Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1874-09-05
Charlie Johns0n'S Picnic.

Charlie johnson Went to picnic the other
day.
Charlie is a Grstratc fellow, on.y he's ter
rihly hashful.
lie called to see Miss Jones one night. lie
never would have been guilty Of such an act,
had she not met him coming ont Of church
-corncycd him right up by the steps where
all the gill, could see him-and made him
promise to come round the next night-bc-
fore she'd let him go.
So the following evening Charlie arraycd
himself like Il lily Of the field, and started
for the Jones'
This happened lust winter.
lie got there about eight clock twas
quite dark. Charlie mounted the steps; rang
the bell and then-hi~ courage failed him.
He cleared the six steps at one leap and fled
! down the street
Bridge; Went to the door. Nobody there.
Old Jones hailed Bridget and asked her who
rang the bell. ''Shurc it's some ol-oi-of
tIrm lads that do be ringin the bill livery
| night, and-;nd thin run away-bad look to
thim, at ari and at arl "
"Oncc more to the brrrch, dear friends,
was Charlie 5 ~oilnqay, as he slowly re;rac
cd his steps. With glad and gallant tread
did he rc-:.scend the front stoop and blithely
pulled the bell. Bat nimbly did he again
descend the steps and swiftly disappear up
the str,rt, reachiug the quarter post in forty
seconds
Bridget at tie door: same result as be-
fore. bridget waxeI wroth. And old .!onc;
vowed he'd fix that Internal whclp; 50 he
got piece of stout broom cord tied one
end Of it to the iron railing on the further
side OF the steps. about Il foot higher than
the top step; then passed it through hole
in the iiiisrce work on the other side Of the
steps at the same height; brought the end
Of the string through the blind of the bay
window thence into tie parIor; afterwards
he went ont and sinckencl tie string, 50 as
TO have it lay Hat along the step where no.
body would notice it in coming up-IW
where, il i; We're tightancd UP from within
the house, after one had gone up the step,
one would be somewhat apt to notice" it
in going down especially if one were in q
hurry.
! Then Mr.. Jones sat down in the parlor
graspcd one end Of the string and waited for
the bell to ring.
Bridget, not aware that the old gent had
set tie trap, had '.little something" fixed
up herself She repaired to the kitchen ;;
took the boiling tea-kcttlc from the range;
mcHHlercd upstairs with it; sat down by
4 window right over the front door; and
waited too, for the bell to ring.
Ii rang.
The Old man pulled the string-Bridget
cmptc1 the kcttIc-and Charlie
Well, it didn't hurt Charlie much. That
is to say, he was able in a couple of weeks to
sit up and lave his bed made and inside
Of a month he could get around very nicely
on n pair Of crutcheS. To be sure. six of his
cyt teeth We're ncrcr found and his left eye
looked as if he'd run knot-hole into it.
But he di,ln mind such Il little thing as that;
STILL he never seemed to care TO 60 down to
the Jones a!tcrward as Il sort of IL codncss,
as it were, had sprung up between them.
Nowadays when Charlie wishes to expert
cncc the ccStatc delight ofa call on Miss
Jones. lie goes out and lays down in the road
in front Of his house and lets hack run
over him; It's just as much fun and not
near 50 far to go. He thinks that By the
time he can let full grown omnibus drive
over the bridge Of his nose, without making
him wink, he'll he able to stand another
whirl down at Jones'
Shall have to defer the picnic story.