The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1871-12-07
WHOLE No. III.


asleep, but that didn't mako any odds
-he kept the tid-re-i going, regular as
a teaparty, and his head as it nodded
this way and that way kept time like
a steam injun. Prudence'g got over her
fit of Allcurly, and danced with her
and then she danced with ME, and ev.
erything afterwards went smooth as a
taller candle. forgot all about my
tows, and finally as nobody asked
Detty to dance / thort l wood. But
the varmint told me slap. She warn't
goin' to dance with me nor nobody
tale of the heap 'jest as you like,
with that Col. Gristle cum along and
SEE he. Boys and gals, l CESS you've
had fun enuf for one spree, ind per-
haps you'd better think about getfin'
hum afore long, felt for one I'd
got belly full, and tn rites told him
so-and so sed the rest of the felIers
and so sed Prudence Parr, and Sail
Savage sed she'd got perlushun enuff,
and she guessed All curly had tu, and
we concluded to mizzle. j kinder
kept an eye on Prudence, so as tn ask
her tu ride hum with me, which wood
be handy all round as her folks lived
just beyond our house, but the fust
knowed she was all ready, and whose
arm shood she be on but Jim Spoon
er's! 'Cum jed sez he, flare up, the
mares waitin-whare's your gal l
felt so dumfounded like that | didn't
know what tn think. The dogs she
is,' sez well, go rite out and git in
and III be thare in teW seconds But
cum tn look round thare waren't no.
body goin our way but what he'd got
fellers, except Hetty Gawkins. Thinks
1 I'll stay all mite and court Liz, but
jest then seed Mike Longly with one
arm round LIS waste, and lookin as
noin as coon in corn field, so | seed
it was very plain that it was Hetty or
hum alone, and tn make the matter
plain / axed her. She sed she didn't
kere if she went with me seein's how
I'd got q wagon, so we went out and
tumbIed in. THAR waren't only one
seat, SO | sot in Hetty's lap and Jim
sot in Prudence's lap, and off we start
ed. l didn't feel like bein very long
on the road, and | guess the old mare
didn't neither, for we hadn't gone-fur
afore her tale begun tu whisk, whisk,
and her toar feet kept cummin douu
harder and harder, and putty soon she
took in clean run, which made the
wagon jump from one stone tn another
as iftwood shake your liver out, 'Hold'
the critter in, doant let her brake,
sez Jim. Never fear, sez L, I'll fetch
her up easy at emmy time. Jest then
we cum tn little peace of doun hill
which was as rough as cats back
when she's skeered, and set out tu
pull her in but the moar l pulled the
wusser she run. | braced agin the
foar part and told Hetty tn hold on
behind, and then 1 gave one almity
twitch !-some thing gave way, thow
[ couldn't tell what it was, but it
seem'd as if I'd split the critters jaws
clear up tu her ears. but it didn't stop
her no moar than it wood do tu whis-
tie tn chane litenin. On she went fast
er. and at every plunge the old wagon
seat and all there was ont would lump
as much as tew feet rite in end sartin
The trees and fences flew by US SO
quick we eoodn't count 'em, and the
moon which was almost doun, kept
rollin and tumblin about orfully, while
rs Tor the stars the skywas all cuvered
with little shiny specEs, that kept
1aDcin and chitterweein about jest like
he sparks in blacksmiths chimney.
rhe gals they screened, and Jim got
lold of one rain and hollered whoa!
md l griped t'other and hollered |
whoa! but there was DO whoa tu her /
she only puffed little harder and |
made the fire roll out of the rocks ter
IDLY. | thort for mint the judg- |
nent had cum, and we was death on |
be pale hoss. When we got opposite |
I'D Square Gawkin's Hetty sung out |
ike pig under a gate to git ou-ou-
youti She couldn't speak at once
he screached so you mite have heard |
Ter tew miles. Hold your tung, you
wild cat seZ Jim, or this old
he devil hear ahead, will lead us all
ntu etarnity in less than no time
Prudence blubbeFed, and put her arms
round Sim and hugged about the
losest. | kinder felt that shouldn't
much care if we did all go to the place
le spoke of it | Good sit in his seat
t would be kind of satisfaction to be
hawed up in stone heap, if the
mash would only cum when 1 had
ew such putty arms around me.
But as for Hetty, she dug her long,
|ony nucles intu my ribs, and griped
S ii she'd tair the bones out. 1t was
heavens mercy how the old mair kept
he road, for we couldn't steer her en-
y moar than we Good a wild rinosi-
oss, and the smoke rolled out of her
ostrils like BelZyhub himself Well.
N we went lickerty smash, over the
ocks and gridirons, sumtimes on one
Wheel and sumiimes on nun at all
ehu! how she did make the gravel
y-my teeth ratified in my head as il
hey was all loose in the socket. AT
lst we cum in site of Deacon Dimon's.
Vow, seq Jim, hold her in, for if she
urns up the Deacon's lane, we are all
one suckers. Well, seq /, lend us a
and at this off rane--and we placed
urseIves. Give off the word, Jim, seq
=. Now then, together, seZ ne, and we ,
ettled upon her. But he mite Jest as
yell tried to hold bull moose by the
ale. At that mint the rane broke
nd let us back on tn the gals. o! sez
'rudence; Waugh says Hetty. It's
umin' sez Jim, and l seed it was, for ,
t that instant the old mair turned the
orner, like weather rooster in a whir-
7ind. Hold Oh siz /, and Hetty let
q her bread hooks like the grippe OF
eth tn ded nigger. / felt a sort of
izzy feelin', jest as body duz before .
ley ruke-so drawd in my he'd and {
het my eyes, and then smash, and
len when / cum TO myself was stick ,
4 forked end up, drove clean over my ,
loulders in heap of corn todder!-
IS soon as l could dig out l lookt
ound tor the fragments. Hetty was ,
in on her back with near half the 1
ack- of my trowsers in her clutch, ,
lat she griped and never let go on /
hen the smash cum. The old mair ,
as gone with the fore wheels, and ,
lie rest of the wagon was bottum up /
the ditch. Prudence wasn't hurt i
ne fell as l did on the storks; but as i
II poor Jim, thort it was all up with /
i'm. He lay deep in the fodder and \
icked masterly. l hollered tn him i
I'D asked him if he was hurt but he I
runted and kicked wusser. At last l /
ot hold his legs and pulled him out /
e,,oh A laAl-in3 cs,rhf .rnaee xxto. |