Daily globe., 1880-06-03
BROUGHT TO TIME.
HOsc an Io,UG Father Facilitates Business

HOec an IoVa Father Facilitates Business
ISt. Louis Republican.
There is no foolishness about some of the
fathers of Dubuque county, Iowa, who have
marriageable daughters, and they know how
to precipitate business when the fruit is ripe
for plucking and hangs, wasting its sweetness
when it should be plucked. Matters were
brought to climax with rush at certain
farmers residence in Vernon township, re-
Gently. young tiller of the soil had fol
months been paying most assiduous atten-
tions to one of his daughters, but he was
such bashful, modest chap, never having
been in the company of girls, except this
one, that he had never been able to raise
his courage sufficiently high to pop the
question.
He had gone to the house at which the
lady lived at least on twenty different occa-
sions, resolved to know his fate, but when
ushered into the presence of the fair one, in
whose keeping he had placed his heart, his
courage would invariably ego back on him."
and he would return to his lonely room in
greater suspense than before. Upon the
evening in question he had determined that,
come what would, he would tell his Mary
that he loved her. He would once for Fall
decide the matter, but, as upon each former
occasion, he could not get the proposal fur
ther than his threat. There it stuck, and he
determined to gulp it down and give up the
siege, when the door opened and in walked
the girls father, who advanced to where they
were sitting, and thus addressed them:
81 came out to put stop to this foolish
ness. It amt countin' expenses Pm lookin'
at, for coal is cheap and wood can be had
for the haulin', but I'm sick and tired of
this sbillin' and cooin' like pair of sick
doves, keepin' me awake of nights, and it's
got to be stopped right here. Do you love
John Henry we'll enough to marry him?"
"Why, father, I-I-you must"
"Stop that foolishin'," yelled the old man.
"Answer yes or no, and quick, too. It's got
to be settled now or never"
"Well-but, father, don't you know-if
you'll only wait, and"
"Dry up; answer yes or no. Speak p
roared the old gent.
"Well, then, yes There, now," and Mary
again hid her face.
"That's business; that's the way to talk.
Now, John, look here--look up here, or I'll
shake you all to pieces. Do you want that
gal % mine for wife? Speak out like q
man now"
Why, Mr.. -, amt this rather al mean
can't you"
s'Speak it out, or out of this house you'll
go head foremost. won't waita minute
longer. There's the gal, and there amt a
ikelier gal in the State, an you just heard
her say that she wanted you. Now, John,
won't stand bit of foolin'. Once for all,
yes or no?'
"Well, yes, sir. l have been presumptu
GUS enough to hope that l."
"Oh, stop your soft talk; the thing is
settled now. You two fools would have
been six months more at the job that have
done in five minutes. I never saw such
foolin' as there is among young people now
days. Amt like when 1 was young--an'
now good night. You can talk the thing
over, an you an me, John, III go up to
town an get the license tomorrow. Soon
be time to get to plowin'; no time for love-
making then. Goodnight; goodnight; 1
hope [ wasn't too roHgh, but 1 was de-
termined to fix the thing one way or t'other,"
and the old man went back to bed.
Now that the ice was broken, the young
people laid all their plans for the future, and
John felt just little bad at the comfort he
had lost, when Mary looked up at him shyly,
and said:
''This would have been all right months
ago, John, if you hadn't been so skeery. 1
knowed all the time that you wanted to ask
me, but it wasn't my place to say anything,
Won know" faft