as a beet indeed you du!'' and put
my fingers to my eyes and tried to find tears,
| but they wa Mt there.
Don't cry, Zeb-don't T. says Uncle
Zack the fact is, han't felt so well of
late; but guess tan't nothing of conse-
| R,,f I tbnnubt I haard won SInoIn
sumthing bout Widder Julip jest come
over to ax you bout her, Heh-for We see,
to tell the truth, I've got in love with her,
She's an angel, Uncle Zack, says [.
80 she are, Zeb, so she are y says I'm
Gle Zack ''and now how | better perceed
to git her ?"
''How dyc perceed to git sheep?" says |.
II puts sumthing in dish and goes out
and coaxes en- says Uncle Zack; and
when | gifts em close enough, jest grabs
| right hold on 'em. -
Wal" says |, 'Widders is caught in the
same way. Only Jest git sumthing nice to
jingle in the way Of present, and they i
cum right to We, the tarnal critters! and
then you can lay right hold on their atfec-
ticns. Sometimes they re as docile as
pet kitten, and sometimes as slippery as
creased pig-so when you git one cornered,
| you must throw the matrimonial moose right
around her, or maybe she'll be off like a
streak of light ming in thunder shower.
when | told Uncle Zack this, he fairly
groaned-for he hated to pay out anything
like darnation; ard he couldn't bear to
think of the widder's slipping off, mother;
and says he, says Uncle Zack-
'Ain't there no other way OF doing 1t,
Zeb, my boy? It's so tarnal expensive if a
feller should happen to git the slip
There ain 10 other way, says |; but
| can tell you how you can du in this case,
and it won't cost much, mother.
''Uncle Zack eyes frightened, they did !;
and he catched right hold of me and says
he says Uncle Zack:
''What is it, Zeb? I'm dying to know. "
wal says |, you know the wldder s
fond of rabbits ?'
''Yes! yesp' says Uncle Zack-looking
as good natured as the inside of an apple
dumpling-"yes, L kuow-she told me SO,
the angel. with her own sweet lips; and
Uncle Zack fairly looked watery round the
mouth.
"Wal, now" says [, ''iest take my ad-
ce-''twon't cost much '-(Un Zack
fairly laffed, he felt so tickled to think it
was agoing to be SO cheapl-'and jest you
go and kill rabbit, plump one, and take
it down to the widder; but you must keep
it covered up, so she won't know nothing
about it till you git ready for her; and you
must work her up like, telling her how
much you love her, and all them things you
know how tu do so war'-(Uncle Zack laff-
ed agin, he did. land when you git her
in the right place, you must undu the rab'
bit, and present it to her, and say that goes
for itself to show her that you don't forgit
her when you re away, and all slch nice
things and then jest foler it up, pop the
question, and you've got her like hooked
mud turkle.
Uncle lack bust right out laffing he
couldn help it-he felt so tlckled to think
how easy twas to du it, and grabbing hold
of nav hand, he shuk it like slssars; and
saws he. .'I'll duit this very night coming,
and then started right off hum, and never
said another word
..Wal, / knowed Uncle Zack nd keer
his word and so | went right straight tc
work that day. and killed IA woodchuck; ano
then covering it up nice. L went over to
Uncle Zack' : toward night, and there seer
, the rabbit all covered over slick with cloth
, and fixed on to the hind end of the saddle
-lUncle Zack always rid when he went a
courtipg. cause it made show and din
cost nothing)-an watched my chance
/ got it out, and got the woodcbuck 10 anc
e then says to myself, Il guess may be ther'
/ won't be no fun now - and then L LATED
a [ did.
"Wal, arter I'd done that are, started
Q for the widder's to see how it I'D cum out
) The widder lived bout four mile off, and
T got there jest at dusk and seen Uncle Zacl
GINNING up ut the same time, straddle of hi
hoss. with his Sunday go to- meeting long
! tailed blue coat and breeches on; and fel
\ perticular pleased when see him git Of
! nn,J taLa the rabbit las he thought) int