The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1868-02-05
LOUISIANA, WEDNESDAY FEBRU AIRY s. 1868 .
How PEBBLES Asked the Old Man.

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PEBBLES had just asked Mr.. Merriweatli-
er's daughter if she would give him, lift
out Of ,bachelordom, and she had said
yes" 1t therefore became absolutely
necessary to get the old mans permission,
so,s as Pebbles said, that arrangements
might be made for hopping the conjugal
twig. 9 iiff7 si.st7 t9tse ~ :
{ Peebles said he'd rather pop The inferno
gatory to all of old Merriweathei's. daugh-
tiers, and his sisters, and his female cvl,sin,
and his aunt Hannah in the country, and
the whole OF his female relations, than ask
old Merriweather. But it had to be done,
and so he sat down and studied out a
speech which he was going to disgorge to
old Merriweather the very first chance he
got to shy it at him. So PEBBLES dropped
in on him one Sunday evening, when all
the family bad meandered around to class
meeting, and found him doing a!sumH in
beer measure, trying to calculate the exact
number OF quarts his interior could hold
without blowing the head off of him. Is.
" How are you, Peeb 2" said old Merri-
weather, as PEBBLES walked in as white as
a piece of chalk, aud trembling as ifhe had
swallowed condensed earthquake. Pee
bles Wasafraid to- answer. because he wasn't
sure about that speech. He knew he had
to keep his grip on itwhile he had it there,
or it would slip away from him quicker
then an oiled eel through an auger hole.
SO he blnrted right out: .saiSs Is. lss :
MI Merriweather, sir; Perhaps it may
not be unknown to you, sir, that during an
extended period ofsome five years. have
been basily engaged in the prosecution of
q commercial enterprise
! Is that SO, and keepin' it secret all the
time, while thought You was tendin'
store. Well, by George, you're one of EN-,
now, amt you 2" 5s
PEBBLES had to begin all over again to
get the run of it. fafA Ia fsa1seii 81
+, /" MIR. Merriweatber, sir: Perhaps itmay
not be unknown to you that during an ex-
tended period of some five years, have
been engaged in the prosecution of COM
mercial enterprise, with determination to
procure a sufficient maintenance"
{" Sit down, Peeb, and help yourself to
beer. Don't stand there holding your hat
like d blind beggar with the paralysis
What's the matter with you, any way? I
never seen you behave yourself so in all
my born days" 81. f.a ss a
PEBBLES was knocked out again, and had
to wonder back and take a fresh start.
.Mr. Merriweather, sir: 1t may not be
unknown to yon that during an extended
period of some five years, have been en-
gagged in the prosecution of d commercial
enterprise, with the determination to pro-
cure a sufficient maintenance" s
"A wIich-ance 2" asked old Merriweatfl-
or; but PEBBLES held on to the last word as
fit was bis only chance, and went on !, aa
In the hope that some. day might en-
ter wedlock, and bestow my earthly pos.
sessions upon one whom / could eallmyi
own. ] have been lonely man, sir, and
have felt that it is not good for man to be.
alone therefore" ei2 Il q.
Neither is it, PEBBLES; and I'm ALFRED
glad you droppedin. How's the old MANI"
" Mr.. Merriweatller, SIR said PEBBLES, in
despaifiug confusion, raising his voice to
.ayell, lit may not be unknown to you
that, during an extended period of q lone
~ man, have been engaged to enter we'd
lock, and bestow all my commercial enter
prise OH one whom could procure deter
minatiou to be good for Il sufficient posses
sions--no. | mean--that is = that Mr.. Mer-
.riweatller, sir, it may not be unlsnowIl----"'
And then again it may Look here,
PEBBLES, you'd better lay down and take
something warm; you amt well" II
PEBBLES. sweating like o four-y ear-old
colt, went in again: 90
Mr.. Merriweather, sir: 1t may not be
lonely for you to prosecute me whom yOu
can call a friend for commercial ,mainten-
anee, but-but-oh, dang it-7Ar. Merri7
weather; sif-it-" ].
>"Oh, PEBBLES, you talk as wild as jack
ass. never see more firsteclass idiot IN
the whole course of my life. What's the
matter with you any howln
"Mr. Merriweather, sir," said PEBBLES, in
an agony of bewildermept,' it may not be
unknown that you prosecuted lonely man
who in not good fora commercial period of
wedloclS for some five years. butt.
s'See here, Mr.. PEBBLES, you're drunk,
and if you can't behave better than that
you'd better leave. If yon don't I'll chuck
yon out, or I'm Dutchman,"
'sMr. Merriweather, SIR said PEBBLES,
frantic with despair, it may not be uli-
known to. you that my earthly possessions
arc engaged to enter wedlock five years
with a sufficiently lonely man who is not
GOOD for a commercial maintenance
1.-THE bloody deuce he isn't. Now you
inst git up and git, old boss, or I'll knock
what little brains ont f3yon you'gc got
left s%-v;
With that old Merriweatheg.took PEBBLES
by the shirt collar and thepart Of his pants
that wears out first ifhe sits down much,
and shot him iuto the street as If he had
lust run against locomotive going at the
rate of forty miles an hour. Before old
had d chance to shat the
front door PEBBLES collected his legssand
At;,,,. o,,l orotb.r that yyera lrinV