Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1866-10-30
A Yankee Courtship.

Heavens and airth, Jemime," sed marin,
IF there don't come Josh Summers and he's
got on a bran new pair of trousaloons; and jest
look, for massy sake, how slick his har is;
guess he TUX a hull taller candle to grease it
swow tn man, if fly should lite on it, he'd fail
off and break his legs"
''Lims, marin, you never will talk perlite,
said sister Suke, while tux peep out of the
winder, and sure enuff thar cum Josh up the
road | seed him turn to our gate and my
hart went pit-a- pat, for he'd been uncommon
perllte to me OF late.
''Sakes alive" said marin, ''if he amt COM
ing here, and our Jemime has gone to fixin her
har, and looks as red as billed beet Jemime
jenkins, say what on airth is Josh Summers
coming her for" But Josh was rite in the
door and heard what she said:
sHeow dye do, Miss jenkins, said he.
"Heow d We do, JOSH says marm
''Our folks are all kicking round, [ believe
an that sick heoss of dads is leetle better
why on airth don't you take his hat" sez
sister Patience, giving me push and [ started
on run, but as our floor wasn't nailed down,
and sum of the boards a good deal warped [
stubbed my toe and fell Just as Suke was COM
ing from the pantry with bowl of apple sass
L ketched at her dress, and down she cum, and
split the apple sass all over her calliker gown
wasn't going to give it up though, and was
s
hat run and set it On the buro. Suke was Or
fully riled, because she had to go and put on
her indigo blue, and she vowed she would pay
me off,
Well, we got supper ready, and marin she
set me down rite side of JOSH [ felt awful
queer. | tell you: but put my hands in my
lap under the table, and said nothing, and he
did the same. Dad asked blessing, Che al
ways does on Sundays and then he went to
talking about the Crops
didn't say nothing for my heart kept beat
ing so, and my face burnt So [ wished I could
get away, but | couldn't do it. If the gals had
not kept such giggling all the time / should
have felt better
After tea Josh hitched up his chair to mine
and ses in whisper,
kin stay with you tonight?"
hung down my head, and stuck my finger
IN my mouth, and said Eyes. F"
Blmeby, dad and marin, and the gals they
went off to bed and left me and Josh sitting to-
gether. Well, We set, and set, and said moth
ing. Josh, he whiting a stick and [ biting the
corner of my apron. Bimeby he ses, ses he:
"Jemime, awhere do spose I got these trow-
sers?''
Il dun no." ses I.
"Well, [ snapped my red steer for storekeep-
er Browns black one, and got these tn boot"
We didn't say nothing for long time he
kept whiting and run pin through the
hem OF my apron, when he sed:
Marin she sot our speckled hen on thirteen
eggs, and how many do you suppose she hatch
ed out?''
dun no. says I.
Fourteen, and one was rotten" says he.
Zone chicken was rotten p says I.
''No, one egg," said Josh.
But how cum there to be fourteen chickens
from thirteen eggs?"
why, she layed two more after she went to
setting.'
We didn't say nothing agin for an hour, and
then he starts up all of sudden, and ses he:
Hang 1t all, Jemime, you know what cum
here tor, and why don't you say sumething?"
NO, don know what you came here for.
either" ses l.
Yes ye deu," SEES he; you know my old
marin is getting old, and you know it is almost
harvest time, and you-you-'
YES sas |, II know all that, but I do not
know what that's got tn du with your coming
here, (but did all the time
NOW, Jemlme, says he, you know you
are telling big fb; you know / cum here to
ask you to marry me, and [ want to know if
you will. The Methodist priest is going to be
here next Sunday, and we may jest as well be
marl1ed then as to go clear to Wooster, where
ne lives, for he wont cum again in six weeks.
hung my head and told him didn't care if we
did, and, as it was about two O clock, he GOT IN
and got his hat to put on when O, my stars
such looking animal you never did see. for
Suke, to pay me off, had nearly filled his hat
with meal: The way he cussed was some, and
when told him who did it, he vowed revenge.
and ne did have it, but I'll tell you that some
other time