The Dawson journal. (Dawson, Ga.) 1878-18??, 1883-05-31
Scared Out of a Wife

cue VI tnOS6 hl2nJS III mldWlnt0r
when the wind swept over the land
making everything Jingle with its
frosty, keen breath, that l saw sitting
before blazing fire surrounded by
a half dozen jolly boys and an old
bachelor Peter Green about 48 years.
1t was just the night without to
make those within enjoy a good sto-
ry so each of us had to tell favor
lite story save Mr.. Green, and as he
was a jolly story-teller we were
somewhat surprised to hear him say {:
| have no story that would interest
you, so we had to find other enter
tainments for while, when one of
the boys told usbo ask him how IT
happened that he never got married.
So we did.
Well gentlemen, he began, it don't
seem right for me to tell how it hap
pened but as its about myself don t
care much. You see when was
young man we had to walk as high
as five miles to church and singing
school which was our chief enioy-
ment. But this don't have ANYTHING
to do with my not getting wife
but wanted TO show you that We
had some trouble them days III get
ting our sport.
John Smith and I were like broth
ers or like Mary and her little lamb,
Where one went the other was sure
to go. So we went to see two sis
tiers and as we were not the best
of boys imaginable the ol gentleman
took umbrage and would not allow
us to GENE near the house; 80 we
would take the girls to the end of
the lane and there we would take
the final kiss
We soon got tired of that sort of
fun and I told John on our way to
singing school one night. that / was
going home with Sadie and that
was going into the house, too.
He said the old man would cane
me if 1 did
told him was going to risk il
anyhow, come what would.
He said that he would risk it if
l would.
So home we went with the girls.
When we got to the end of the
lane | told the girlswe proposed go
ing all the way.
They looked a each other in a
way l didn't like too, but the old
folks would he in bed, so they didn't
care if we did
They were little more surprised
yet when we told them we thought
of going in while but as all was
quiet, when we got co the house we
had no trouble in getting into the
kitchen
Then AMI there we had our first
court, and then / made up my mind
to ask Sadie to be my wife the next
time I came.
Ii was now past the turn of night
and we had four miles to walk. | told
John we had better be going. SO
we stepped out upon the porch, but
just as we did so the SKY was lit up
by lightning, and a tremendous
thunder peal rolled among the noun
tain sides. It's echoes had net died
on in the far off Wales until the rain
began to pour froil The garNere3
fullness OF the pent up clouds. We
waited for it to stop until we were
all sleepy. when the girls said we
should go to bed IN the little room
at the head of the stairs which led
out of the kitchen as their father
didn't get up early, we could be
home before the old folks were up.
Soon after bidding the girls a sweet
good-night-and hugging them "a
little-and wishing them pleasant
dreams, and promising them o come
back on next Sunday night, we star
ted to bed.
We did not have far to go as the
bed stood near the stairs. John was
soon III bed but | was little slow
and full of curiosity I set about to
look around the room.
Al last | thought l would sit
down on chest which was spread
over with nice white cloth, while I
drew off my boots. So down I Sal
when stars of the east, 1 went plump
into the custard pie
I thought John would die laugh
ing for he said I had smashed that
custard pie all to thunder and the
plate right in two.
You see we had to be awful quiet
so the old gentleman would not hear
us.
I was now ready to get in bed, so
1 put out the light and picked up
boots thinking to put them in con-
venient place, when down my leg
went through a pipe hole, which had
been covered with paper up to my
hip.
Now one part Of me was up stairs
while the longest part of me was in
the kitchen.
As my leg was very long it reached
a shelf which was occupied by dishes
pans, coffe pots, etc, turning over
with terrible crash.
The girls had not yet retired, and
we could hear them laugh ft to kill
themselves.
| felt awful ashamed and was
scared until my heart was in my
throat, for expected the old man
every moment.
extracted my leg from the con