Weekly Trinity journal., 1868-08-22
How PEBBLES Asked the Old Man.

How PEBBLES Asked the Old Man.
PEBBLES had just asked Mr.. Merriweather'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 PEBBLES said, that
arrangements might be made for hopping the
conjugal twig.
PEBBLES said he'd rather pop the interrogatory
to all Of old Merriweathers daughters, and his
sisters, and his female cousins, ard his amt
Hannah in the country, and the whole of his fe-
male relations, than ask old Merriweather. But
it had to be done, and so he sat down and
studied out speech which he to disgorge
to old Merrweather the very first chance he got
to shy it at him. So PEBBLES dropped in on him
one Sunday evening, when all the family had
meandered around to meeting, and found him
doing a sum in beer measure, trying to calculate
the exact number of quarts his interior could
hold without blowing the top of his head off of
him.
Chow are you, Peeb 2' said old Merriweather,
as PEBBLES walked in as white as piece of
chalk and trembling if he had swallowed a
condensed earthquake. PEBBLES was afraid to
answer, because he wasn't about that
speech Tie knew he had to keep his grip on it
while he had it there, or it would slip away from
him quicker than oiled eel through an auger-
hole. So he burted right out
| " Mr.. Merriweather, sir: Perhaps it may not
oe unknown to you, sir, that during an extended
period of some FIVE years, | have been busily en-
gagged in the prosecution of commercial enter
prise"
g Is that so, and keepn it secret all the time
while thought you tendin store? WE'LL
by George, you're one of 'em, now, amt you p
PEBBLES had to begin it all over again, to get
the of it.
''Mr. Merriweather, sir Perhaps it may not
be unknown to you that during the extended
Cd e Evo 7 bor boon +I,o
prosecution of commercial enterprise, with the
determination to procure sufficient mainte-
nance"
g Sit down, Peeb, and help yourself to beer.
Don't stand there holding your hat like blind
beggar with the paralysis. never seen you be-
have yourself SO in all my born days"
PEBBLES was knocked olt again, and had to
wander back and take fresh start.
Mr.. Merriweather, sir Perhaps it may not
be unknown to you that during extended
period of five years, have been engaged in the
prosecution of commercial enterprise, with the
determination to procure a sufficient mainte-
nance"
I" A which-ance?' asked old Merriweather
but PEBBLES held on to the last word as if it was
his only chance, and went on:
" In the hope that some day might enter
wedlock, and bestow my earthly possessions
upon whom l could call my l have
been lonely man, and have felt that it is not
good for man to be alone; therefore"
' Neither is it, PEBBLES and I'm alfred glad
you We dropped in. How's the old man 2?
Mr. Merriweather, sir, +" said PEBBLES, in de-
spairng confusion, raising his voice to yell,
q it may not be unknown to you that, during an
extended period of lonely man, have been en-
gagged to enter wedlock, and bestowed all my
commercial enterprise on one whom could pro-
cure determination to be good for a sufficient
possessions-no, mean-that is-that- Mer-
riweatber, sir it may not be unknown"
"And then again it may Look here, Peebles
you'd better lay down and take something warm
You amt we'll"
PEBBLES, sweating like a four-year-old colt,
went in again. ~
''Mr. Merrweather, sir: 1t may not be lonely
to you to prosecute whom you can call
friend for commercial maintenance, but-but-
dang it-Mr. Merriweather, sir-it-"
ooh, PEBBLES, you talk as wildly as jackass.
never seen more frst-class idiot in the whole
course of my life. What's the matter with you,
anyhow p?
"Mr. Merriweather, SIR" said PEBBLES, in
agony of bewilderment, tit may not be un-
known that you prosecuted lonely man, who is
not good for a commercial period of wedlock for
some five years-but-'
&c See here, Mr.. PEBBLES, you're drunk, and if
you can't behave better than that you'd better
leave if you don't, I'll chuck you out, or m
Dutchman." j"
s'Mr Merriweather, SIR" said PEBBLES, frantic
with despair, :" 1t may not be unknown to you
that my earthly possessions are engaged to enter
wedlock five years with . sufficiently lonely man
who is not good for commercial mainte-
nance
" The very duce he isn't. Now you just get,
old hoss, or I'll knock what little brains out of
you you've got left"
With that old Merrweather took PEBBLES by the
shirt-collar and that part of his pants that
out first, If he sits down much, and shot him
into the street as if he had just ran against To-
comotive going at the rate of forty miles an
hour. Before old Merriweather had time to shut
the front door, PEBBLES collected his legs, and
one thing or another that were lying around on
the pavement, and arranged himself in vertical
position, and yelled out
" Mr. Merriweather, sir: 1t may be unknown
to you" which made the old mad that
he went out and set bull-terrier on PEBBLES be-
fore he had chance to lift brogan, and there
was scientific dog fight, with odds in favor of
the dog, until they got to the fence, and then Pee
bles would have carried the bull-terrier home
gripped like clamp on his leg, if it hadn't been
that the meat was too tender, and the dog, feel
ing certain that something other must event
ually give way, held on until he got his chop OIL
of PEBBLES calf who went home half pound
lighter while Merriweather asserts to this day
that they had to draw all the dogs teeth to get
the flesh out of his mouth q for he had
full hold for such a small animal"
OF course Merriweather's daughter heard
about it. and she was so mad that she never
gave the old man any peace until he went around
the next day to see PEBBLES about it. PEBBLES
/ looked pale as a ghost from the loss of blood
and beef, and he had whole piece of muslin
wrapped around his off leg. Merriweather said :
q Peeb, I'm very sorry about that muss last
night, but if you didn't behave like ravng