The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1884-06-21

glasses too, child. 1 may get too much
interested and drop stitch-then I'll
tell you about my hero"
ooh, aunt!" said Myra, throwing
down her yellow-back novel. "Did
you ever meet real, live hero2 Well,
thought him hero. 1 was like
you, hunting then, and one day 1
thought had found him. Of course l
was desperately in love at first-but I'll
tell you the story from the beginning:
"The summer was eighteen we kept
boarders. The women folks-there were
three of them-were very fond of read
ing novels, and when they went away
they left one at our house. got hold
of it, and every chance could get I
would slip away to the garret or the
barn and read it. I got my head full
of marrying heroes and such stuff, and
began looking in earnest for my hero.
"One day mother says to me: 'Jane,
60 over to Farmer Smiths and see if
you can get dozen eggs Our hens
were all setting hens. So put on my
bonnet and started. Just as l got in
the middle of the pasture 1 heard a
great believing, and there at the other
end of it was Farmer Smiths mad bull
coming toward me in full gallop, tearing
the ground with his heels and believing
with all his might. My mind had been
so full of the yarn I had read that l
never once thought of him, and l knew
he was in the field, too. What upon
earth to do I didn't know; but 1 had
to do something, SO l just run to the
nearest gate; but before | got half way
the bull was close to me. did not
know what else to do, so screamed at
the top of my voice.
the hedge he'd and ran towaru the Dun,
brandishing a great pole. AS soon as
the bull saw him he just wheeled around
and ran to the other end of the field. l
thought l ought to faint just as they do
in novels, but I didn't feel like it; so
l walked along side of my hero. He
left me at the gate, after telling me his
name was Josiah Anderson, and asked
mine. l told him my name was Betsy
Jane Barnes, but folks generally called
me Jane.
"I went into the house, and there l
learned that my hero was the farmers
new laborer. l would rather he would
have been something grander, but he
was hero, and had saved my life, and it
didn't make much difference, after all.
He had splendid eyes, and l thought
about them all the way home. Mother
asked me about the eggs. declared l
had forgotten all about them. She
scolded and said she would send me
back, but she needed me every minute.
cit was strange how absent-minded
I was all that morning. Twas going
across the room, with my thoughts over
in Farmer Smiths field, where 1 had
seen my hero, when l stumbled against
the churn and upset the cream all over
the floor. I got my ears boxed for it,
and that brought me to my senses for a
bit; but soon Twas as bad as ever again.
Mother told me TO fill the tea-kettle,
but instead of doing it took off the lid
and began pouring the water into the
cofeepot. Mother screamed and grab
bed hold Of me.
"Mercy on us!' says she; 'has the
girl gone crazy?'
"Well, 1 got through that day some
how. Mother said l hindered more
than helped, and 1 believe it was true
enough.
"I met Josiah Anderson agood many
times after he saved my life. One day
he said to me: Betsy Jane, if you
loved me as love you, you'd marry me.
"'I do love you, Josiah, l said, so
we were engaged.
"About this time your Uncle Jeremi-
ah came to our house very often, and
mother said he came to see me. l
stuck up my nose at the idea. One day
my father said to me: Betsy Jane, if
that Josiah has got sneaking notion
after you, he had better give it up, for
l have set my heart on you marrying
jeremiah. There amt nicer young
man within ten miles.
"Ididn't say nothing, so I suppose
father thought it was all right.
"The next time saw Josiah told him
about it, and he seemed very much
cast down. Finally he said we must
elope. l thought it would be first
rate idea, for it was just the way they
did in the novels; so we planned it all
out. The next night l was to take the
clothes basket up to my room-I slept
on the second floor. He was to come
with horse and cart at midnight, and
leave it in the woods.
"I was dreadful nervous all the next
day, and when night came and my folks
were all abed and asleep, l dressed my
self in my best gown-it was yellow
one-put my best green ribbon in my
hair and two red roses, and sat down to
wait until e O'Clock. l sat there about
two hours, when l heard Josiah call
softlyunder the window: Betsy Jane |!
81 went to the window and said
'All ready
81 had small piece ofrope, and tied
it to both handles of the clothes basket.
I then tied long rope in the middle of
that and put it around one leg of the
bedstead, which was close to the win
dow. Josiah was to let me slowly to
the ground, so I threw the end of the
ro,,a +o him ood oot into tha hackat