Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1884-04-12

'f>ANo A' '1io oA '1ctb Iarm, which
was one mass of apple and cherry bios
SONS, 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
had never heard the "Song of the
Shirt" ''ut She hsd sung it all her life.
1t was her bread and butter.
"There's Van Vleet |" she exclaimed
looking up from her lap-board. "WelI,
! declare! What brings him here?"
"Praps he's comm TO ask yew to hev
MIN, mother" said Amazin Grace, laugh
ing, while sweet flush of pink stained
her round checks.
I wish he sho,td p said the widow,
dcvontly; II should consider it wus
hyin' in the face of Providence not to
marry such man-if he asked me-"
But Mr.. Van Vlect stalked in with a
brief 'good-dav," threw an armful of
blossoms into the lap of Amazin Grace,
and said:
III ready IOT WCuQln
"Did yon get my letter?" asked the
girl
"4ep 1t warn't. to say, lovin', but
took Yer meanip I've fenced ia the
hull north lot, ant. furbushed the house
mp, 80 yer wouldn't know it, an kaleu-
,ate eff we kin get married next week, it
won't interfere with my spring work
hey?
Amaziu Grace sat back and looked the
picture Of surprise. The widow thought
she heard the cat in the pantry and dis
crcctly withdrew. As the door closed
Farmer Van Vleet took two little red
hands in his, and bending forward gave
Amazin Grace an awful smack.
''That seals the bargain, he said, but
the indignant girl jumped up and
ordered him out of the house. To her
astonishment he didn't bulge step.
''Not mulch reckin I've right to
kiss yer now," he said boldly then he
stepped to the door and called loudly :
Mother /! KUN hereF
The widow must have been convcn-
iently near, for she almost fell into the
room at his first word, and he bestowed
another sounding smack on her.
'Its all rite" he said, "me an Amazin
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 is, said Farmer Van Vleet
| Il amt had no eddlcation to speak of !;
been too busy grubbin land all my life.
didn't rally read the letter to sense it.,
but when see how you signed it that
was enuff for me. l knowed you
wouldn't hev writ that way to feller ye
weren't goin' to marry. / don't know
much about gals, but l know that p
When it was all settled that they We're
to be married next week, Sunday,
Farmer Van Vleet rode off, and the two
women put away the lap board and re-
sigued the universal shirt making busl-
ness forever
"I'd give the world to know what
writ to him" said Amazin Grace.
"The world amt yourn tew give, cor
rected her mother, piouslv.
I'm sartin sure told him no, said
the girl. "but reckon he was bound tc
hev ne, an dunno ez I'm half sorry
either, now"
When tdey were married and Amazn
Grace and her mother had gone out tf
wagon, the bride returned to the subject
of the letter.
II hev hurnin' curiosity to kno"
what writ" she said, cause (blushinf
prettily) thought I riffused you.
80 ho, l guess not, said the triumph
ant lover. Look a-here, Mrs. Va
Vleet. here's the letter 'Tain't but .
few words. There amt no 'ticular mean
in in them. but its the signing of them
Do vou see that? Them two word
would stand III law to mean plan yes
there's no ei,.in' around them =
Amazln Grace and her mother bot
; read at once
Mr.. Van Vleet:
deer sir-I am sorry 10 1uform vo1
that your attenshuns are IL nowise r
r cipperkated.
S ''Yures trewly.
/ - 'AMAzrS GRAcE -PnsBUaY-.
@ssThat fetched M" said Nix Va
| vleet, hooking admirsngly tat his ne'
t possession. ""I doan't know much, bu
/ reckon kin fell what sud mean
' when she writes to feller and signs hel
t. self 'Yures trewly.' .'"-DstroH F%t
II A SAVINGS bank cashier in Wiscons