The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1876-01-05
Ideal Courtship at One Horse GuIch.


ScribHer's Montbiy for December, the
hero, Gabriel Couroy, gives to bis
little sister the following meudaeiOus
account of bis visit to the Widow
MarSle on business matrimonial:
Oily haG drawn a small box. her
isvorite seat, between her brothers
legs, and rested the back Of her head
comfortably against his waistcoat.-
When Gabriel had lighted his pipe at
the solitary candle, be gave one or
two preliminary pulfs, and then. TAX
ing his pipe from his mouth. said
gently:
"0ily, it can't be done"
what cant be done, Gabe?" duer-
led the artful Oily, with swift pre-
conception of the answer, expand
ing her little mouth into a thought
! ful smile.
"Thet thing"
What thing, Gabe2r
This yer marryin' o. Mrs. Mar
kle," " said Gabriel, with an assump-
tion of easy, business like indlffer-
ence.
Why" asked Oily.
"She wouldn't hev me-"
WHAT" said Oily, facing swiftly
around.
Gabriel evaded his sisters eyes,
and looking in the FIRE, repeated slow
ly, but with great firmness:
"No; not fur-fur-fur gift"
."She's a mean, stuck up, horrid old
thiDgm said Oily, fercely. "I'd jest
like to-why, thar amt man as kin
compare with you, Gabe! Like her
impudence!"
Gabriel waved his pipe in the air
deprecatingly, yet with such an air
of cheerful resignation, tsat Oily
faced upon him again suspiciously,
and asked:
What did she say"
"She said" replied Gabe, slowly,
"thet her heart-was-given-to an
other | think she struck into poetry,
and said:
Ny heart it is another's,
And Il never can be thine
Thet is, | think so. | disremember
her special remark, Oily; but you
know women alters spout poetry at
sech times Ennyhow, that's about
the way the thing panned out"
"Who was it?" said Oily, sud
denly.
"She didn't let on who" said Ga
briel, uneasily. al didn't think it the
square thing to inquire"
WELL" said Oily.
Gabriel looked down still more en-
barrassed, and shifted his position.
well, he repeated.
What did you say?" said Oily.
"Then?"-
mo, afore. How did you do it,
Gabe?" said Oily, comforta bly, fixing
her chin in her hands, and looking
up in her brothers. face.
"Oh, the usual wayl" said Gabriel,
with a motion of his pipe, to indicate
vague and glitteriDg seneralities OF
courtship.
But how? Gabe, tell me all about
It."
"Well," said Gabriel, looking up at
the roof, "wimen is bashful ez a gen
eral thing, and thar's about only one
WY ez a man can get at 'em, and
t1at ez, by being kinder keerless and
bold. Ye see, Oily, when l KEN in
ter the house, 1 sorter jest cbuckled
Sal under the chin-thet way, you
know-and then went up and put my
arm around the widder's waist, and
kissed her two or three times, you
know, jest to be sOciable and famil
lar like"
"And to think, Gabe, thet after ali
that she wouldn't hev ye," said Oily
Not at any price," said Gabriel,
positively.
The disgustin' beastl'' said Oily |
I'D jest like to ketch that Manly |
hangin' round yer after that" she |
continued, savagely, with a vicious
shake of her little fist. "And just to
think, only to-day we give her her
pick o. them pups!"
"Hush, Oily, ye mustn't do any
thin o. the sort" said Gabrial, has
tily. "Ye must never let on to any |
one anything. It's confidence, Oily |
confidence, ez these sort o. things
allus is-stween you and me. Be
Sides" be went on, reassuringly, |
that's notbin' Lord, afore a mans
married, he haz to go through this
kind o. thing dozen times. Us ex-
pected There was man as | once
knowed." " continued Gabriel, with
shameless mendaeity, 'ez went
through it fifty times, and he was
better man nor me, and could shake
thousand dollars in the face of any
woman. Why, bless your eyes, Oily,
some men jest likes tits excite
ment-!ike perspectin."