Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-11-18


ave danced and played plays and whel
Alex was judged to kiss any of the girls, h
just touched them lightly on the cheek, bu
me he kissed on my lips. 1 felt as though
somethingwas going to happen, when he ask
ed me to come back to the keeping-roon
while the rest were eating in the kitchen. 1
was just as we were going out. | said to him
"'But suppose want my supper, too
40, but mean, said he, after they beglr
to name apple seeds, and to hustle about.
will slip into this room, and then you vii
come won't you, Rue? I want to tell you
something"
"Rue' sounded so pretty as he spokeit.
said, Perhaps 1 will
"When I got in where the rest were, all al
once grew bashful. Every one seemed to
be looking at me, though Of course they
wasn't. 1 couldn't 60 into the keeping-room
where Alex went and looked at me to come
not that any one would have noticed any
thing strange, for they were all laughing at
Sam Bowles. Sam had thrown his apple
pairing over his shoulder, and it made an S
on the floor He was sparkling Amandy
Smith, and they told him it stood for Smith,
but Mandy giggled and said it ought to have
been if it meant her.
swell, might have gone, but was afraid
and then funny idea came into my head,
so said to Adaline Smith, she sot by the
side of me and saw Alex when he went out,
Somebody wants to see somebody. l saw
him beckon this way
"You don't suppose he wants me-? said
she, all in futter.
"'Who should he want if not YOU ? | said.
knew he had paid her some attention, and
she was vain enough to think he liked her.
thought I would pay them both off together
"She got up and went into the keeping room.
I heard something, or pretended | did.
What's that? said I, and we all rushed into
the room.
"There was no light in the room, but car
ried one in. Alex had his arm around her
waist. Dear me! how he jumped when he
saw US. 1 suppose he really thought it was
me we were lust of size. Adaline didn t
seem to care. l looked as innocent as | could,
but Alex was mad. His face was so white,
and his eyes shone so it almost frightened me
and from that time he never spoke to me; SO
you can see why wondered and cared so
much about his coming to our quilting.
ut has taken me good while to tell about
Alex longer, good deal, than it did to make
my toilet, as you say now. Just as | was
going down, heard old Mrs. Smiths voice
in the yard. looked out of the window and
laughed till 1 cried, almost, to see them, she
and Mandy. They were on horseback, but
Mandy got off first she rode behind-and
then the horse started. They hollered whoa !!
and he stopped, but as soon as Mrs. Smith
tried to get off he started again. whoa !!
said Mandy, Whoa! said Mrs. Smith. He
stopped and started again, almost throwing
Mrs. Smith down.
"Just then l saw 'Rastus round the corner
of the shed, with some. oats in box that he
kept shaking to the old horse. l went down
stairs, but 'Rastus was out Of the way before
| got there, and Mandy and Mrs. Smith came
in telling how skittish their horse was getting.
Yes, my dear, every one rode on horseback
then. I've heard mother say the first time
she went to Connecticut, she and father, after
they we're married, they went on horseback,
and rode .seventy.6ve miles day. The next
time she carried three children, and rode in
sort of wagon, without any springs. That
was hard, she said. We hardly ever saw a
wagon in those days. A top buggy, like that
you ride out in with that young man from
Portland, would have made as much sport
then, as young man with his girl mounted
up behind him would now.
"It was barely one o'clock when we got to
quilting There was sixteen quilters, four to
side, and mother and the Squires wife to
do the marking. Mother took string and a
piece of chalk, and rubbed the string across
it, she laid it cate corner with the square, and
Mrs. Doolittle took hold of it with her thumb
and finger and snapped 1t. That made q
straight mark to go by.
"After we begun to roll the sides, we took
turns quilting, and at five o'clock exactly
the quilt was done.
ibid we talk about our neighbors' Oh
course we did. Human nature was the same
then at quilting that it is at a sewing circle
now. I have always noticed that woman
with needle in her hand is sharper and
more apt to point out her neighbors' failings
than at any other time. I am sure 1 don't
know why Silas Deans wife, she that was
Sally Wilkins, told all about her husband 5
uncle's haunted house. how the doors wouldn't
stay shut, but flew open right in the dead o.
night, and how it was said it was his frs
wife's ghost, for she had been heard to say
many time, that if Eph married again she'd
haunt him. Sally said she was an awfu
scold when she was alive. Then Almiry
Bean said that Miss Peabody had got a new
silk gown, that would fairly stand alone il
was so rich, and Mandy Smith said it woulG
take morn one silk gown to make beauty O.
her, with her turned up nose and red hair
Then the girls joked each other about thei
sparks, and some one asked where Adalint