Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-04-27
Anmuruas Reparttnent.
PATERNAL PRESCIENCE.

Erasmus L. fuggleSOn, young Hldn Oh Sax
on lineage, worked on a farm out in Yellow
Springs township. He was not rich, but was
industrious and just too pretty for anything.
So was the daughter of the farmer for whom
he worked. She was weather. than Erasmus,
hut she was not proud. When the chores were
done in the winter evenings, she went with
him to the singing school, and she walked by
his side to church. She loved him she had
rather sit at her easement in the cleaning and
hear him holler ''poo-oo-ey '" in long-drawn
mellow cadences, at the hour of the feeding of
the swine, than hear Campanini sing "Maca-
roni del Vermicelli'' from ''Handorgzhanni in
Venezuela And he-he was clean gone on
her. Mashed past all surgery. When they
foolishly let the old man into their plans for
each others happiness and half the farm, the
wrathful agriculturist said, if he heard one
more word of such nonsense, just another
word, he would lay that farm waste with phys
cal havoc, and blight it's winter wheat with
the salt tears of his only child, and that was
the kind of father-in-law he was inclined to be.
Naturally the young people determined to
(ly Their plans were laid the night was set.
So was the ladder. At it's foot waited the ar
dent Erasmus Ruggleson, gazing at the win
dow for the appearance Of his love- Present.
" the window opened softly, and the face ne
loved appeared.
''Rasmus!'' ''Florence!''
''Yes, dearest. Shall drop my things right
down?''
Yes, love; will catch them. Let the
bundle fall.''
The glittering starlight of the clear March
night fell on Erasmus glad and upturned face.
So did trunk, four feet high, four feet wide,
and about eight feet long. 1t weighed about
200 pounds. 1t contained a few things that
no woman could be expected to travel without,
and Florence spent three weeks packing that
trunk for her elopement.
Erasmus Ruggleson did not scream. He did
not moan. He couldn't. He had no show.
Florence came down the ladder, having first
with maidenly sense of propriety, requested
her lover to turn his back and look at the barn.
He may have heard her, but he didn't look at
the barn. He was busily engaged in looking
at the bottom of that trunk, and thinking how
like all creation he would yell if he ever got
his mouth out of doors again.
Florence reached the foot OF the ladder
Ibid you get my trunk, Erasmus p she said
looking around for him.
"Oh, yes" said hOarSe, mOcking voice al
her elbow. 'Oh ! yes, he got it. Got it bad
too"
She turned, knew her papa, shrieked once
twice, again, and once more for the boys, and
tainted away.
II never worried about it a minute" {" the
heartleSS Old man told his nelghDOrS Cne neXl
day, ''though knowed well enough what was
going on all the time. I've been married twice
and I've married off four daughters and two
sons, and if don't know what baggage wo
man carries when she travels, by this time, I'm
too old to learn.''
And, Erasmus Ruggelson The jury of in
quest brought in a verdict that he came to his
death by habitual drunkenness, and the tenn
perance papers didn't talk about anything else
for the next six weeks.