The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1869-12-09
LIFE IN THE BACK-wooDs.
OLD JENNY wAppLr's FIRST corRrsnIr


"Ialkin' o sprees, boys, puts me in
mind o my young days should rather
guess was in for 'em some myself them
times"
This was said by an old man whom we
will introduce ss Mr.. james Waddle. or
rather as "Old Jim Naddle =" Every
body Except the reader) knows him and
his penchant for yarn-spinning. Ii was
the evening of militia training day
there were goodly number, after the com
pany was dismissed from duty, who were
lounging, and all gathered around the
aforesaid old jim, to hear his yarn. 10
which he bad already begnn the prelude,
and only waited for somebody to urge him
to go on. This there were enough TO do
He then inquired what they would have
-'onc OF hIs bunI;n' or cou-lin' sprees?"
The boys unanimously demanded the lat
ter Then, after requesting that none Of
them should laugh ill he got through,
with few preparatory hems and the as
, sumption of a comically grave face, be
commenced: | wish | could report it IN
bis inimitable language, = Tbatim 1t lt1'-
atum
"When were boy, you know, dad
dy moved from Virginia to Kaintuck.-
I'd been born and fotcbed up on the from
teers and Kaintuck was paradise for
me TO hunt bars and Ingins in. Ijnt /
forgot, you want a cOuriIn' story. Well,
altho' was always a cuttin' up some dew
ihry among the hoys, yet, somehow, |
was r little shy and skeery amongst the
gals | liked the critters prodigiously
but about the only way l could manage
to show it WAS by casting sleeps eyes in
abundance at 'em. We had meetins as
well as frolicS, sometimes. While the
preacher was preachin' snder-heartedness,
brotherly kindness and love, wasn't
thinkin' o n6thin' else. / used 10 set
| where | could look the gals in the face
and then gaze ct some purity one till shed
blush as red as pepper pod. Then felt
40 queer about the gizzard, and wished an
| earthquake would come and throw me
right into her lap. ] was in love, but
couldn't tell who loved most. There
was Peggy Masonhammer, mighty fine
gal, even in her tow-linen frock. Her
cheeks war as full aS a China pigs, and
red as turkey gobbler's And then
thar WAS Sally Perkins, with her glorious
ly striped e-made cotton frock, be-
sides her ha'r and eyes 40 black as ink.
And then thar was dimplc cheek'd blue
ey'd Lottie Smith. who always toted her
shoes and stockin's in her hands till she
got in sight of meetin'. Well, o these
three couldn't tell for my life which
liked best st-sOmetimes one and sometimes
another, but allers the last one looked at.
But when squire Crumpton come to
, our dggine, his two gals took the shine
off tie rest on 'em, specially the oldest
one, Betsy. / shan't attempt to describe
her: but when tell you she had calico
frock. with yaller flowers as big as your
! hand, brass ear-bobs, besides hait-a-dozen
/ strans o beads as large as the end of your
! finger, you may think she WAS charmer
! Il did, any how OF all the mognun,
/ boRun charmers ever seed, she was the
magnunl bones And SO all the young
! felleIs said too When first seed her il
was at Deacon Shocks meetin. l fas-
tened my eyes on her till hers met mine ;
she looked steadfastly, then smiled charm
] ing smile, and blushed and looked down
Lordy lhere was a hufterin then, cqnal
to saw mill, tween my two jacket poe
kefs, felt as goner. From that hour
/ was too big for my breeches. OF Sun
davs ! borried dads breeches he'd been
married in before the Revolutionary war.
and which come off at his knees; but he
was tall and | warnt, so they came below
mine three or four inches Agin the next
meeiin' l was prepared TO cut big stiff
sister Sal having starch'd and iron'd my
new shirt IA stiff as sheet of lin for the
occasion. This shirt had the finest kind
of flax linen in The bosom and collar, but
the invisible part of il was coarse tow,
with a hem that would cable steamboat.
"Now, while Sal was smoothing the
wrinkles near the said hem, with an iron
| Just hot from the fire, down stairs tums
/ BILE one O. the taInal brats, knockin' the
breath out'n it. 1t was Saturday night,
and she was the only one up. She ran
! to it in course, but afore it come to the
! iron had made its mark-that is, burnt a
! big hole in the extremity of my linen
Next mornin put it on as it was-lhen
! dads true blues-then the fust reg lar
! built pair of shoes ia ever had.
81 was seventeen just that Sunday
mornin', and in my Sunday riggin' felt
myself man, and was resolved, if Betsy
/ Crumpton was at meetin', to show it
/ Well, she was thar, and l axt for her
company, and got it. Walkin' by her
side, l felt as light as notbin'- skercely
touched the ground | walked on. But l
sha'nt tell the fine things thought and
said to her on the way, aud more after
we got home. %. yes, do,' said several
voices. No, you'll have enough without
that you're to skim the cream off the
story yet
''They kept me up late, say two o'clock;