The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-06-18
WOULDN'T LOOK AT A
GIRL.
A Bashful Mans Experience, Re-
lated by Himself.

Senator Sebastian, of Arkansas,
says the Louisville Commercial, wa
native of Hickman County, Ten
neSsee. On one occasion a member
OF Congress was lamenting his BASH
fulness and aWkwardness. why"
said the senator from RackenSack,
you don't know what bashfulness
is. Let me tell you story, and
when I get through 1 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
Alleghanies. l wouldn't look at a
girl, much less speak to a maiden:
but for all that, I fell desperately in
! love with a sweet, beautiful neigh
/ Dor girl. It was a desirable match
on both sides, and the old folks
saw the drift and fixed it up. l
thought l should die just thinking
OF it. l was a gawky, awkward
country lout, about 10 years old.
She was an intelligent, refined, and
fairly educated girl, in country
and at time when the girls had
superior advantages and were there
fore superior in culture to the boys.
[ fixed the day as far as 1 could put
it off. I lay awake in a cold perspi-
ration as the time drew near, and
shivered with agony as 1 thought of
the terrible ordeal.
The dreadful day came. / went
through with the programme some
how in dazed, confused, mechani-
cal sort of way, like an automatOn
BOBBY through supper where [
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 curtain Of Isis lay the ter
rible unknown. My blood grew cold
and boiled by turns. l was in q
fever and then an ague, pale and
flushed by turns. l felt like fleeing
to the woods, spending the night in
the barn, leaving for the west never
to return. [ was deeply devoted to
Sallie, l loved her harder than
mule can kick; but that dreadful or
deal I could not, dared not stand
it. Finally the last guest was gone,
the bride retired, the family gone to
bed, and 1 was left alone; horror Of
horrors, alone with the old man.
john said he, you can take that
candle; you will find your room just
ever this. Good night, John, and may
the Lord have mercy on your soul,
and with a mischeivous twinkle OF
his fine gray eye the old man left
the room. | mentally said Amen"
to his Heaven help you, and when
| heard him close a distant door,
staggered to my feet and seized the
farthIng dip with a nervous grasp.
I stood for some minutes contem-
plating my terrible fate, and the in
evitable and speedy doom about to
overWhelm me. l knew 1t could
not be avoided. aid yet l hesitated
to meet my fate like man. stood
so long that three 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. I
hastily climbed the stair, marked
the position of the landing and the
door of the bridal chamber. l would
have died before l would have dis
.rebed in that holy chamber, where
awaited me trembling and beauti-
full girl, a blushing maiden clothed
upon with her own beauty and
modesty, and her snowy robe de
mutt. would make the usual pre-
parations without, blow out the
light, open the door, and friendly
night would shield my shrinking
mOdesty and bashfulnesS, and CRATE
full darkness at least mitigate
the horror of the situation.
It was soon done. Preparations
for retiring were few and simple in
their character in Hickman, altOge-
Their consisting of disrobing, and,
owing to a scarcity of cloth in those
days, man was somewhere near the
Adamic state when he was pre-
pared to WOO sweet sleep. The
dreadful hour had come. l was
ready. I blew out the light, grasped
the door-kneb with a deatAly grip
and nervous clutch; one moment
and it would be over. One moment
ana it wasn't over by d-n sight.
I leaped within, and there around a
glowing hickory fire, with candles
brightly burning on the mantel and
bureau, was the blushing bride, sur