New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-08-18
Nancy was willing, but Josh was BashfuiI.

| Nancy was Willing, but J Osh was Bashful,
A correspondent of the Herald from Ash
tabula tells the following story:
On a farm not many miles from Ashtabula
| there resided until recently a bTOwn-haired,
| blue-eyed, fair7cOmp leXiOned, buxOm COun-
| try maiden, who would have been happy as
| the day is long but for the fact that Josiah
l'-, a bashful country lad, the owner of
aaarge farm and a little coiOTed mOustache,
| th6admiratiOn of the giIls and the envy Of
the boys tor miles around, had been persist
emily counting her at the paternal mansion
for two years, but could never be brought
to propose. Yet Josh wanted the girl as
bad, if not worse, than the girl wanted
him; and he was always on the point Of
saying something, but never yet had it
got to his. expectant listeners ears. At
length, at the end of two years, Mary Ann
got 50 excited over it that she could hardly
wipe her mothers dishes, while Josh would
stop and lean upon his hoe in the cOrnfeld
and think to himself, "Why am | such
born fool l really think She would have
me if | had only gumption enough to ask
her." With this he resolved to take her to
ride that very day, and have a settlement
once for all. At first he thought he would
hire livery rig and 90 in style, but the ex-
pense deferred him. "DarGed if dads shay
and our nag won't do, she needn't have
me- SO SAID JOSH as he threw down his
house to hitch up old Nancy" and get his
sweetheart. The chaise which had done
service for many centuries, was drawn out,
and Josiah. arranged in Tuttied shirt front,
scarlet necktie, dark-blue vest, and white
linen pants, with swallOW-tailed coat, and
stOve-pipe hat, the CUlOTed mOustache dis
PLAYED to the best advantage, stepped in be-
hind his fiery steed and drove for his Dulci-
nea. She seemed coquettish about going
outin the hot sun with man she wasn't en-
gagged to, even ii he had gone with her 50
long, but she was persuaded, and Josh
helped her into the SHAY" Without a
word Of conversation between them, the
first mile was passed. Mary Ann sat in one
corner of the vehicle blushing, red as a
peOny, while Josiah was hesitating whether
TO pop the question now or wait q while A
second half mile was passed and still
silence reigned, broken only occasionally
by the crack of JOsiah's whip against
"Nancy's" lean sides. They now entered a
forest bordering on JOsiah's domain, and
out of the sunlight Josiah grew bOlder. He
began to talk about his crops, and another
mile was passed; still he could not muster
up sufficient courage to say the word which
must decide his fate. For two long and
weary years the lassie had also waited and
watched for the question, and now "Barkis
was willing" yet unable to ask her. Out |
wardly silent, but inwardly tretting and
Tuning, this queen of country damsels sat |
revolving in her mind how she could bring
matters to a crisis. At length, as the |
horse stopped for an instant on the !
brow of the hill to nibble a bit Of grass, !
she bethought herself Of a plan. She |
begged her lover to 90 to a farmhouse |
not far distant and bring her cup Of cold !
water. Then the sly creature kept watch |
until he was half way back to the carriage |
with the cup and partially hidden from
view by a clump of trees, when she seized |
the whip and punched it into the horses |
ribs with such force as almost to cause |
them to crack. Nancy gave a spring for |
ward and rushed madly down the bill, Josh |
hastily dropping bis cup of water and |
flying in hot pursuit. At length he reached |
them, after a hard run. The SHAY lay |
broken and overturned in the middle of the |
road, the horse was quietly browsing the |
grass near by, while Mary Ann her face as
pale as marble and her beautiful white |
dress sOied with dust, lay apparently in |
sensible a short distance off. JOsh's at |
tempts to rouse her were of no avail until, |
becoming thoroughly frightened, he began
to cover her cheeks with imprisoned kisses, |
calling upon her to live for him Then. and |
not till then, did the beautiful thing deign |
to open her eyes, when. with tears gushing |
forth, she said: con, Josh if you'd only |
said it afOre, this never would have hap |
pened.'