The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1883-06-21
about twilight with wickedness faring
ont all ovor NM

about twilight with wickedness Aaring
out all over me.
1t happened that there was an ice
cream garden hard by, where ths young
ladies and gentlemen of the village used
to assemble in the evening and have a
social. pleasant party.
Toward this garden I wendell my way
about the time of assembling, hoping
that would find my young lady there.
Before reaching the rendezvous l met
her OF the street. l was elaborately po-
lite, as if nothing had happened, and
asked her if she would walk over to the
garden. She replied that she had an
other engagement, and could not avail
herself of that pleasure. The streets
were still very muddy and filthy. All
the crossings in many cities, as also
small towns, where mud is an important
factor after a rain, they have stepping
stones sufficiently elevated above the
mud to enable the pedestrian to pass
over with uutarnished boots. remarked
that 1 would at least sec her across the
street.
l passed her, and with modestly ele.
waited 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, sud-
denly paused and she ran full but into
me. Down she went into the mire with
her best bib-and tuck. l reached down
for her, and after fishing her out and es-
tablishing her on terra tirma again, made
the most elaborate apologies that Web
ster ever put in his apologize vocabu-
larry. She regarded it as an unavoid-
able accident, and passed on to go
through the next day with somewhat
the same securing maneuver that I had
gone through that day. Revenge is
sa eeter than mud any time. but mine
was not yet satiated. Ipassed into the
garden and waited until 1 had good
audience.
When all was hilarity and everybody
in the mood to enjoy joke l remarked
that if they would all quiet would tell
them good one.
Quiet, as near as you can call the
csckle of parcel of girls, being OBJ
tanned, I rehearsed in most pathetic
In amer my courtship of last evening.
gave what said and her quick reply. I
expatiated upon the grand and lofty
tumbling as though it was the heavy
tragedy of the piece, told how long Ihad
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 very great
favorite in the village, so she found it
convenient to have relations in the coun-
try 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
exclaimed, "Oh what shame. She had
on her best dress and was coming here
to night"
Iwent home duped, but avenged, and
wiser young man. Courtships were
very different in those days from what
they are at present. Nowadays if
young man courts young woman and
she refuses him, he takes 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 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 running 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.