Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-06-23
Why I Didn't Marry.

You see | was nineteen years old before
thought of such thing as marrying. /
was too bashful by half | never used to
kiss a girl at huskings or quilting frolics
without feeling as if some one was pouring
hot water down my back; and once, when
neighbor's daughter stayed at our house
ill nine in the evening q believe she did it
on purpose, too,) and my father insisted
that should 90 home with her, l went out
into the barn and cried an hour before l
could make up my mind to 60 in and ask
her the awful question.
The girls used TO laugh at me some; but
after all they seemed very willing to help
me along; and so, when my nineteenth
birthday came, looked at myself in the
glass, and says |:
Josiah, it S no use; you're darned good
looking, and you might have any girl you
wanted. You ought 10 go accounting.
Suppose you begin tonight ~
From that moment the idea got into my
head and there it stayed.
dressed up and went to church, just as
| always did, but / couldn't attend to the
uneasy, and father watched me out of the
corner of his eye, though he never said a
word. He knew plaguy well what l was
thinking of, for he'd been there himself
Deacon Billings pew was right In front
of ours, and he had just the prettiest girl
for daughter that ever wore bonnet. l
watched her awhile that day, and con-
cluded liked the way she managed things
pretty well. So, after supper, thinks l.:
''Ill go over to the old deacon's and see
how they're getting along"
Father saw me sprucing up, but he
didn't say anything, only gave me Won
derful cunning look.
When L got to the deacon's, they were
all out in the kitchen but Rachel, and she
was in the square room; and so after had
talked a spell with the old lady, she asked
me in there and left us all alone. Ma'am
Billings knew what was what, | can tell
you
Rachel she was sitting up by the window,
singing sold Hundred" She didt look
very good-natuIed; hut when | came in
she Enlightened up wonderfully, and began
TO talk about the sermon, ana the minister,
and everything else that You can think Of
My gracious, How a wOman's tongue
can 20 when it gets started If Rachel S
didn't ache that night shall lose my guess.
The old deacon brought US in some ap-
Piles and butternuts, and a pitcher of cider,
and then told Rachel to cover up the fire
when she went to bed
The old man always was sleepy headed
kind of thing, and in about ten minntes
afterwards heard him snoring away as if
he was on wager.
Rachels two little brothers went upstairs
to bed, and one of them yelled out, right
by the square loom door:
Josh jenkins is ACQUIRING our Rache .
Josh Jenkins is acquiring our Rache,"
His mother came along and boxed his
tdTS, anu lAlc thAlS pANeN- fNANN'
/ looked at Rachel. Her face was as
red as a mahogany table, and her mouth
kept quirking, as if she wanted to laugh
and daren-t. | swow, she looked pretty
enough to eat
We'd got pretty sociable by this time,
and so hitched my chair up alongside OF
hers. She didn't say anything, bnt looked
down on the floor and began TO play with
a string of gold beads she wore on her
neck.
..Let me tie them," says l, slipping my
arm over her shoulder.
.eThey amt united, and you mustn't hug
me-" says she.
''Oh, pshaw," says l, getting little
nearer: ''that isn't anything. You see 1
can't talk to you without rest my arm on
something"
She laughed as if she would die
you're a queer fellow, says she; but
if you will put your arm there, L can't heip
it only you mustn't hug me, nor kiss me.
| hadn't been locking ahead quite so far
as that; but seeing she spoke about IL,
thought might as well try it. SO got
up little closer still, and just as she looked
up to speak | kissed her.
She lodged away after it was all over
and boxed my ears; but she didn't strike
very hard, and after little while L tried II
again.
That time she took it pretty quietly, ana
after that l didn't stop to count the Kisses,
l was making up for lost time, and WORKED
pretty steady, l can tell YOU I've mao
some pretty good times since then' oa'
none of them ever came up to that evening
with Rachel Billings. 1t makes my near
beat to think of 1t even now.
Rachel got up at last and leaned over
my chair to get an apple. Somehow Oh
other her foot slipped and she came very
near falling over. / caught her In my