Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1883-12-18

you bomnable fool" ses 1, and 1 felt all
he'd MP me, and what made it worse,
didn't know whar abouts he'd take hold.
''Bow! WOW! wowp' ThensI tried coaxin
whistled little to him, but it wasn't no
use. Thar he stood and KEEP up his ever
lastin whinin and barkin, all night. |
couldn't tell when daylight was breakin,
only by the chickens CROWN, and I was
monstrous glad to hear 'em. for if had to
stay thar one hour more, don't believe I'd
got out of that bag alive.
Old Miss Stallins come out fust, and as
soon as she seed the bag, ses she:
"What on yeath has Joseph went aud
put in that bag for Mary? I'll lay it's a
yearlin or some live animal, or Bruin
wouldn't bark at it so.''
She went in to call the gals, and | sot
thar, shiverin all over SO couldn't hardly
speak if / tried to--but didn't t say nothin
Biemby they all come running out on the
porch
"My goodness what is its" ses Miss Ma
'soh, it's aiivsr'-ses Miss Kesiab, 81 seed
| it moye.'' ~
''Call 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. y
''Dou't hurt it for the world" ses Miss
Mary.
| Cato united the rope that was round the
| jice, and let the bag down easy on the floor,
and tumbled out all covered with corn
meal from head to foot
Goodness grac;ousr' ses Miss Mary, 'il
| it amt the Majer himselfp'
eyes," ses l, ''and you know you prom
ised to keep my Crismus present as long
as you lived"
The gals laughed themselves almost to
dea b, 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 blushed 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
fix'd at all, but the way she looked pretty
was real distractin. do believe if / was
froze stiff, one look at her sweet face, as
she stood thar lookin down to the floor
with her rogu sh eyes, and her bright curls
fallin all over her snowy neck, would have
fotched me too. tell you what, it was
worth hangin in meal bag from one Girls
mus to another to feel as happy as l have
ever since.
went home after we had the laugh out,
and sot by the fire till got thawd. In the
forenoon all the Stallinses come over to our
house and we had one ofthe greatest Crismus
dinners that ever was seed in Georgia, and
I don't believe happier company ever sot
down to the same table. Old Miss Stallins
and mother settled the match, and talked
over every thing that ever happened in ther
families. and laughed at me and Mary, and
cried aboutl ther dead husbands, cause
they wasn't alive to see their children mar
ried.
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 always like to be en-
gagged a while you know, so spose must
wait month or so. Mary (she says ]
mustn't call her Miss Mary now has been
good deal of trouble and botheration to
me; but if you could see her you wouldn'
think I ought to grudg little sefferin to
git sich a sweet little wife.
Your friend, till death,
Jos. JONES.