Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1883-12-19
MAJOR JONES'S COURTSHIP.
The Christmas Present that Was
TO be Kept for Lifetime.

Crlsmus ls over, and the thing is
done did You know told you was
gwine to bring Miss Mary up to the
chalk on Crismus. Well, | done it.,
slick as a whistle, though it come
mighty nigh bein serious bisness.
But I'll tell you all about the whole
circumstance.
Crismus Eve | put on my new suit,
and shaved my face as slick as a
smoothin iron, and after tea went over
to old Miss Stallinses. AS soon as
went into the parler whar they was all
settin round the fire, Miss Carline and
Miss Kesiah both laughed right out
There! tberel' ses they, Il told you
so, know'd it would be Joseph
Whats | done, Miss Carline?' ses /.
You come under little sisters chick
en- bone, aud l do believe she know'd
you was comm when she put it over
the dore
No / didn't didn't no such thing,
now,' ses Miss Mary, and her face
blushed red all over
'Oh, you needn't deny it, ses Miss
Kesiah, you belong to Joseph now,
jest as sure as ther's any charm in
chicken bones
| know'd that was first rate chance
to say something, but the dear little
creeter looked so sorry and KEEP blpshin
80, ! couldn't say nothin zactly to the
pint 80 / tuck a chair and reached up
and tuck down the bone and put it in
my pocket.
What are you gwine to do with that
old chicken bone now, Maier" ses Miss
Mary.
I'm gwine to keep it as long as /
live,' ses |, 'as Crismus present from
the handsomest gall in Georgia.
When | sed that, she blushed worse
and worse.
'Aint you shamed, Majer?' ses she.
Now you ought to give her Girls
mus gift, Joseph, to keep all her life,'
sed Miss Carline.
'Ah,' ses old Miss Stallins, when |
was gall we used to hang up our
stockins-'
why, mothern scs all of 'em, to say
StockiDS right Delore-~-
Then | felt a little streaked too, cause
they was all blushin as hard az they
could.
Highty-tity' ses the old lady
what monstrous 'linement to be shore
I'd like to know what harm there is in
stockins. People nowadays is gittin
so mealy. mouthed they can't call nothin
by it's right name, and | don't see as
they's any better than the old time peo-
pie was When was gall like you,
child, | use to hang up my stockins and
git 'em full of presents
The gals KEEP laughin and blushin.
Never mind ses Miss Mary,
Majors got to give me Crismus gift
wont you, Majer p
oh, yes ses /, you know Ipromis-
ed you one
But / didn't mean that scs she.
1've got one for you, what ! want
you to keep all your life, but it would
take two-bushel bag to hold it, ses |.
'Oh, that's the kind. ses she.
But will you promise to keep it as
long az yoa liveH scs |.
Certainly | will Majer.
"Monstrous 'fnement w-a-days-
old people don't hnow nothin about
perliteness,' said old Miss Stallins, jest
gwine to sleep with her nittin in her
lap.
Now you hear that, Miss Carlne,
ses l. She ses she'll keep it all her
life
Yes, l will" ses Miss Mory-'but
what Is it"
Never mind sea |, 'yon hang up q
bag big enough to hold it and you'll
find out what it is, when you see it in
the mornin.'
Miss Carline winked at Miss Kesiah
and then whispered to her-then they
both laughed and looked at me as mis-
chievous as they could They 'spicion
ed something.
You'll be shore to give it to me
now, if | hang up bag scs Miss
Mary.
And promise to keep it, ses /.
We'll, / will, cause / know that you
wouldn't give me nothin that wasn't
worth keepin.
They all agreed they would hang VI
bag for me to put Miss Mary's Girls
mus present in, on the back porch, and
about ten o'clock | told 'em good
evenin and went home.
sot up till midnight, and when
they Was all gone to bed went softly
into the back gate, and went up to the