Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1882-06-10
SATURDAY., JUNE 10, 1882.


-" 80 VeD -
native of Hickman county, Tennessee.
On one occasion q member Of congress
was lamenting his bashfulness and awk-
wardness. "Why," said the senator
from Hackensack, you don't know what
bashfulness is. Let me tell you a story.
and when | get through l will stand the
bob if you don't agree that you never
knew anything about bashfulness and
its baneful effects. / was the most bash
full boy west Of the Alleghanies. 1
wouldn't look at u girl, much less speak
to a maiden but for all that l fell des-
perately in love with u sweet, beautiful
neighbor girl. 1t was u desirable match
on both sides, and the old folks saw the
drift. and fixed it up. / thought |
should die just thinking Of it. i was u
gawky, awkward country lout about 10
years old. She was an intelligent, re-
fined and fairly well educated girl, in a
country and at u time when the girls
had superior advantages, and were,
therefore, superior in culture to the
boys. / fixed the day as far as / could
have it put off. / lay awake in a cold
peispiraiion as the time drew near, and
shivered with agony as ! thought of the
terrible ordeal.
The dreadful day came. l went
through the programme somehow, in a
dayea, confused, mechanical! scr. Of .
way, like an automaton BOBBY, through
a supper where I could eat nothing, and
through such games as ''possum pie
sister Phoebe and all that sort Of thing.
The guests II by one departed and nv
hair began to stand on end. Beyond the
awful curtain Of Isis lay the terrible un-
known. My blood grew cold, and boil
ed by turns. / was in a fever and an
ague, pale and flushed by turns. / felt
Ike fleeing &c The %ccas, spending the
night in the barn, leaving for the west,
never to return. l was deeply devoted
to Sallie. ] loved her harder than d
mule can kick but that dreadful ordeal
Il could not, / dared not stand it. Fin
ally the last guest was gone, the bride
retired, the family gone to bed, and |
was left Glone-horror of horrors, alone
with the old man. John" said he,
"you can take that candle; you will find
your o just over this. Good night,
John, and may the Lord have mercy on
your soul" and with q mischieyeous
twinkle of his fine gray eye, the old man
eft the room. l mentally said amen
to his Heaven help YOU" and when l
heard him close q distant door, / stagger-
ed TO my feet and sized the farthing dip
with a nervous grip. l stood for some
minutes contemplating my terrible fate
and the inevitable and speedy doom
about to overhelm me. | knew that it
cnnld not he avoided, but yet ! hesitated
to meet my fate like a man. l stood SO
long thatthree love letters had grown
on the wick of the tallow dip and a
winding-sheet was decorating the side
Of the brass candlestick.
A happy thought struck me. / hastily
sHS Seaiios liz hCu tIt0 DOSltiOU
of the landing and the door ofthe bridal
chamber. ] would have died before /
would have disrobed in that holy cham
Der. where awaited me a trembling and
beautiful girl, a blushing maiden, "cloth-
cd upon" with her own beauty and
modesty, and her snowy robe de mutt. /
would make the usual preparations
without, blow out the light, p the
door and friendly night would shield
my shrinking mndesty and bashfulness
and grateful darkness at least mitigate
the horror of the situation. 1t was soon
done. Preparations for retiring were
few and simple in their character in
Hickman, altogether consisting Of dis
robing, an owing to scarcity of cloth in
those days man was somewhere near
the Adanic state when he was prepared
TO WOO sweet sleep. The dreadful hour
had come; l was ready. l blew out the
light. erasped the door,knob with a
deadly grip and q nervous clutch one
moment and II would be over. One
moment and 1t wasn't over, by q d-n
sight. leapcd within, and there around