Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-12-02
SITTING UP WITH HER.


She was expecting him Sunday night;
the parlOr curtains were down, the old
folks notified that it was healthy to 60 to
bed at eight O'Clock, and Johnny bribed
with a cent to permit himself to be tucked
away at shutdown. He sneaked up the
path, one eye on the dog and the other
watching for the sold man," who didn't
like him any too well, gave a faint knock
at the door, and it was opened and he was
escorted into the parlOr. He said he
couldn't stay but a minute, though
he didn't mean TO 90 home for hours
She wanted to know how his mother
was; if his father had returned from York
State; if his brother Bills rheumatism was
any better; and he went over and sat on
the sofa so as not to strain his voice. Then
conversation tagged, and he played with
his hat, and she nibbled at the sOfa-tidy.
He finally said it was a beautiful evening,
and she replied that her grandfather pre-
dicted a snow-stOTm. He said he guessed
it wouldn't snow, as the moon wasn't
crooked enough to hang a powder-horn on
the end; she said she didn't believeit would,
either. This mutual understanding seemed
TO give each other courage, and he want
ed to know if she had seen Bill Jones
L,
want TO. Then she went to talking about
the donation visit which was to be given
Elder Berry, and he carelesSly dropped his
hand on hers-his right hand, while his
left sneaked along the sofa to get behind
her shoulders. She pretended not to notice
il. and he looked down at his boots and
wanted to know if she thought mutton tai
low rOtted out boots faster than lard or
lampblack. She couldn't say, but she had
an idea that it did. He had just com
menced to lock fingers with her, when she
discovered something allied the lamp. She
rose up and turned the light down a half,
making the room look dim. 1t took him
five minutes to get hold of her fingers
again: she pretended to want to draw her
hand away all the time. After a long
pause he lowered his voice to whisper, and
he said he didn't see what made folks love
each other. She bit her handkerchief and
admitted her ignorance. He said that he
could name a dozen young men who were
going to get married right away, and his
left arm fell down and gave her hug.
Then he went over and looked out of the
window to make sure that it was or was
not going to snow, and, coming back, he
turned the light down little more, and
then sat down and wanted to know If she
didn't want to rest herself by leaning her
head on his shoulder.
All. me! we have all been there, and who
of ms cared a cent when the old clock ST uck
twelve, and we five miles from home? The
old man was fast asleep, the watchdog
gone a visiting, and the handsomest girl
in the country didn't see why we need be
in hurry.
Perhaps shouldn't have written OF this,
but as | was going by Saunders the other
dav. thinking OF the night, L heard HIM
whisper in her ear at spelling school that
he'd love her very shadow as long as he
lived, he raised the window and called to
her, as she was picking up chips IN the
road:
gsSue Saunders, come in here and md IND
the bars grease for my sore heel or II
break every bone in your body