American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1877-11-10
Miss TOtten's Snake-An Oregon
Tale.


One August afternoon, when the sun
was about to take off his golden gar
ments and strew them along the west
ern horizon, preparatory to diving into
the Paciic-in short, just before sunset
Miss Totten and Mr.. Snow, a theo-
logical student whom she had promised
to marry, were walking sweetly through
a new-mown meadow, exchanging vows
of affection and discussing the compare
tive merits of different patterns of cook
stoves. All at once Miss Totten Shrek
ed loudly and began to dance in way |
that filled Mr. Shows mind with the |
conviction that she had suddenly gone
mad and with regret that he had not a
tract in his pocket on the sin of dancing.
Her conduct was, however, soon ex-
planned by her frenzied shrek, There's
snake! o. Take it off! Take it OFF,
an entreaty which instantly brought
cold perspiration out upon the expansive
brow of her theological lover.
Mr. Snow was well aware that the
neighborhood was not entirely free from
rattlesnakes, and he had often heard
| that in the construction of feminine gar
ments nature has placed opportunities
within the reach of lurking serpents,
of which rattlesnakes may occasion
ally be bold enough to avail them
selves. While he would, in a good
cause, have fearlessly faced the dead
lest snake in existence, the peculiar cir
cumStances of the case filled him with
horror. Either he must leave the OBJ
! iect of his affections in the folds of a
rattlesnake while he ran to summon fe-
| male aid, or he must endeavor to cap
ture the snake and drag it from its hid
ing-place. Appalling as the alternative
necessarily was to a conscientious the
| illogical student, he nerved himself to
beg Miss Totten to pause in her wild
dance and permit him to help her. But
to all his offers of assistance she cried,
$50 away" and in the same breath
added, without the slightest apparent
perception of her inconsistency, "Don't
stand there grinning, but do help me-"
1t need hardly be said that nothing was
further from Mr. Shows thoughts than
'grinning;" but he could not see his
way clear to help Miss Totten and at
the same time go away. From this
painful state of mind he was finally re-
lieved by the ingenuity of the young
lady herself, who implored him to get a
4 club and strike the invisible snake. no
matter how heavily the. blow might fall
upon her. t8f
The only available substitute for a
club was a fence-rail which lay near at
hand. This Mr.. Snow Instantly seized
and poised with both hands, while he
awaited further instructions. calm
here,'' cried the suffering but cool-head-
Z ed girl, pointing to the region of the
pocket, and Mr.. Snow, with a strength
born of his great excitement, swung the
fence-rail and hit the snake with the ac
curacy and efficiency of an accomplish
ed army mule.
The effect of the blow was startling.
Miss Totten was whirled before it, and
landed in a confused lump at some dis
lance from the striker. For a moment
he fancied that the snake was boa
constructor Ornamented with transverse
red and white stripes, but the sight of a
dead snake of the agile though harm
less species known as the black racer
convinced him of his error. Mr.. Shows
attention was speedily withdrawn from
the snake by feeble announcement on
the part of Miss Totten that he had
killed her. This was an exaggeration.
His mighty blow had broken her leg
and otherwise impaired her efficiency !;
but she was still alive, and is to appear
at an early day in court to accuse Mr..
Snow of assault and battery, and to ex-
act from him such damages as an intel
ligent jury may assess.
While the practice of knocking down
young ladies with fence-rails can not be
indiscriminately advocated, it must be
conceded that Mr. Snow is entitled to
sympathy. His situation was one of
exceptional difficulty. And before the
jurymen decide to give a verdict
against him, they should ask themselves
whether, had they been in his place,
they would have acquitted themselves
with as much delicacy and considera-
ton for Miss Totten's feelings as Mr..
Snow dispIayed.-N York Times.