The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1876-09-28
Joshua Wheat.

Joshua Wheat.
| Joshua Wheat was that rare bird. a
| bashful man. No one could have seen
Joshua enter u room where there was a
company, and especially ladies, without
| being aware Of this popularity OF his. He
generally either blundered along, looking
red or foolish, or shot hurriedly in, with
white scared face, hiding himself as
soon is possible from observation, behind
door, or IN corner. 1T there was a
chair on a stool anywhere in the room,
which was very apt to be the case, he
| generally managed to stumble over it,
which was not at all calculated to in
crease his self possession, or add to the
grace of his entrance II Il pretty GIRL
spoke to him, he stammered, and turned
all sorts of colors, looking as frightened
and ashamed as if he had been convicted
Of sheep-steallng.
Did you ever see a bashtul man If YOU
have, then you have seen the most awk-
ward ungainly creature among human
bpeds. Now there may be something at
tractive and Interesting in the shrinking
tlmdity of q blushing girl, though have
my doubts in regard to it; but a bashtul
man, who ever pities him? Though de-
spised by one sex, and laughed at 10y the
other, always doing what he never intend
ed TO DO, and saying what he never in
tended to say, he is one OF the most pitt
able objects in existence.
10 be sure, in these DAYS of brass aud
assurance, when everybody thinks himself
81 tst, tfia lie o'4urt iAes: ~"nl- -.s.> ,l.1
are to be met with occasionally, though
they are quickly disappearing. and prob
ably in II few Years there will be no trace
Of them LETT
Poor Joshua! there certainly never was
Il man who had i higher opinion Of the
better part Of creation, or was more capa-
bic of approaching the blessings of matr-
mony; yet he had reached the age OF
twenty-eight without being one step near
er towards realizing them than he was
eight Years before
lie had five brothers; but though none
of them had half his good looks or sense,
they possessed what lie did not. plenty OF
assurance, and a tact of showing all they
| did know, and We're ali married and hap
PLY settled in life, while he remained q
lorlorn, disconsolate bachelor.
1t was not from want of means to sup
port u wife. for he had plenty of this
worlds goods q well stocked farm, Il nice
! new house, besides some money in the
| bank 1t certainly WAS not for the want
of girls, tor there were scores OF them il,
! the town where he lived, Of AL sorts and
sizes black-eyed, blue-eyed, and gray
eyed, ANA eyes of no color 1T all. No;
Joshua y heat remained unmarried mere
| ly because he had not courage enough
sufficient to look any one of the girls III
the face, and say, 81 love you-will YOU
marry ne"'
These words are very simple, and to the
uninitiatel seem very easily spoken; yet
| have known many II mans courage tai
him 1t the thought Of saying them. who
would have rode into the front Of tho
fiercest and hottest battle without the
shadow Of fear.
AT last, all girls Of Joshua's acquaint
ance were married TO Drawer, ii not bet
ter men--all but one, Marv Dearborn. tho
preltiest one among them al, and us goo,
and sensible as she vas pretty Mary hat
suitors plenty but she turned cold shoul
der to them all, being fairly determined il
her own mind, that if she married at all
she would have nobody but Joshua Wheat
Joshua had taken Il great shine to Mary
ever since they were children; they uset
to 90 to school together, in the little rec
school-house on the hill, he drawing he
to ana from the school in the winter OF
his little sled, and bringing her apples IL
red and shining rs her rosy cheeks.
When they grew older, he exhibited hi
preference tor her, though in Il somewhat
different manner Every Sabbath, afte
meeting was over, he would post himsel
at the church door, to escort her home
and, in the evening, arrayed in his 'Sun
day best" he might have been seen strik
ing bee-line lor Squire Dearborn's A
about nine O'clock, the old folks would g
off to bed leaving Joshua and Mary to
gether. And there he would sit, lookint
straight into the fire, and scarcely DARN:
to move or breathe, with the momentou
question trembling on the very tip of hi
tongue, yet never leaving it; no neare
the object of his visit when he left tn
house than when he entered it,
Things went on this way for severa
months, but at last an event occurred
which gave Joshua quite 4 start, a sol
of DR.. Hale, the village physician, cam
home from college, where he had gradu
ated, it was said, with considerable dis
tnction. lie was a tall, lank, smooth
faced fellow. with more learning THAI
brains, and more brass than either. lit
saw Mary in church the first afternoon
and took great fancy to her, and com
menced paying her considerable attention
Young Hale had always been Mary
t particular aversion. She had dlsliked hin
from his boyhood. But she did not scrupl
to tlrt with him Il little, hoping to arous
: Joshua's jealousy, and bring him to tn
, point.
1t seemed to have its effect; for learn
| ing that MIR. Lawrence, one of his neigh
bors, intended to give party, and havin
obtained an inkling in some way that tina
| village chap, as he termed his rival in
| tended to take Mary, he went over t
| Squire Dearborn's early next morning
t and asked her himself.
Delighted at the success OF her ms
| n@uvre, Mary gave a smiling consent
/ and, at the appointed time. much to til
chagrin of the young collegian, who ha
I intended to appropriate her to himsel
l she went, accompanied by Joshua.