The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1873-07-01
Old jimmy Waddle's CauItShip
L0TE III TlIE RllEE00DS,
Enw1SA ONO. June %, 1s7:

EDw1SA, ONO, June 90, 1878.
Mr.. EDrroR: You win confer faver by pub
fishing the following story, which appeared in
the columns OF the SPIRIT many years since
have not a copy Of the paper in which It was
printed, hence am compelled to write from
memory. Yours, respectfully.
JOHN ". STRcKLINe.
"Talking of sprecs, boys, puts me in
mind OF my Young days. rather .gness
] was in for can some, myself, them
times"
This was said by an old man whom
We Shall Introduce to The reader as Mr..
james Waddle, or rather as Old jim
Waat.le. j Everybody, except The reader,
knows him and his penchant for yarn
spinning It was on the evening of a
militia frsining. day, ara after the COM
pany was dismissed; there was gocdly
number around the aforesaid Jim, eager
to hear him begin his yarn. the prelude
to which lie had already Eegun. and only
waited for some one TO urge him TO 90
on. or these there were enough. Af.
ter inquring what they would have. one
of his hSpslsg or coufting spgees. iae
is,rs-tnaIfi IA oasty -tztyiis tire tJtte'r.
81 was born and brought up on the
frontiers, aud when father moved from
Virginia to Kaintuck,it was paradise to
me 10 hunt bars and lniins in. But l
forgot, you wanted q cnalting story.
"Well, you s9e, | was always cuttin'
up some devil,ry among the boys; vet,
somehow or other, I was kinder shy and
skeery among the gals. liked the crit
tars prodigiously,b but about the only way
I could manage 10 show it WAS by eastin'
sleeps eyes in abundance at iem. We
had meetin then.as well as frolics, some
LINES And while the preacher was
preaehin' hrotllerly kindness, tender
heartsdness and love, wasn't thinkin'
of nothin' else. l used 10 set where ]
could gaze some purity gal in the face,
until her eyes would meet mine, then
she'd blush and look down Then ia
feel 50 queer abont the gizzsrd. I'd just
wish an earthquake would come and
throw me right in her lap. .3
81 was in love, bnt l couldn't tell for
the life Of me who liked best. There
vas Peggy Masonhammor,a mighty fine
cal. even in her low linen lrock Then
!. there was Sally Perkins, in her glorious
homemade striped cotton ffoek, her face
was as full as q China pigs, and as red
as turkey gobblers, with har and eyes
as black as ink Then there. was dim
ple-cheeked, blue, eyed Lot Smith, who
used to tote her shoes and siockin's. IN
site Of meetin'. Wen, Of these three /
couldn't tell which liked best; some
times one and sometimes the other, but
alters the last one | looked at.
''But when Squire Crnmpton cum to
eur dicgins his two gals took the shine
offen The rest of EN-; especially the old
est one, Betsey. o! bat she a.
clarmer; and yon'll think SO too. when
/ tell YOU she wore aicalco frotk with
WALLER flowers in it as big as yer hand,
BRASS ear-bobs and half dozen strans
Of heads as large as the end OF your3lit-i
Itle finger! She was charmef--I
thought so,anyhow and so all the young,
fellows said, too. OF all the maglusa
6oawm charmers you ever saw any where,
she was tie m0qnum bonumest. z -;
s,1hc first time seed her was at Des-
con Snoob's meetin' fastened myepes
on her I'LL hers met mine Sue smiled a
charlnin' smile, then blushed and looked
down. Lordy! felt hutterin' between
my TIVE jacket pockets equal to n saw
/ milk ! felt I was a goner from that
time forth Twas too big for my sbritch
es. ! used TO borrow Dads OF Sundays,
that he'd been married in before the Rev
dictionary war, and had come off at his
knees; but as he was tall and | wasn't,
they cum below mine three or four in
ches. sf.4f ,y...- 5sftssf
"a Agaiust the next meetin' was pre-
pared to cut big stiff Sister Sail, fer
the purpose,iroued and starched my new
fBe shirt as slick and stif'Rs a sheet Of
Tin The bosom was tine linen, hut the
invisible part was Sars tow. With a hem
that would cable steamboat While she
was smeothin' the wrinkles out,n il with
an iron just hot from the fire, down stairs
tumhles one of the tarnal brats, knockin
the breath oat of it. 1t was late Satur-
day night, and she was The only one ;lp
! She run to it, hut before it cum to, the
IRON had made its mark, that is, burned
two holes 10 the extretpity of my linen
near the aforesaid hem. Next pornin'
/ put it on as it was, then Dads true
blue, then The first reg lar built pare of
shoes ever had.
81 was seventeen that Sunday mornia'
and in my Sundays riggin' felt myself a
man, and resolved if Betsey was at
meetin' to show it. Well, she was thar.
| axed her for her company, and got it.
Walkih' by her side / felt as light as
lnothin''. Iscarcely touched the grouAd
n walkedsson, but 1 sban't attempt TO tell
you all the nice and loyin' things ] said