Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1882-06-18
A A
The Great Sensation He Produced
In N BRIDAL m

III a. pEHethh
Senator Sebastian of Arkansas was a
native of Hickman county, Tennessee. On
one occasion a member Of Congress wa
l%amenting his bashfulness and awkward
ness. s'Why," said the Senator from
Rackensack, "you don't know what bash
fulness is. Let me tell you a story, and
when l get through l will stand the
bob if you don't agree that you never
knew anything about bashfulness and its
baneful effects. I was the most bashful
boy west of the Alleghanies. 1 wouldn't
look at a girl, much less speak to a maiden;
but for all that I fell desperately in love
with q sweet, beautiful neighbor girl. 1t
was a desirable match On both sides, and
the old folks saw the drift and fixed it up.
I thought 1 should die just thinking of it.
l was q gawky, awkward, country lout
about 10 years old. She was an intelligent,
refined and fairly we'll educated girl, in a
country and at a time when the girls had
superior advantages, and were, therefore,
superior in culture to the boys. 1 fixed
the day as far as 1 could put it off. l
lay awake in a cold perspiration as the
| time drew near, and shivered in agony
as l thought of the terrible ordeal.
"The dreadful day came. I went through
with the programme somehow in a dazed,
confused, mechanical sort of a way, like
an automaton BOBBY through a supper
where 1 could eat nothing, and through
such games as 'possum pie,' Sister Phebe'
and all that sort of thing. The guests one
by enc departed, and my hair began to
stand on end. Beyond the awful curtain,
or Isis, lay the terrible unknown. My
blood grew cold and boiled by turns. I
was in a fever, and then in an ague. pale
and AuchaJ hu frrno fo1t 1ika HaoinO
into the woods, spending the night in the
barn, leaving for the West never to return.
1 was deeply devoted to Sallie. 1 loved
her harder than a mule can kick; but that
dreadful ordeal-I could not, I dared not
stand it. Finally the last guest was gone,
the bride retired, the family had gone to
bed, and I was left alone-horror of hor-
rors, alone with the old man. john
said he, you can take that candle; you will
find your room over this. Good night,
John; and may the Lord have mercy on
your SOUL and with a mischievous twinkle
of his fine gray eye the old man left the
room. I 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. l stood for some moments contem-
plating my terrible fate, and the %inevita-
BILE and speedy doom about to overwhelm
me. 1 knew that it could not be avoided,
and yet l hesitated to meet my fate like a
man. I stood so long that three love-
letters had grown on the wick of the tai
low dip aud a winding sheet was decorat-
ing the side of the brass candlestick.
ga happy thought struck me. hastily
climbed the stair, marked the position Of
the landing and the door of the bridal
chamber. I would have died before I
would have disrobed in that holy chamber,
where awaited me a beautiful and trem-
bling girl, a blushing maiden clothed
with her own beauty and modesty, and
her snowy robe de unit. I would make the
usual preparations without, blow out the
light, open the door, and friendly night
would shield my shrinking modesty and
b~ashfulness, 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 diSrob-
ing, and owing to the 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
and I was ready. 1 blew out the light,
grasped the door-knob with a deadly grip
and nervous clutch; one moment and all
would be over. One moment and all wasn't
over by a hanged sight. I leaped within,
and there around a glowing hickory fire,
with candles brightly burning on the man
tie and bureau, was the blushing bride
surrounded by six lovely bridesmaids"