The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1882-05-30
A BASHFUL MAN.
The Great Sensation He Produced
in q Bridal Chamber.

Senator Sebastian, of Arkansas, was
a native of Hickman county, Tennes.
see. On one occasion a member of
congress was lamenting his bashtul.
ness. why" said the senator from
Rackensack, "you don't know what
bashfulness is. Let me tell you a
story. and when | get through | will
stand the bob if you don't agree that
you never knew anything about bash
fulness and its baneful effects. | was
the most bashful boy west of the AL
ieghenies. | wouldn't look at girl,
much less speak to a maiden but for
ali that fell desperately in love with
sweet. beautiful neighbor girl. 1t
was desirable match on both sides.
and the old folks saw the drift and
fixed it up. thought | should die
Just thinking of it. Twas a gawky,
awkward country lout about - years
old. She was an intelligent, refined
and fairly we'll educated girl in the
country and at time when the girls
had superior advantages, and were
therefore superior in culture to the
boys. l fixed the day as far as |
could have is put of. | lay awake in
a cold perspiration As the time drew
near, and shivered with agony as l
thought Of the terrible ordeal.
The dreadful day came. l went
through with the programme somehow
in dazed, confused, mechanical sort
of way, like an automatom BOBBY,
through supper where l could eat
nothing. and through such games as
"possum pie" "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 cur
tain of Isis lay the terrible unknown.
My blood grew cold and boiled by
turns. l was i'm fever and then an
ague, pale and flushed by turns. 1
felt like fleeing to the woods, spending
the night in barn, leaving for the
west never to return. l was deeply
devoted to Sallie. / loved her harder
than a mule can kick; but that dread
ful ordeal-I could not, l dared not
stand it. Finally the last guest was
gone, the bride retired, the family
gone to bed, and was left alone-hor-
ror of horrors, alone with the old man.
"John, said he, "yOu can take that
candle you will find your room just
over this. Coed night. John, and
may the Lord have mercy on your
soul, nd with mischievoHs twinkle
of his fine gray eyes the old man left
the room. l mentally said "Amen"
to hi. Heaven help you, and when l
heard him close distant door, stag
gered to my feet and seized the farth-
ing dip with nervous grasp. II
stood for some minutes contemplating
my terrible fate, and the inevitable
and speedy doom about to overwhelm
me. l knew that it could not be
avoided, and yet l hesitated to meet
my fate like a man. | stood so long
that three love letters had grown on
the wick of the tallow dip and wind
ing-sheet was decorating the side of
the brass candlestick.
A happy thought struck me. 1
hastily climbed the stair, marked the
position of the landing and the door
of the bridal chamber. l would have
died before I would have disrobed in
that holy chamber, where awaited me
a trembling and beautiful girl. blush
ing maiden, "clothed upon" with her
own beauty and modesty, and her
sno Wv robe de mutt. would make
the usual preparations without. blow
out the light, open the door and
friendly night would shield my shrink
ing modesty 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, and owing to scarcity of cloth
in those days man was somewhere
near the Adamic state, when he was
prepared to WOO sweet sleep. The
dreadful hour had come | was ready.
l blew out the light, grasped the door
knob with a deathly grip and ner-
vous clutch; one moment and it would
he over. One moment and it wasn't
over by Id sight. leaped
within, and there, around a glowing
hickory fire, with candles brightly
burning ON the. mantal and bureau,
was the blushing bride. surrounded
by the six lovely bridesmaids.