Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1867-10-18
KISSED BY MISTAKE.

4 sWili you be at home tonight, Ilctty?''
and the speaker. tall, muscular, weil-loohin,, /,
young farmer rcddened to the roots Of his
hair as though he had conlmitteda very wick
ed act instead Of asking a simple question.
Josiah Iiawley was bashful, extremely SO,
at least in the presence of young ladies'
most of all in the presence OF the girl he low
cd. No young farmer in the whole country
possessed q better kept farm, or talked with
more confidence among his compcers Of stock
crops, AMI kindred subjects. But the glimpse
ofoncrrctty face foot, coming Sin his di-
rection, affected him like a flash of lightning.
On such occasions he never knew what to do
with his hands or eyes, and always felt like
screwing himself into mouse hole How he
ever conrivcd to approach Hester Thomas on
the subject Of his preference for her probably
remains to this day much Of a mystery to
himself as it is to others.
But that young lady had quite an amount
of tact slowed away somewhere in her pretty
little head, albeit it was set on the dmpled,
inexperienced shoulders Of seventeen. Josiah
worth more, in 4 worldly way, than any of
her other sutors. good-looking and intelligent
enough to satisfy any but an over fastidious
person, unexceptionahle, in short, bareing his
excessive bashfulness which was a fruitful
scource of merriment, among the young reo-
pie in their little circle. And so when Josiah
in his awkward, hlundering way, began to
nv Ii, ~.
such as waiting on her to and from singing
school, constituting himselfas her escort when
She rode on horseback to the solitary church
in the woods, and singing her out at tie
est, pleasantest manner possible. The girls
laughed, and the young men cracked sly jokes,
at the expense of her timid suitor; but Hetty
stood up for him ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
him out of shyness-neyer noticed any unfor-
tunate blunder-and very likely helped him
along considerably when his feelings reached
the 'culminating point one moonlight au,
tumn evening, rs they were walking home
together from prayer ,meetiug.. That was a
week ago. Hetty had'said yes and agreed
to "bring father and mother around ON the
subject"
K Josiah had not been in the house since
probably feeling like a dog yenturing upon
the premises Of person whose shcepfold he
had just plundered. As yet, neither had tie
courage 10 speak to the reigning powers on the
subject; and lletty, feeling as if she wanted
to put off the ordeal as long as possible, at
any rate tolhaye one more confidential. talr
With him or the subject, said sAL
Mother is going over 10 SAuut Ruths 10
spend the evening, and wants me to go but
guess | won t. I've been working on faiths
er's shirts all day, besides doing the dairy
work, and am as tired as l can be. So |
guess they will have to go without me. Do
not come until eight o'clock. shall be nut.
ting things to rights them and will let Won
in"
VI course Josiah was not too obtuse to un
derstand that, and forgot his bashfupesS 20
iar as 70 petition for good night kiss, which
was pcremptorily refused Of course.
"No shan't. Do take yourself off-think
didn't see you fidgcting around Sarah Jones
at Deacon Bridger's last evening? I've not
forgotten that sirl"
/ "Now, Hetty-"
| But the appeal was broken of by tantal>