The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-03-13
9uaerspst gnte1ligenfsr.
YOURS TRULY.
BY MRS. N. l.. RAYNE.

YOURS TRULY.
BY MRS. NJ. L. RAYNE.
"Amazin Grace" said Mrs. Pilsbury,
az she sat with her daughter at their
afternoon sewing, 'be yew goin' to piece
quilt? 2" -
'What fur, mother ?"
"Why amt Mr.. Van Vleet been to see
you twice't runnin' lately? He's axed
ye, I s'pose, to hev him"
SAM guy him the mitten."
"Sho! You wouldn't behalf so silly
Why, he's wuth q dozen Ordinary men.
You mought 90 futher and fare wuss."
"Jest what Pm goin' to dew"
.Did yew tell him SO? p :
'No, writ; now, mother, let me be; l
amt goin' to marry no man thet THINKS
I'm jumpin' ct the chance. I'd heap
ruther be an old maid"
There was nothing said for some time
then the widow asked: -
"When did yew write, 'Mazin Z"
"a day or so past"
"Where did you git pen 2"
ssI borrowed one. Mebbe you'd like
to know what said tew him."
you've guessed rite" said the widow
SIt amt snuthin to nobody but us,
mother, s'long es I di3n't have him"
said the girl CURLY, and no more was
said, but the widow sighed heavily and
held her hand to her left side.
Amazin knew that itsmeant her heart,
for. she had been brought up to respect
that organ as an intimidating power.
This time she,did not relent, but wonder
ed why she could not like that big, good.
looking Van Yleet well enough to marry
him, for they were poor, poor as that
historic church mouse, and he was well
off:
But they were not mercenary. People
called them simple folks; perhaps be-.
cause they lacked education, and believed
every thing that was told them. But
they we're good as gold. The widows
face and form, lank and uugainly, were
familiar in every sick room. They rem.
dered unto Cesar the things that were
Casar's. They owed no man anything,
though they worked early and late to
accomplish it. They were good to every
body and everything, and Amazin Grace
her mother had named her after the
hymn beginning, Amazing Grace, how
sweet the sound"-was really pretty. So
thought big, hulking, sbame-faced Van
Vleet, when he came courting her, with
his trousers tucked into cowhide boots
and coon.skin cap tied down over his
ears. She was the only girl he was
afraid of, and he wasn't afraid of her,
come right down to it.
He MAS an tonest, decent chap, with 8
fist like sledge hammer and heart
like child's. He wanted Amazin Grace,
and he couldn't Imagine any reason why
he should not ;haYe.hers. When he got
her sirnpleslittle letter Of refusal, written
out with infinite difficulty and spelled on
new plan of phonetics, he read it over
and over, smoked his cob pipe, read the
letter agyaiin, gri1ned q good bit, then
folded itYreyerently, and put. it in the
pocket nearest his heart. .s.<
"That's all rite, my cir" he chuckled.
a couple of months passed away. One
peculiarly of time is that it treats all
people alike. IT does moi. fly from some
and stand still with others. Itwas spring
al. the Van Vleet 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. Sac had never
heard the "Song of the Shirt" but she
had sung it all her life. 1t was her
bread and butter.
f:There's Van Yleet !" she exclaimed,
looking up from her lap board. "Wel],
Ideclare / What brings him here?"
ssP'raps he's comm to ask yew to hev
him, mother said Amazin Grace,
laughing, while sweet flush of pink
stained her round cheeks.
st wish he should p said the widow,
deqoutly; "I1should consider it wus
flyin, IN the face of Providence not to
marry such man-if he asked me"
But Mr. Van Vleet stalked in with a
brief sgood. day." threw an armfal of
blossoms into the lap of Amazin Grace,
and said:
ssI'm ready for weddin'."
spid you: :gif my letter :" asked the
Yir1 Ssfs-,2 ~ 49,. - .-art '=tt.-s
6Yept II warn't,, to say, lovin', but I
took yer meanin'. five fenced in the
hull north lot, and furbushed the house
!, up, so yer wouldn't know it, an I kalcu-
late eff we kin git: married next week, it
won't interfere with my spring work
heyfn -,
picture of surprise. The widow thought
She heard the cat in the pantry and dis
creetly withdrew. As the door closed
Farmer Van Vleet took two little red
hands in his, and bending farwardsgaye
Amazin Grace an awful smack
"That seals the bargain" he said, bit
the indignant girl jumped up and ORDER
ed him out of the house. To her aston
ishment he didn't bulge step.
''Not much I reckin I've a right to
kiss yer now" he said boldlyzthen he
stepped; to the door and called loudly:
"Mother KUN here !"
The widow must have been convent
emily near, for she almost fell into the
room at his first word, and he bestowed
another sounding smack on her.
s'It's all rite" he said, "me an Amaz.
in Grace is goin' to be married, and you
kin dance at the weddin'."
"But-but the letter." gasped the girl.
You amt understood word of it"
"The fact u.s." said Van Vleet, II amt
had no education to speak of; been too
busy grubbin' land all my life. / didn't
rally read the letter to sense it, but when
I see how you signed it that was enuff
for me. I knowed you wouldn't hev
writ that way to feller ye weren't goin'
to marry. Idon,t know much about gals,