Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1880-10-09

that Johnsohs folks bcgan to smell a
rat, and used 10 have fire in the best
room when the evenings We're chilly.
Wall, the matter of four months
slipped away, and Ben thought he'd
staid with Hitty long enough to pop the
question. He consulted his father
about it and TIE old gent thought lie
might as well ask her and be doue
with it.
SO one Sunday night Ben fixed up in
his best rig and went over to Johnson's.
II was a little rainy that evening ana the
dampness went right into Bcn's hip,
hut he thought of Hit.y and didn't
mind it.
Hitty met him at the door and pearcd
powerful glad to see HIM. Ben got a
little bolder when he seen how smiling
she looked, and he iist slapped one arm
around her neck and rumpled up her
muslin collar so it looked like a dish
cloth, and give her a little mite OF q
smack. She blushed and told him to
90 way with his nonsense and tel her
the news.
Ben was determined to tell the hull
story OF his lection as scon as posibble.
So. soon arter she'd invited HIM into
the fore room and got him comfortable
in the corner, he took cut his watch and
scd that it was jist o'clock.
"Afore s. sez he to himself, "Ill hev
it all decided
"Hitty, sezhe, putting back the watch
into his pocket, edo youlove spruce gum?'
"Wall, yes, acz she, pretty well only
its apt to make my teeth ache. Ben put
his hand in his pocket, and pulled ont
something wrapped up in blue paper.
Here, Hitty, is awhopping lig piece.
sez he, land when you git it all chawed
up. let me know and I'll bring You some
more-our woods is full of it. "Thank
you, Ben," seq Hitty, opening thcpaPer,
and biting of piece "it is first rate,
amt it?"
eyes" sez Ben, gapin; II think SO,
and then there was alongsilence. "Hitty,"
scz Ben, all of a sudden, rolling his eyes
up TO the plasterin. "Wal]. Ben" sez
she, looking up to see if Ben had discov-
cred any cobwebs.
4 "E;tty, Hove you better'n n all the airth;
( better than skating, better that our
/ fortv-acre timber lot! o. ugh-blast
it-ugh Tarnation take it It's enough
TO make Belezebub cry for massy!" And
Ben went dancing round the room, like
a wild critter.
/ Hittv stood still in the middle of the
room, with her blue eyes starin eanamost
out of her head Ye see she despised
any one who swore, and wouldn't have
kept company with swearin man for
, the world. And Ben would swear at
times iist TO git the wind off OF his
stomach. he said. You see how 1t was.
Jist as he'd got in the middle of his lnv
story, terrible pain seized him In his
hip, and he stopped his luv telling, and
went to swearing. Hitty wouldn't hear
any of his explanations, Int told h'm he
needn't cum to visit her any more. and
she give him back the spruce gum,
paper and all.
Ben tried hard to make her under
stand that il was his rheumatic that
swore, not him but she only pinted tC
the door, and told him make himself
skerce.
Poor Ben offord her his watch if she d
let him stay, hut she profused him de-
cidedly, and he took up his hat and went
of a cussing and raving like ell natur.
Uncle Ben's an old bachelor to THU
day, all, as he sez, on account OF hi
rheumatic. He has to go with cane
now, and wear a mustard-seed poultic'
OH his back every dull, rainy spell, an'
it mixes up in all his worldly affairs.
Once he sot ont to jine the..church. ant
live different life, and got all ready t.
he bap.ised, and the minister had go
his coat off and was in the river wadint
round to find the best place to dip hin
in. and the people was all gathere'
alongside of the river singing
, that fine old hymn, "Dow1
in Old Joydan's Cooling Flood !
The minister found the right spot, stucl
up his cane there to mark the spot, ant
, come out and took Ben by the hand ant
began to wade in, and had got abou
half way the distance to the cane, whel
, poor Ben's hip began aching as thoug
needles was flying through it. And b
, fell to dancing and swearing like rive
r pirate. The minister was terribl
I shocked. and waded out of the water
speedily as possible. put on his coat, an
3 slid of home, muttering "Oh, what dc
pravi.y! what is the world coming to?
1 Ben got out of the water the best va