Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1883-12-19


but | was teTmincd not to back So
; sot some chairs on top of a bench an'
got hold Of the rope and let mysel
down into the bag, but jest as | wa
gittin in, it swung agin the chairs, anC
down they went with terrible racket
but nobody didn't wake up but Mis-:
Stallinses old eur dog, and here b,
come rippin and tearin through the
yard like rath, and round and round he
went tryin to find what was the mat
ter. scrooched down in the bag anC
didn't breath louder nor kitten, fol
fear he'd find me out, and after a while
he quit barkin.
The wind began to blow bominable
cold, and the old bag began turning
round and swingin SO it made me sea
sick as the mischief. | was afraid tC
move for fear the rope would break and
let me fall, and thar | sot with my
teeth rattlin like | had the ager. II
seemed like it would never come day.
| light, and | do believe if | didn't love
Miss Mary so powerful | would froze
TO death; for my heart was the only
spot that felt warm, and it didn't beat
more'n two licks mint, only when |
thought how she would be surprised in
the mornin, and then it went into a
canter Bimeby the old dog come up on
the porch and begun to smell about the
bag, and then he barked like he thought
he'd freed something. Bow wow
wow ses he. Then he'd smell agin,
and try to get up to the bag. Cit
out = ses |, very low, for fear tie gals
mought hear me. Bow! wowr ses
he. Be gone, you bominable fool, ses
/, and felt all over in spots, for |
spected every mint he'd nip me, and
what made it worse, | didn't know
whar abouts he'd take hold. Bow /!
WOW wown Then tried coaxin-
Come here, good fellow ses l, Cad
whistled little to him, but it wasn't
no use. Thar he stood and kept up his
everlastin whinin and barkin, all night.
| couldn't tell when daylight was
breakin, only by the chickens CROWN,
and was monstrous glad to hear 'em,
for if had to stay there one hour more,
| don't believe I'd ever got out of that
bag alive.
Old Miss Stallins come out fust, and
as soon as she seed the bag, ses she;
"What upon yearth has Joseph went
and put in that bag for Mary? III lay
it's a yearlin or some live animal, or
Bruin wouldn't bark at it So
IL IA n
sot thar, shivering all over so couldn't
hardly speak If ! tried to-but didn't
say nothin. Bimeby they oil came
running out on the porch.
My goodness what is it?' ses Miss
Mary.
'Oh, its alive' ses Miss Kesiah, !
seed it move
Cali Cato, and make him cut the
rope ses Miss Carline, and let's see
what it is Come here, Cato, and git
this bag down.
Don't hurt it for the world ses
Miss Mary.
Cato united the rope that was round
the jice, and let tie bag down easy on
the floor, and | tumbled out all covered
with corn meal, from head to foot.
Goodness gracious y ses Miss Mary,
If it amt the Majer himself!'
Yes ses /, and you know you
promised to keep my Crismus present
as long as you lived
The gals laughed themselves almost
to death, and went to brushin off the
meal as fast as they could, sayin they
was gwine to hang that bag up every
Crismus till they got husbands, too.
Miss Mary-bless her bright eyes
she bluGhed as beautiful as a mornin-
glory, and sed she'd stick to her word
She was right out of bed, and her hair
wasn't komed, and her dress wasn't
fixed at all, but the way she looked
pretty was real distraotln. | do be-
iieve if | was froze stiff, one look at
her sweet face, as she stood thar look
in down to the floor with her roguish
eyes, and her bright curls fallin all over
her snowy neck, would have fotched
me too tell you what, it was worth
hanging in meal bag from one Girls
mus to another to feel as happy as |
have ever since.
! went home after we had the laugh
out, and sot by the fire till got .hsw-
ed. In the forenoon all the Stallinses
come over to our house and we had
one of the greatest Chrismus dinners
that ever was seed in Georgia, and |
don't believe happier company ever
sot down to the same table Old Miss
Stallins and mother settled the match,
and talked over everything that evsr
happened in their families, and laugh
ed at me and Mary, and cried about
their dead husbands, cause they wasn't
alive to see their children married.
It's all settled now, 'cept we haint
sot the weddin day. I'd like to have
it all over at once, but young gals al
ways like to be engaged while, you
know, 80 | spose | must wait month
or So Mary (she says | mustn't call
her Miss Mary now has been a good
deal of trouble and botheratiQp to me ,
out if you could see her you wouldn't
think | ought to grudge little sulferin
to git sich sweet little wife.
Your friend, till death,
Jos JONES'
SANTA Clans