The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1877-12-06
A Queer Chestnut.

me INeIN young ldultS LOWE Last,
which is to say in New England. occa-
s~ionally fall into sad mishaps. as the
following pathetic account from an
editorial in the New York Times will
show
The young lady in question-and
it is perfectly useless for ANYBODY TO
offer twelve gratuitous teams OF wild
horses to assist in dragging the secret
OF her name to li.ht-was remarkably
beautiful. and was the object of the
devoted attachment of two local young
men. one of whom was a model of all
possible virtues. while the other was
a bold, bad youth, who was known to
be in the habit of smoking. and who
was currently believed to have more
than one visited a circus. Early in
October this estimable young lady
subOrned her younger brother-aged
ten-tO accompany her on a clandes-
tine cheStnuttlng expedition. a chest
nut-tree, separated from the road by a
narrow but dense belt of trees and
bushes, was 0 0 found, and the pair
~zealously searched the ground for
fallen nuts. The young lady-and
perhaps we had better call her Miss Y,
for the purpose of identification. as
the lawyers say-sOOn grew weary OF
this occupation, and determined to
climb the tree. With the aid of a fence
rail and jealous boosting" of her
brother, she succeeded in reaching the
lowest branch, from which her pro-
gress was easy. Pleased with her sue
cess, she SOOn grew careless, ~ finally
ventured out upon a limb until it ben
under her weight. Becoming fright
A.0I -Io Lot 80. -l
and hold, and suddenly fell. Fortu-
nately, she did not fall far, for her
skirts caught in a fork of the limb and
suspended her between heaven and
earth in the attitude of an umbrella
which has struggled with a violent
gust of wind and experienced a re-
verse.
Her voice, though somewhat smoth-
cred by the peculiarities of her situa-
ton, could be easily heard by her
astonished brother, and in accordance
with her calm directions that devoted
small boy instantly fed for help. Now,
it SO happened that each of the young
lady's lovers had noticed her as she
started from home in company with
her brother. and each had indepen-
IDENTIFY determined to meet her as if by
accident. Thus it fell out that the first
person the small boy met as he rushed
along the road was the mild young
man. who listened to his incoherent
tale and fastened to the rescue. No
sooner, however, did he arrive within
sight of the tree than he promptly
paused, turned his back upon the OBJ
ject of his alteration, and in afaltering
voice explained to the small boy that
he thought his sister would not care to
have him help her, but would prefer
the assistance OF a vague servant girl,
in search of whom he professed him
self ready to start. The small boy.
having no sense of delicacy whatever,
called the good young man names, and
said he was afraid to climb a tree, but
failed to shake his resolution. So the
latter started on a run to find his by
pothetic servant girl, and, unlike Lots
wife, refused to look back, though the
indignant small boy sent a shower of
stones after him.
Meanwhile, the bold, bad young man
was approaching the scene of action,
!" cross-lots," at the top of his speed.
His iron nerves did not falter eve
when he reached the tree that tempo
rarily bore such marvellous fruit. Re-
questing the young lady to calm her
self and trust him to rescue her, be
armed her brother with a knife and
INSTRUCTED Hill W III llC t1CS Al
cut his sister loose. The small boy,
hailing with delight the opportunity to
cut something, did as he was bid. and
in a few moments. amid the noise of
rending garments, the young lady
dropped safely into the bold, bad
lovers extended arms. Half an hour
afterward eleven women, bearing five
step-ladders, approached the tree while
the good young man waited behind
the bushes to receive his rescued mis-
tress. 1t is needless to say he was dis
appointed, and his disappointment was
still greater when he was subsequently
told that she was to be married at an
early day to his bold and bad rival.
Thus we see. as Solomon might have
said, there is a time for ~step-ladders
and a time for decided action. and that
the bold young man gathers his bride
from a chestnut-tree. while the simple
minded man lees afar off and howls
for servant girls who are useless, and
for the step-ladder which satisieth
not