Mexico weekly ledger., 1883-07-26
WRr BasHFUL MN.
The Crest Sensation He Created I'M the
ssr.s gH bridal CAanAer. II ssiissI 4

iE.rssz3 szsg sEsa S->---->5 E#-'sEt3 sszEs.4 ?
Senator Sebastaia, of Arkansas, was
native Of Hickman county, Tenn. IL On
one occasion a member of Congress was
hmenting his bashfulness and awkward
ness. sswhy,n1 said the Senator from
Rackensack, 'syou don't know what bash
fl1Iness b. 6 Let me tell you story, and
l viii stand the bob Il you don't agree.
that you never knew anythiag about
bashfulness and its bsneful effects. al
was the most bashful boy west. of the
Aileghenies. wouldn't look at a girl,
much less speak to maiden; but for all
that I fell dsspeestelss IN love with a.
sweet, beautiful neighbor girl. o It was a
desirable match on both sides,I and. the,
old folks saw the drift, and fixed it up.
thought I should die just thinking Of it.
4 was gawky, awkward country lout,
about nineteen years Old She was intel
ligent, refined and laifly well educated
girl IN . country and At . time when
girls had superior advantage, and were,
therefore, superior in culture to the boys.
I fixed the dAy as far @ scould shave it
put off, I lay awake N . cold iprespira-
ton as the time drew near, and shiyered
with agony as thought Of the terrible
ordeal. u so :" ''-i 80
The dreadful day came. I went through
the programme some how, In a dazed,
confused, mechanical aort Of wny, an au-
tomaton boohy, through supper where
could eat nothing, and through such
games IS "possum pie, 'a'sister Phoebe"
and that sort Of thing The guests one
by one departed and my hair began to
stand on END. Beyond the awful curtain
Of Isis lay the terrible unknown. Ny
blood grew cold and boiled by turns. II
was in q fever and an ague, pale and flush
ed by turns. felt like fleeing TO the
woods, spending the night in the barn,
leaving for the west never to return /
was deeply devoted to SaIie. loved her
harder than Q mule can kick; nut that
dreadful ordeal-I could not, dared not
stand it, Finally, the last guest was
gone, the bride retired, the family gone
to bed, and was left alone-horror Of
horrors, alone with'the Oldham. s'John,"
said he, l''yoa can take the candle, you'n
find your room just over this Good
night John, and may the Lord have mercy
on your SOUL" and with 3 mischieyous
twinkle of his fine gray eye, the old man
left the room. / mentally said "Amen"
to this. '"Heasen help you," and chen
heard him close . distant ldoer. Is
staggered to my feet and seized the farth-
ing dip with nervous grip. l. stood for
some minutes contemplating my terrible
fate, and the Inevitable and speedy doom
about to overwhelm me. Iknew that It
could not be avoided, but yet I hesitated
to meet my fate like man. l stood so
long that three love-letters had grown on
the wick of the tallew dip and q winding
sheet was decorating the side of the brass
candlestick. gasf q. sssc1~ssetf sasa &C
A happy thought struck me. ] hastily
climbed the stairs, marked the position Of
the landing and the door Of the bridal
chamber. Iwould Of died before would
have sdisrobed IN that holy chamber,
where awaited me trembling and beau
tiful girl, . blushing maiden, ''clothed
upon" with her own beaaiy and nodes
ty, and her snowy robe de mutt. / would
make the usual preparations without, blow
out the light, open the door and friendly
might would shield my shrinking modests
and bashfulness and grateful darkness a,
least mitigate the horror of the situation,
1t was soon done. Preparations for re-
firing were few and simple in their char
acter In Hickman, altogether consisting
of disrobing and owing to the scarcity Of
cloth in those days man was somewhere
near the Adamic state when he was pre-
tpared to WOO sweet sleep. The dread
full hour had come; was ready. blew
out the light, sraped the door knob with
a deadly grippe and q nervous clutch; one
moment and It would be over. One mo-
ment and Il wasn't oxerby d--n sight
leaped Within, and there around aglow.
ing hickory IRE, with candles bright;
burning on the mantel and bureau, wa
the blusing bride, surrounded by 81,
lovely bridesmaids. lsbesifs zisszs! IS