Smyrna times., 1870-08-17
WHOLE NO. 2OS
Sam Lawson on Courtin',

g member ! used to lead the singin in
them days and Miry used to sing counter, SO
we sot purity near together in the singers
seats; and used to think Sunday mornins 5,
when she come to meetin' in her white q ss
and her red cheeks and her bonnet all :ipped
Oft with laycock, that twas for all the world
jest like a June sunrise to have her come into
the singers seats. Them was the days that
dldn improve my privileges, boys" said Sam,
signing deeply. There were times that ef I'd
spoke, there 10 KNOWN what mightnt "a
happened, cause YOU see. bOyg, | was better
lookln in them days than ! be now. Now you
mind, boys, when YOU grow up, eff you get to
waltn on nice gai, and v j re most a mind
to speak up to her, don ypu 20 and put it off,
cause ct you do you may live to repent it.
Nv al you see from the time hat Kill Elder
kin come and took the Acadnh.y | could see
plain enough that it was time Tor me to hang
up uny fiddle Bill he used to set in the sing
ers seats, too, and he would have it that he
sung tenor. He no more sung tenor than a
skunk blackbird but he made b Gcve he did,
jest to get next to Miry in the singers seats;
and then they used to he a-writin backward
and forward to each other till they tore out all
! the leaves Of the hymn books, and the singn'
! books besides Wal, ] never thought that the
house 0 the Lord was Jest the place to be
courtin in, and | used to get consid able
|
Why, they i be a-wrltn' all sermon time; and
| We seen linn loOkin at her all through the
! long prayer In a way that warn right. con-
slderln they were both professors Of religion.
But then the fact was, old Black Hoss John
was to blame for it, cause he never let EN-
have no chance to home Ye see old Black
HOss, he was sot agin Elderkin cause he was
poor. You see, his mother, the old Widdsh
EidcrElD, she was jest about the poorest peak
| aIn oll bo1 f5 Glorl
to days works, and Bill Elderkn he was all
for books and larDin', and old Black Hoss John
he thoughtt it was just shittiessnPss; but Miry
She thought he was genus, and she got it sot
on her mind that he Was goin TO he President
q the United States, or some sich.
" Wal old Black Hoss he wat none too po-
lite to Miry's beaux in general; but when
Elderkln used to come in too see her he was
snarlier than a saw; he hadn t Il good word fol
him no ways and he d rake up the fire right
before his face and eyes, and rattle about fast
ening up the windows, and tramp up to bed
and call down the chamber stairs to Miry to &c
to bed, and was sort O. aggravatin every way
al, ef folks want to get gal sot on hav
! ing a man, that ares the way to 90 to work
Miry had conSid' able stiff will Of her own
g and ef she didn't care about Tom Beacon be-
! FORE she hated him now; and eff she liked
! Bill Eiderkiu before she was clean gone ovel
/ to him nov. And so she took to going to thu
q Wednesday evening lecture and the Fridal
{ evening prayermeetin', and the singin school
, jest as regular as a clock, and so did he; ant
2 afterwards they always walked home the long
est way. Fathers may Jest as well let thei
5 Gals be courted in the house, peaceable. caus
e il they cant be c0urted there, they'll fin,
l. places whore they can be its jest human ma
e tur. Mrs. Store, IL 1ttantic 4U0nthly 70
e AuguSt.