The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-09-12
Bringing Matters to a Crisis.

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story: On farm not many miles from
Ashtabula there resided until recently
a brown-haired, blue-eyed, fair-com-
plexioned, buxom country maiden, who
would have been happy as the day is
long, but for the fact that Josiah -,
a bashful country lad, the owner of a
large farm and little colored nous
tache, the admiration of the girls and
the envy of the boys for miles around,
had been persistently courting her at
the paternal mansion for two years, but
could never be brought to propose
Yet Josiah wanted the girl as bad, il
not worse, than the girl wanted him
and he was always on the point of say
ing something, but never yet had it got
to his expeotant listeners ears.
At length, at the end of the two
years, Mary Ann got so excited over IT
that she could hardly wipe her mothers
dishes, while Josh would stop and lean
upon his hoe in the corn-feld and think
| to himself, why am such born fool
l really think she'd have me if only
had gumption enough to ask her. y
With this he resolved to take her to ride
that very day, and have settlement
once for all. At first he thought he
would hire a livery rig and go in style,
but the expense deferred him. Darned
if dads shay and our nag won't do, she
needn't have me-" So said Josh, as he
threw down his hoe, put on his coat and
started to the house, to hitch up old
Nancy" and get his sweetheart.
The chaise, which had done service
for many centuries, was drawn out; and
Josiah, arrayed in ruffled shirt front
scarlet necktie, dark blue vest and white
linen pants, with swallow tailed coat
and stove-pipe hat, the colored nous
tache displayed to the best advantage
stepped in behind the fiery steed and
drove for his dulcinea. She seemed CO.
quettish about "going out in the hot
sun with a man she wasn't engaged to-
even if he had gone with her so long,
but she was pursuaded, and Josh helped
her into the "shay"
Without word of conversation be-
tween them, the first mile was passed
Mary Ann sat in one corner of the We
hicle bluShing red as peony, while
Josiah was hesitating whether to pop
the question now or wait awhile. A
second half mile was passed and still
silence reigned, broken only occasional
| ly by the crack of Josiah's whip against
"Nancy's" lean sides.
They now entered forest bordering
on Josiah's domain, and out Of the sun
light 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 las
sic had also waited and watched tor the
question, and now" Barkis was willing,
yet unable to ask her. Outwardly ST.
lent, but inwardly fretting and funing
this queen OF country damsels sat, re-
volving in her mind how she could
bring matters to crisis. At length, as
the horse stopped for an instant on the
brow of the hill to nibble bit of grass,
she bethought herself of plan; she
begged her lover to go 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 hid
den from view by grove of trees, when
she seized the whip and punched it into
the horses ribs with such force as al
most to cause them to crack.
Nancy" gave q spring forward and
rushed madly down the hill, Josh hasti-
ly dropping his cup of water, and flying
in hot pursuit.
At length he reached them, after a
hard run the "shay" lay overturned
and broken 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 soiled with dust, lay ap,
parently insensible short distance off
Josh's attempts to rouse her were of nc
avail, until, becoming thoroughly fright
ened, he began to cover her checks with
impassioned kisses, calling upon her to
live for him Then, and not till then
did the beautiful being deign to open
her eyes, when, with tears gushing forth
she said, 40, Josh. if you'd only said
it afore, this never would have happen
ed"