Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-05-26
mud-holes and rain until 1 reached my

! mud-holes and rain until I reached my
! quarters.
There / was alone, except with mud,
wet, filth and feelings-no, not alone either
with these, for the rain had driven myriads
of mosquitoes In for protection and as COM
forters. bad to strip, though, and use
the brisk mosquito as counter-irritant for
the lacerated feelings and modification
within.
Neither sleep nor any other twin Drotner
of death came along that night.
l fretted and fumed, revolving all the
while some diabolical plan of vengeance.
The morning dawned, / was weary and my
clothes looked about as detected as | felt,
as though they had been washed in mud
and then had it well rubbed in.
l lay in bed during the day while my
clothes were being renovated and sewed
together in spots where they had parted
company. I emerged from my quarters
about twilight with wickedness faring out
all over me.
1t happened that there was an ice-cream
garden hard by, where the young ladies
and gentlemen of the village used to as
semble in the evening and have social,
pleasant party.
Toward this garden I wendell my way
about the time of assembling, hoping that
1 would find my young lady there. Before
reaching the rendezvous | met her on the
street. was deliberately polite, as if
nothing had happened, and asked her if
she would walk over to the garden. She
replied that she had another engagement,
and could not avail herself of that pleas
ure. The streets were still very muddy
and filthy. At the crossings in many cities,
as also small towns, where mud is an i'm
portant factor after rain, they have step
ping-stones sufficiently elevated above the
mud to enable the pedestrian to pass over
with untarnisned boots. | remarked that
I would at least see her across the street.
passed her, and with modestly elevated
skirts she tripped along behind me, with
head down watching the stones. When
about half way across the street, and
where the mud was deepest, | suddenly
paused and she ran full butt into me.
Down she went into the mire with her
best bib and.tu l reached down for
her and after fishing her out and establish
ing her on terra firma again, made the most
elaborate apologies that Webster ever put
in his apologize vocabulary. She regarded
it IS an unavoidable accident and passed
on to go through the next day with some
what the same securing maneuvre that
had gone through that day. Revenge is
sweeter than mud any time, but mine was
not yet satiated. passed into the garden
and waited until had good audience.
When all was hilarity and every body
in the mood to enjoy a joke / remarked
that if they would all keep quiet would
tell them good one.
Quiet, as near as you can call the cackle
of parcel of girls, being obtained, l re-
hearsed in most pathetic manner my court
ship of last evening, gave what l said
and her quick reply. | ex patiated upon
the grand and lofty tumbling as though it
was the heavy tragedy OF the piece, told
how long | had been practicing it to have
it perfect and all that kind of thing All
hands took it as the best practical joke
they had ever heard. My love was not a
very great favorite in the village, 30 she
found it convenient to have relations in the
country who were exceedingly anxious to
see her.
| didn't say word about the rain.
When wound up with the mud scene, in
which she had figured just before, all ex-
NlaAlAShg Va nldS q cuaAiCs Ch0 LOU Oh
her best dress and was coming here to.
night
went home duped. but avenged, and a
wiser young man. Courtships were very
different in those days from what they are
at present. Nowadays if a young man
courts young woman and she refuses him,
ne takes a pistol, shoots her, and then
| blows his own brains out. He feels sure of
the girl in this case, as her sudden advent
on the other shore is not expected by her
friends, and she finds no one to chaparone
her but her lover, who soon "joins and
takes charge of her.
Had l been as far advanced in civiliza-
ton as this age is at present might have
pursued a different course from that Of
venting my spleen in making laughing
stock of my girl and at the same time ru-
lining her best dress.
am of the opinion, though, that if put
to vote modern young ladies would prefer
the old plan rather than take the chances
on the new.-[Turf, Field and Farm.