Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-04-17
MISCELLANEOUS.
BILL AND THE WIDOW.

m
AZ bis little wife, "wouldn't it be good joke tt
,.et bachelor Bill Smiley to take Widow Watson
T., rarnum's show next week."
You can't do it, Ed; he won't ask her ; hei
.oawful shy. Why, he came by here the Other
oorpipg when WAS hanging out the clothes
a,a he looked over the fence and spoke, bu
wien | shook out night grown he blushed like
a glrl and went away
:. think can manage it, said Ed. "but ~
haye to lie Just little. But then it wouldn't
il. much harm under the circumstances, for
tnow she likes him and he don't dislike her
.ut lust as you say, he's 30 shy. I'll just &c
aver to his place to borrow some ba . of him,
and il don't bag him before come back, don't
s,ss me for week, Nelly"
d. aavinp Ed started, and while he is now
,,, the fields, we will take look at Bill Smiley.
Ile was rather a good looking fellow, though
t,. hair and whiskers showed some gray hairs,
and he had got III set Of artificial teeth. But
very ono said he was good soul, and so lie
,,na lie had as good II hundred acre farm as
any in Norwich, with new house and every
Thing comfortable, and il he wanted wife
many a girl would have jumped at the chance
-l,ke n rooster on a grasshopper. But Bill was
40 bashful-always was-and when Susan Berry
t,tte whom he was sweet on, though he
never sad ''boo" to her, got married to old
watson he Just drew in his head like q mud tur-
d la
ant again, though il had been noticed that since
susan had become a widow he had paid more at
teutlon to his clothes, and had been very regular
m attendance at the church the fair widow at
tended. -
But here comes Ed. Wilbur
Good morning, Mr.. smiley
Good morning, Mr.. Wilbur, what's the news
vour way y
Oh, nothing particular that know Of, said
Ed nonly Barnums show that everybody is
tnlking about, and everybody and his girl is go.
iup 100. | was over to old Sockrder's last night,
and see his son Gus. has got new buggy, and
WAS scrubblng up his harness. and he's got that
white faced colt of his slick as a seal un-
lerstand he thinks of taking widow Watson to
the show. He's been a hanging around there a
GOOD deal of late, but I'd just like to cut him
ont, would. Susan is nice little woman, and
deserves n better man than that young pup OF a
fellow. though would not blame her much eli
tler if she takes him, for she must be dreadful
is Lonesome, and then she has to let her farm
ont Oh shares, and it isn't half worked, and no
one eIse seems to have the spunk to speak up to
her BY lingo il were single man I'd show
,olI Il trek or two"
So saving, Ed. borrowed some bags and started
around the corner of the barn, where he had left
iill sweepngt and put his ear to knot-hole
and listened, knowing the bachelor had habit
VI talking to himself when anything worried
him
.Confonnd that young bagrder y said Bill
what business has he th ,re, I'd like to know /?
Got new buggy, has he? Well, 80 have 1, and
new harness too aud his horse can't get in
sight OF mine and declare, I've half mind
To- yes, | will I'll go this very night and ask
her to go to the chow with me. I'll show Ed.
Wilbur that | amt such calf AZ he thinks am,
il did let old Watson get the start of me in the
iirst place =
fd could scarcely help laughing outright, but
he hastily hltched the bags on his shoulder, and
with II low chuckle at his success, started home
totell the news to Nelly and about five o'clock
I.,rxr
and buggy on his way to the widows. He
logged along quietly, thinking of the old sing
.ng school days-and what pretty girl Susan
waA then and wondering inwardly if he would
have more courage now to talk up to her, until
al "A distance of about mile from her house L @
came to brdge-over large creek-and it 30
happened that just as he reached the middle OF
the bridge, he gave tremendous sneeze, and
blew his teeth out OF his mouth, and clear over
tho dash board, and striking on the planks they
rolled over the side of tho bridge, and dropped
ntO four feet of water.
Words cannot do justice to poor Bill or paint
the expression of his face AZ he sat there-com-
pletey dumbfounded at his startling piece of
N luck After awhile he stepped out of his
buggy and getting down on his hands and knees,
looked over into the water Yes, there they
were, at the bottom with crowd OF little fishes
rubbing their nosea against them, and Bill
wished 10 goodness that his nose WAS as close
Tor one second. His beautiful teeth that had
eost him so much, and the show coming on and
10 time to get another set-and the widow and
vUling Sockrider Well, he must try and get
tnem some how-and no time to lose, for some
might come along and ask him what he was
fJollng around there for He had no notion Of
spelling his good clothes by wading in with them
Oh, and besides, il he did that he could not go to
the widows that night, so he took a look up and
down the road to that one was i'll sight,
aud then quickly undressed himself laying his
clothes in the buggy to keep them clean. Then
lie ran around the bank and waded into the al
n, Il, nI,n
'ef IN llis hcad-he only wished they could.
quietly lie waded along 30 as not to stir up the
mlld. when he got to the right spot he dropped
under the water and came up with his teeth i'll
irir hand and replaced them III his mouth. But
Lark What NOISE IL that wagon, and a
itlc dog barking with all his might, and his
borse ID starting. whoa Whoa Stop you
brute yon, stop !" But stop he would not, but
went of at n spanking lpace with the unfortu-
nate bachelor after hun and the little dog yelle
ng after the bachelor. Bill was certainly III
capital running costume but though lie strained
every nerve he could not touch the buggy OF
reach the lines that were dragging on the
Htounl.
After awhile his plug hat shook off the seat
and the hind wheel went over it, making it AT
lGt as a pancake. Bill snatched it as he ran, and
after jamming his fist into it, stuck it, all dusty
aid dlmpled on his head. And now he saw the
Widows house on the hill, and what oh what will
lie dpf Then his coat fell out, he slipped it on and
theu making desperate squirt he clntched the
ii.t Of the seat and scrambled in. and pulling
the buffalo robe over his legs, stuffed the othel
things beneath. Now the horse happened to be
one that he got from Squire Moore and he go
II from the widow, and he took it into Ills heae
"a stop at her gate, which Bill had no power tc
prevent as he had no possession of the reins
hcsldes he was too busy buttonng his coat VI
To hls chin to think of doing much else. The
widow heard the rattle of the wheels and looked
ent, and seeing that it was Smiley, and that he
a'idht oner to get out, she went to, the gate tt
rec what he wanted, and th9re she stood chat
'sng with her white arms on the top OF the
shte. and her face right toward him
While tho cold chills ran down his shirt
lesr back clear to his bare feet beneath the buf
islo robe, and the water from his hair and tht
'illst from his hat had combined to make somt
tlce little stream of mud that came trlcklint
.'9Su his face. She asked him to come in. No
h'' has III hurry, he said. Still he did not of
ier u 90. He did not like to ask her to pick nj
i'is reinG for him. because lie did not know wha
.Selse to make for not doing it himself. Thei
''e locked down the road behind him and saw Q
Nihle-iaced horse coming, and at once surmise'
y was that Of Gus Sockiider He resolved to d'
"f de, and dhurnedly told his errand. The widow
would he delighted to go, of course she would
hut wouldn't he come in. No. he was III IL hur
~ ne said; had to go OH to MIR. Green's place.
Oh, said the widow; "you're going t.
'feens are you? Why was just going ther
myself to get one of the girls to help me quill
more just wait a second while ] get my bon