The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1876-05-18
SAM LAWSON ON coURrrN.

81 member used to lead the sing
in in them days, and Mary she used
to sing counter, SO we sOt putty near
together in the singers seat and 1
used to think Sunday .mornin's, when
she'd come to the meetin' in her
white dress and her red cheeks, and
her bonnet all tipped of with. white
laylocks, that twas all the world just
like a June sunrise to have her come
into the singers seat. Them was the
days that didn't improve my privi-
leges, boys" said Sam, signing deeply.
'"There was time that eff / had spoke
there's no knowing what mightn't
have happened, cause you see, boys, I
was better lookin' in them days than
| be now. Now, you mind, boys,
when you grow up, if you want to go
waltin' on a nice gal, and you're most
a mind to speak up to her, don't yon
go and put it off, cause if you do you
may liveto repent it. sH' ~ ga! + '''i-
"Well, you see, from the time that
Bill Elderkin came and took the Acad-
emy. l could see plain enough that it
was time for me to hang up my fiddle.
Bill he used to sit in the singers seats,
too, and he would have it that he sung
tenor. He no more sung tenor than .
skunk blackbird, but he made b1ieve
that he did, jest to git next to Mary
in. the singers seats, and they used to
be, writin' backward and forward to
each other till they tore out all tho
leaves of the hymn books and the sing
in books beside. Wal, never thought
that the house o. Lord was jest the
place to be courtin' in, and l used to
get considerable out at the way things
went on atween them. Why, they'd
be writiR' all sermon time; and I've
seen him a lookin' at her all through
the long prayer in a way that want
right considering they we're both pro-
fessors of, religion. But then the fact
was. old, Black Hoss John was to
blame for it, cause he never let them
have no chance to home. You see, old
Black. ,Hoss he was sot agin Elderkin
cause he, was poor. You see, his
mother, the old widder Elderkin, she
was about the poorest, phakedest old
body over to Sherburne, and rent cut
to days works, and Bill Elderkin, he
was ali for books and larnin' and old
Black HOss Johnnie thought it was
jest shiftlessness, but Mary, she tho't
it was genius, and she got it sot in her
mind that he was going to be Presi-
dent of the United States, or some
sich. -
"Wal, old Black Ioss he want none
too polite to Mary's beaux in gineral,
but when Elderkin used to come to
see her he was snarlier than saw.
He hadn't good word for him noway,
and he'd rake up the fire right before
his face and eyes, and rattle about fas-
tening up the windows. and tramp mp
to bed, and call down the chamber
stairs to Mary to go to bed, and was
sort O. aggrayati everyway.
"Wal. eff folks want to get gal set
on havin' a man, that ar's the way to
work. Mary had a considerable stiff
will! of her own, and If She didn't care
about Tom Beason before she hated
him now, and if She liked Bill Elder
kin before she was clean gone over to
him now. and she took to going to the
evening lecture and the
Friday evening prayer meetin' and
the singin' school jest as regular as
clock, and so did he, and afterwards
they always walked home the longest
way. Fathers may jest as well let
their daughters be courted in the
house peaceably, cause if they can't
be courted there they'll find places
where they can be it's Jest human ma 4.
ur'."-Atlantic Nonthly.r aoE i'La1
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