The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1871-06-29
UNCLE TIM'S STORY.
"out West" Forty Years Ago.

"out West Forty Years Ago.
When 1 came out West from down
South 1 had some peculiar notions
concerning the dignity of gentleman.
had been been well educated, was
wealthy, and not at all bad looking.
though 1 was small of stature, and
lacked that plumpness of limb gener-
ally thought necessary to manly beau
ty. In fact l was dreadfully lean,
though my health was perfect.
/ took up my abode at the c.
hotel, and soon made lot of acquaint-
ances. Strange how easy this getting
acquainted is in a new country. EV-
erybody soon knows you and you
know everybody. So / found it at
least. I had not been in c. more
than fortnight before every little boy
and girl in town called me Tim Step
high, as if Mr.. Timothy Stephigh
were an utter impessibility with them.
No matter how brightly my boots
were polished, the stout young men
went sloughing past with Morning
Tim, how'er ye, old fel p just as they
diG with each other. No matter how
fine my broadcloth was, the girls
seemed to care no more for me than
they did for the youths in blue jeans.
might put on ten dollar shirts and
excruciating neckties, but Mrs. Broad
| cap and Mrs. Scrubeabin didn't seem
to notice them. They would keep
asking me how it was l was out of
employment. There is farmer Dug
up who wants hand, and Pete Jones
is hunting man to tend his cattle
You might get clerks place here in
town, too, if you're good in writing
and figures Thus they talked to me
"a man worth a cool hundred thou
sand and a graduate of . fine college.
The fact is, was not appreciated. 1
wrote some verses for the town paper,
but don't think any one ever read
them.
True enough, every one treated me
kindly. They invited me to their
houses, introduced me to their friends,
took me out to see their cattle and
horses, all of which was quite fatter-
! ing, only 'Tim,' that familiar Tim on
everybody's tongue did sound SO in
dignant.
AS for me, never forgot to say Mr..
Dugup, Mrs. Clothespin, Miss Sorg-
hum, &c, SC. This politeness of mine
they all received as matter of course
but no one ever returned it. just Tim,
that was all.
You may wonder why stayed out
west, at all this expense to my feel
ings and may as well tell you that a
harmless Irritation with young lady,
at one of our Southern watering pla.
ces had got me into duel with her
brother, in which encounter I pretty
badly wounded my antagonist, and SC
had to depart in peace and cover up
my tracks to avoid an unpleasant
meeting with certain Sheriff.
| When the winter came c. was 8
gay and festive town. They had par
ties and balls and sleighing, and 1 dc
not know what all. OF course 1 was
welcome everywhere, and, to say the
truth, had deal of fun with the buX.
ON lasses of town and country, OF
taking them sleighing by moonlight
But through all this fun there ran such
broad stream of familiarity, / could
not turn round without hearing, Tim.
Of courae they sometimes fattered by
saying Tins an awful tine dancer
he skips like a meadow lark with 9
horse hair round his feet or some
thing of that sort. / always replied
to such observations with chilling po.
liteness, only it did not seem to chill
anyone in particular. How I did wish
for few fashionable ladies and gen.
tlemen to come to C@l Just one
young woman of society, if no more
1t would give my life flavor. II
would be like smoking a fine cigar
after week with clay pipe and pig
tail tobacco or like peaches and cream
after a month of coin pones' and
bacon. AS if my longings were to be
fulfilled by a special Providence, it al
length came to my ears that Miss Ella
Bryan, was soon to return to c..
after year at fashionable boarding
school in New York. Her father was
Judge Bryan of the Circuit Court,
and her mother, as matter of course,
was Judge Bryan's wife.
From all the information l was able
to gather from various sources, came
to the conclusion that Miss Bryan
must be quite beauty. The young
men said she was " mighty smart, " the
girls looked troubled whenever her
name was mentioned, and the old
folks were not slow to praise heI
many good qualities. @
1 set about at once preparing for the
advent of this star, whose rays were
to evliven the darkness of c..
got my best clothes and my diamond
pin. l dyed my whiskers and studied
my book on Sentimental Quotations,
assiduously.
tell you Miss Bryan was as lovely
as an angel, pretty as the pictures OF
Undine Gas the German artists make
them) looking at a cateract. In spite
of myself / contracted bad case o1
love at first sight. To my great de.
light soon began to see evidences OF
reciprocity. / felt sure of Ella Bry.
ans love in fact, and scarcely day
passed that did not see her. She ha6
brought home guitar with her
which was circumstance in my favor
for in these days 1 sang in a way
which tended to make folks think me
gifted: and then with Ella Bryan
soft, swe eet soprano, to contrast witt
my rich baritone, and Ella Bryan'i
eyes beaming on me, caught a higf
inspiration and sang-oh, l sang !
You ought to have heard me, but yor
didn't.
Curious how things sometimes ge
, topsy-turvy 'out westp I have Otter
thought so anyhow.
well, L at length FOUND That nad
rival, whose name was Jymkins, Pete
Jymkins--a young lawyer. This fel.
low was good looking and pretty
smart. He had way, too, that tool
the western folks. He could make
roaring speech, chew lots of tobacco
and play the fiddle. Pete, they callel
him just as they called me Tim, though
he didn't mind it.
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