Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-05-08
NO. 19.
BY J. 4. SMITH, ALIAS CAPT. roTuERBY.

! BY j. 4. SMITH, ALIAS CAPT. TOTTFRDY
''Wife," said Ed. Wilbur one morn.
ing as he sat stirring his coilea with
one hand and holding plum cake on
his knee with the other, and looked
across the table into the bright eyes of
| his neat little wife, "Wouidn't il be a
| good joke to get bachelor Bill Smiley
| to take Widow Watson to Barnu1n' S
show next week -
"You can't do it, Ed, Ii won't ask
her; he's SO awful shy. Why he came
by here the other morning when I was
hanging out some clothes, and he
looked over the fence and spoke but
when shook out q night gown he
blushed like girl and went away.
81 think [ can manage it, said Ell :;
''but I'll have to lie Just little. But
then it wouldn't be much harm under
the circumstances, tor I knowshe likes
him and he don't dislike her: but as
you say, he's shy. I'll just go over to
his place to borrow some bags Of him,
and if [ don't bag him before I come
back don't kiss NE for week, Nelly"
So saying, Ed. started, and while lie
is moving the fields we will take
look at Bill Smiley. He was rather q
good looking fellow, though his hair
and whiskers showed some gray hairs,
and he had got III a set of artificial
teeth. But every one said he WAS
good soul, and SO he was. He had as
good hundred acre farm rs any in
Norwich, with q new house and eyerv-
thing comfortable, and if he had want
ed wife, many girl would have
jumped at the chance like rooster at
a grasshopper. But Bill was So bash
ful-alWays was and when Susan
Berrybottle, that he was sweet Oh
(though he never said "boo" to herr
got married to old Watson, he Just
drawed in his head like 4 mud-turtIe
into his shell. and there was no get
ting him out again, though il had
been noticed that since Susan lad be-
come widow he had paid more at
tention to his clothes and had been
very regular in his attendance at the
church that the fair widow attended.
''But here comes Ed. Wilbur."
Good morning, Mr. Smiley
"GoOd morning, Mr.. Wilbur. What's
tie news your way?"
"Oh, nothing particular, that I
know of, said Ed. 'only Barnum's
show that everybody is talking about,
and everybody and his girl is going 10.
was over to old Sackr1der's last night
and I see his sou Gus has got Il new
buggy and was scrubbing up his har-
ness, and he's got that white-faced colt
of his slick as a seal. I undcrsta ard
he thinks of taking the widow Wa
son to the show. He's been a hanging
around a good deal OF late. but IL
just like to cut him out, [ would. SD
san is nice little woman, and deserves
a better man than that Young pup Of =
fellow, though [ wouldn't blame her
much either If she takes him, for she
must be dreadful lonesome, and then
she has to let her farm out on shares
and it isn't half worked, and no one
else seems to have spunk enough to
speak up to her. BY iingot II [ were
a single man I'd show him Il thick OF
two."
So saying, Ed. borrowed some bags
and started around the corner CT the |
barn, where he had left Bill sweeping |
and put his ear to q knot-hole ard |
listened, knowing that the bachelor |
had habit of talking to himself when |
worried him.
"Confound that young Bagrider!"
said Eli, "what business has he there, |
I'd like to know. Got q new buggy, /
has he? Well, so have [, and new
harness, too! and his horse can't come
IN sight of mine; and I declare I've |
half mind to-Yes, [ will! Ill go
This very night and ask her to SO to
he show with me. III show Ed. VII
our that I amt such calf as he thinks
[ am, if I did let old Watson get the
start of me in the first placer
Ed. could scaice help laughing out
right, but he hastily hitched his bags
De his shoulder, and with & low chUckic
1t his success, started home TO tell the
news to Nelly, and about five O'clock
hat evening they saw Bill go Ey with
lis horse aud buggy on his way
% the widows. He logged along
quietly, thinking of the old sing
ng school davs-and what a rret-
" girl Susan was tken-and won
leriDg inwardly if he would have
more courage now TO talk up to her,
until at the distance of about q mile
from her house he came to a bridge
over a large creek-and it so happened
that just as he reached the middle Of
the bridge he gave a tremendous
sneeze, and blew his teeth out Of his
mouth, and clear over the dashboard,
md striking on the planks they rolled
over the side of the bridge and drop
ped into four feet of water.
Words cannot do justice to poor
Bill, or paint the expression of his |
face as he sat there-completely dumb
founded at tins st; rtling piece OF i'll |
luck. After while he stepped out |
Of the buggy, and getting on his hands
and knees looked over into the " ter. /
Yes there they were," at the bottom, |
with crowd OF little fishes rubbing /
their noses against them, and Bill /
wished to goodness that his nose Was !
rs close for one second. His beauti- !
ful teeth that had cost him so much, |
and the show coming on and no time |!
to get another set-and the widow and |
onng Sackrider. Well, he must Try /
a. d get them somehow-and no time |
to lose, for someon might come along /
and ask him what he was fooiing around |
there for. He had no notion OF spoil |
ing his good clothes by vaGing in with |
them on, fHd besides, if lie did that !
he could not go to the widows that |
night, SO he took look up and down |
the road to see that no one was IN |
sight, and then quicNyundressed him !
self, laying his clothes in the buggy to /
keep them clean. Then he ran around |
to the b INK and waded into the almost /
icy cold water, but his teeth did not
chatter in his head, he only wished
they could. Quietly he waded along
SO as not to STIR mp the mud and when
he got to the right spot lie dropped
under water and came upwith the teeth
in his hand and replaced them in his
mouth. But bark . What noise IS that?
A wagon and little dog barking
with all his might, and his horse IS
starting. "Whoa! Whoa" said Bill,
as he splashed and foundered out
through mud and water, "confoIlnd
the horse. Whoat Whoat Stop,
you brute you, stop!' But stop he
would not. but went off at Il spank
ing pace with the unfortunate bachei-
or after him and the little dog yclping
after the bachelor. Bill twas certainly
in capital running costume, but
though he strained every nerve he
could not touch the buggy OF reach
the lines chat were dragging on the
ground. After while his plug hat
shook off the seat and the hind wheel