The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1875-10-01
MARY JANE.

There Is no foolishness about some of the
fathers in Dubuque county, Iowa, who have
marriageable daughters, and they know
how to precipitate business when the fruit
is ripe for plucking, and hangs wasting in
sweetness when it should be plucked
Matters were brought to a climax with
rush a. certain farmers residence in
Vernon township recently. A young tiller
of the soil had for some months been paying
most assiduous attentions to one of his
daughters, but he was such bashful, mod
est young chap, never having been much in
the company of girls, except this one, that
he had never been able to raise his courage
sufficiently high to pop the all important
question.
He had gone to the house in which his
adored lived, upon at least twenty different
occasions, resolved to know his fate but
when ushered into the presence of his fair
one, in whose keeping he had placed his
heart, his courage would invariably "go
back on him." and he would return to his
lorely.room in greater suspense than before.
Upon the evening in question he had de-
termined that, come what would, he would
tell his Mary that he loved her. He would
once for all decide the matter but, as upon
each former occasion, he could get the
matter no nearer than his throat. There it
stuck, and he had just determined to eulp
it down and give up the siege, when the
door opened, and in stall<ed the girls father,
who advanced to where they were sitting,
and thus addressed them:
81 came in to put a stop to this Internal
foolishness. 1t amt the courtin' expenses
that Pm looking at, for coal oils cheap, and
wood can be had for the hauln' but I'm
sick aud tired of this billin' and cooin' like
pair Of sick doves, keepin' me awake
nights, and it's got to be stopped right
here. Mary Jane, look up here. Do you
love John Henry well enough to marry
him ?'
"Why, father; I-I-you must
''Stop that darn foolishin' 20 roared the
old man. Answer yes or mo- an mighty
quick too. It's got to be settled now or
never'
"Well, but father, you don't know-if
you'd only watt
'Dry up! answer yes or mo- Speak -
roared the old gent.
"Well, yes, then there now ~ and Mary
Jane again hid her face.
''That's business that's the way to talk.
Now John, look here-look up here or I'll
shake you all to pieces. Do you want that
gal o. mine for wife? Speak out like a
man now.''
"Why, Mr.. amt this rather al
| mean, can't you
''Speak it out, or out of this house you'll
60 head foremost 1 won't wait minute
longer. There's the gal, and likelier gal
amt in the State, and you just heard her
say she wanted you. Now, John, won't
| stand a bit O. foolin' once for all, yes or
mo- p'
swell, yes sir, have been presumptuous
enough to hope that L"
30, cuss your soft talk the things set
tied now. You two blasted fools would
| have been six months more at that job that
I've settled in five minutes. never saw
such foolin' as there is among young peo-
pie nowadays. Amt like it was when l
was youth--an' now goodnight. You
can talk the thing over, an you an me,
John, I'll go town tomorrow and get the
license. Soon be time to 60 to plowin'-
no time for love- maxim then. Goodnight,
goodnight; hope it wasn't too rough; but
l was determined to fix the thing up one
way or t'other;'' and the old man went back
to bed.
Now that the ice was broken, the young
people laid all their plans for the future,
and John felt just a little bad at the COM
fort he had lost, when Mary. looking at him
shyly, said
"This would have been all right four
months ago, John, if you hadn't been so
skeery. l know'd all the time that you
wanted to ask me but it wasn't my place
to say anything, you know"
No cards.