Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-02-21
't1n Written for the Public Ledger.l tee
WILL CROSBY'S SERENADE
BYw. P. CHAMBERS.

i
i Many years ago, in a certain back
woods settlement, not hundred milei
from the capital Of our State, there waI
a decided preponderance of the femin
inc element in the marriageable portion
of the community. Whether this state
Of affairs arose form a resentful mooC
\ of dame nature, or whether a spirit O
enterprise or adventure had produced a
hegira Of the younger individuals of the
rougher sex, is not our province to de
termine. Such was, however, incon
\ testibly the case, and, as such, was 9
source of profound regret to the remain
| ing stock in the matrimonial market
The materials for weddings had all beer
used up, and even little boys we're made
the objective points against which the
batteries OF feminine artillery were
brought TO bear.
In the midst of this deplorable situa
! ton, when old maidism, with all its hid
eous deformities and stern realities was
literally standing at the threshold oi
existence, persistently staring in the
ace of many & buxom lass, by freak
=. fortune, or some other equally unac-
oanr ~ able circumstance, there came
oun' % a. settlement dark-eyed, hand
~ ,nS ,o,,, Nof four-and-twenty summers,
SIo SJ Iov;nc "entered " . tract of gov
o.nyan,i mU Land 4, 'roceeded at once to erect
ernaL? nah;;n ,bareon :, 'ud set abont opening
a farm. L. g.. .L.. o.
OF course viii Cros. ~, ior that a. was va,
his name, became at onCe the ll1h q
" Nipscissors, as some wag 4 au uqo9eu
the settlement. He was of a fr.ehks, u,s'
position, generous to fault and ro.' 'uck-
ing as boy. He was, moreover, somS
what Of a ladies' man, though not IN the
least tinctured with coxcombry or er-
Quisifism. Consider, also, that his
father was known to be quite wealthy,
and there need be no wonder that his
appearance created as great turore IN
Nipscissors as the Grand Duke Alexis
can stir up in the most shoddyhed cir
cles Of Washington OF New York 90
To detail the numerous articles Of
those who laid siege to the citadel OF his
affectioss-to enumerate their abortive
stratagems. 4 frustrated schemes and
blighted expectations, would tll an old
fashioned three volume novel. Mean
while the unconscious object Of these
innocent Vaccinations pursued the even
tenor of his way, telling trees and split
ting rails through the day, and, at night,
after an hour or so spent in reading,
retiring to rest on his solitary bed, 70
dream-perhaps of smiling face--per-
haps Of splitting thousands of rails on
the morrow. .uI 1o aifI .8GN i.Ifl.9. u
Thus the winter passed away spring
ripened into summer, and summer
merged into autumn. Will Crosby was
still the same light-hearted, jovial fellow
he was at first. He was invited to every
quilting land Nipscissors had never an
ticipaied so cold a winter beforel, was
the soul Of every party, the leader in
every sing, and was, altogether, the first
in the hearts Of his countrywomen.
But affairs we're growing desperate.
The petty chickering's that had at first
disturbed the peace Of the feminine
heart Of the iconmunity bad long since
subsidized, when it became apparent that
there was no fsvorite to excite tke envy
Of her less fortunate sisters. A fellow