Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1884-02-07
"Yours Truly"
THE WAY N WHICH A YOUNG WOMAN
WAS ENTRAPPED INTO MATRIMoNY.


"Amazin Grace" said Mrs. Pilsbury,
as she sat with her daughter at their
afternoon sewing, "be yew goin' to
piece quiltf"
"What fur, mother p
"Why, Amt Mr. Van VIeet been to
see y'u twicc't runnin' lately2 He's
axed ye, | s'posa, To hev him2"
AN | guy him the mitlen."
"Sho! You wouldn't be half 30 sill +!
Why, he's wulh dozen orniray men.
You mought 60 further and fare wuss. 4"
jest wha@l'm goin' to dew
did yew tell him so?'
! mo, writ now, mother, let me
be nint goin' to marry no man
that thinks I'm jumpin' ct the chance.
I'd heap rulher he an old maid"
There was nothing said for some
time; then the widow asked:
"When did yew write, 'Mazin 2"
"A day or 50 past"
where did you git a pcn?'
/ borrered one. Mebbe you'd like
to know what said tew him
"You'veguessed rite, said the widow
eagerly.
ut ain't nuthin, to nobody but Us,
mother, s'long es | didn't have him."
said the girl eurlly, and no moro was
said, but the widow sighed heavily
and held her hand to her left side.
Amaziu knew that it meant her
heart, for she had been brought up To
respect that organ as an intimidaliug
power. This time she did not relent,
but wondered why she could not like
that big, good looking Van Vleet we'll
enough 10 marry him, for they were
poor, poor as that historic church
mouse, and he vas well off.
But they were not mercenary. Peo-
pie called them simple folks; perhaps
because they lacked education and
believed everything that was told
them. But they were good as gold.
The widows face and form, lank and
ungainly, we're familiar to every sick
room. They rendered unto Cesar the
things that were Cmsar's. They owed
no man anything, though they worked
early and late TO accomplish it. They
we're good to everybody and every.
thing, and Amazin Grace-her mother
had named her after the hymn begin.
ming, Amazing grace, how sweet the
souud"-was really pretty So thought
big, bulking, shame faced Van VIect,
when he came q courting her, with his
trousers tucked into cowhide boots,
and coonskin cap tied down over bis
ears. She vas the only girl he was
afraid Of, and he wasn't afraid Of her, Z
come right down to it.
He was an honest, decent chap. with
a fist like q sIedge hammer and heart
like a chiId's. lie wanted Amazin
Grace, and he couldn't imagine any
reason why he should have left her.
When be got her simple little letter of
refusal, written out with infinite diff
Guilty aud spelled on a new plan of
phouelics, he read it over aud over,
smoked his cob pipe, read the letter
again, grinnod a good bit, then folded
it reverently, and put it in the pocket
nearest his heart.
That's all rite. my girl, he chuck.
led.
4 couple Of months pasrod away.
One popularity Of time is that it treats
all people alike. IL does not fly from
some and stand still with others. Ii
was spring ut the Van VIeet farm,
which was one mass Of apple and
cherry blossoms, and it was spring at
the Widow Pilsbury's little lean to
house, without shrub or blossom. The
widow looked out of the window and
sighed. She bad never heard the
"Song of the Spirit but she had sung
II all her life. 1t vas her bread and
butter.
"There's Van vleetl" she exclaimed,
looking up from her lapboard. "weIl,
| declarel What brings him here r
"P'raPs he's comm to ask rev to
hev him, mother" said AmAzin Grace,
laughing. while asweet flush Of pink