Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1882-06-21
A Bashful Man.

Senator Scbaetlan, OF Arkansas WAS
naliFe of Hickman county, Tennessee
On one occasion member Of Congress
was lamenting hi, bashfulness and
awkwardness.- said tho Ssna-
tor from Rackensack, You don't know
what bashfulness is. Let me tell you a
story, aud when 1 get through L VIII
stand bob if you don't agree that you
never knew anything about bashfulness
and its painful effects. L was the most
bashful boy west Of the Alleghanles.
wouldn't look at a girl, much less
speak to a maiden but Tor all that
fell deeply in love with a sweet beautl-
iul neighbor girl. 1t was desirable
match Oh both sides, and the old folks
saw The drift and fixed it up. l thought
1 should die just thinking it, was
q gawky, awkward country lout, about
l6 years old. Size was an intelligent
refined, and fairly well educated girl IN
country aud al time when the girls
had superior culture to the boys. l ix-
ed the day q, far as could have 1t put
off. lay awake in cold PRECIPITATION
as the time drew near, aud shlyered
with agony as thought OF the terrible
ordeal.
The dreadful day came. l went
through with the programme somehow
ia a dazed, confused, mechanical sort
OF way, like an automalon boooy
through supper where | could eat
nothing. and through such games as
'possum ple," SISTER Phoebe aud
all that sort Of things. The guests one
by one departed, and my hair Eegah 10
stand on end. Beyond the awful cur
tain of ISIS lay the terrible unknown.
Ny blood grew cold and boiled by turns
I was 10 a fever and then an ague, pale
and flushed by turns. felt Ike fieelng
to The woods, spending the night in the
barn, leaving for the West never to re-
turn. loved her harder than a mule
could kick; but that dreadful ordeal, L
could not, dared not standiL.
Finally the last guest was gone the
bride r, tired, the family gone TO bed,
and was Lett alone; horror Of horrors,
alone with tie old man. John said
he, you can take that candle; you will
end your room just over this. Good
night, John. and may the Lord have
mercy on your soul, and with mis-
chieyous twinkle OF his Ine gray eye
the old man left the room. l mentally
sad. Amen to lis Heaven help YOU,
and. when | heard him close distant
door, staggered 10 my feet AMI seized
tue farthing dip with nervous grasp.
| stood for some minutes contemplate
ing my terrible fate, and the inevitable
and speedy doom about to overwhelm
me: | knew il could not be avoided,
and yet l hesitaled to meet Iny fate
like a man. l stood 80 long that three
love letters had grown Oh the wick OF
the tallow dip aud winding sheet was
decorating the side OF the brass candle
stick.
A happy thought struck me. l hasti.
ly climbed the stair, marked the posi-
ton of the landing and the door Of the
bridal chamber. l wodld haYe died
before l would have disrobed in that
holy chamber, where awaited me a
trembling and beautiful girl, a blushlng
maiden clothed upon with her own
bcsuty and her snowy robe dc mutt. l
would make the usual preparations
without, blow out the light, open the
door aud friendly uight would shield my
shrinking modesty and bashfulness and
grateful darkness at last mitigate the
horror Of the situation. 1t was soon
done. Preparations for retiring were
few aud simple in their character il
Hickman, altogether consisting OF dis
robins, aud owing 10 scarcity OF cloth
in those days man was somewhere near
the Adamic state when he was prepat'
ed to WOO sweet sleep. The dreadful
hour had como was ready. | blew
out the light, gra.ped the door knob
with deathly grip and a nervous
clutch one moment and it would bs
over. One moment aud it wasn't oYe
by In sight. [ lesped within, and
there around glowing hickory fire
with candles brightly burning Oh tn
mantle and bureau, was the blushln
bride, surrounded by the six lo,el
bridesma ids.