Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1882-06-08
A BAsHFuL BRIDEGROOM.
The Terrors Of the Bridal Chamber
The Unique Sensation his Appear
anee there Produced.


anee there Produced.
Senator Sebastian, OF Arkansas. was .
native of Hickman county, Tennessee.
On one occasion member OF Congress
was Iamentiug his bashfulness and awk-
wardness. why" said the Senator
from Rackensack, ..you don't know what
bashfuIness is. Let me tell you a story.
and when | get through will stand the
hob il you don't agree that you never
knew anything about bashfulness and
its baneful effects. ] was most bsah-
fulness and its baneful effects. | was
full boy west of the Alleghnies.
wouldn't look ut girl. much less
speak to maiden; but for all that
fell desperately in love with sweet,
beautiful neighbor girl. 1t was desira-
BILE match on both sides, and the old
folks saw the drift and fixed it up.
thought should die just thinking OF it.
/ was q gawky. awkward country lout,
about nineteen years old. She was en-
fairly well educated girl IN country and
at time when the girls had superior adj
vantages, and were therefore superior in
culture to the boys fixed the day as
far as l could have it put off. lay
awake in a cold perspiration as the time
drew near, and shivered with agony as
thought OF the terrible ordeal.
"The dreadful day come. went
through with the programme somehow in
dazed, confused, mechanical sort of
way, like an automaton BOBBY, through
supper where could eat nothing, and
through such games as "possum pie. )"
s'Sister Phoebe" and all that sort OF
thing. The guests one by one departed,
and my hair began to stand on end.
Beyond the awful curtain of Isis lay the
terrible unknown. MY blood grew cold
and boiled by turns, l was in fever and
then an ague, pale and flushed by turns.
| I felt like fleeing to the woods, spending
the night in the barn, leaving for the
West never to return. I was deeply de-
voted to SaIlie, I loved her harder than a
mule can kick; but that dreadful ordeal,
| I could not, dare not stand it. Fina liy
the last guest was gone, the bride retired,
the family gone TO bed, and l was left
alone: horror of horrors, alone with the
! old man. "Johu, said be, 'syou can take
that candle; you will find your room just
over this. Good night, John, and may
the Lord have mercy on your soul, : and
j with mischievous twinkle of his fine
gray eye the old man left the room.
mentally said tAmen' to his Heaven
help you" and, when I heard him close
distant door, staggered to my feet and
seized the farthing dip with nervous
grasp. I stood for some minutes con
templating my terrible fate, and the inev
. table and speedy doom about to over
. whelm me. l knew it could not b'
avoided. and yet hesitated to meet my
i fate like man. / stood SO long tina
three love-letters had grown on the vicl
of the taIlow dip and a winding shee
was decorating the side of the brass can
: dlestick.
IA happy thought struck..me. I hastil.
!, clinsed the stairs, marked the position o
the landing and the door Of the brida
! lchamber. I would have died before
J would have disrobed in that holy cham
1 her. where awaited me trembling an
/ beautiful girl, blushing maiden 'clothe
: upon with her own beauty and modesty
and her snowy robe de mutt. i woul
= make the usual preparations withou
r blow out the light, open the door, an
: friendly night would shield my shrinkin
h modesty and bashfulness and grateft
! darkness at least mitigate the horror {
a the situation. It was soon done. PERI
i arations fora retiring were few and sim
pie in their character in Hickman, altt
. eether consisted of disrohing and owin
4 to scarcity of cloth in these days, ma
!. was somewhere near the Adamic stat
II when he was prepared to WOO swe'
I, sleep. The dreadful hour had come;
! was ready. I blew out the light, graspe
! the door.knob with deathly grip and
+ nervous clutch; one moment and it wou
3 be over. One moment--and it WASH
: over, by id sight. I leap within, ar
a there, in front of a glowing hickory fir
a with candles brightly burning on 81
q mantle and bureau, was the blushir
a bride, surrounded by the six love
q bridesmaids.