The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-03-13
AnaeEana gntslligenses.
YOURS TRULY.
BY MRS. NJ. l.. RAYNE.

"Amazin Grace" said Mrs. Pilsbury,
as she sat with her daughter at their
afternoon sewing, 'be yew goin to piece
nuilt 7'
'What fur, mother?"
"Why amt Mr.. Van Vleet been TO see
you twice't runnn' lately? He's axed
ye, s'pose, to hev him?"
'An' l guy him the mitten.'
"Sho You wouldn't be half so silly
Why, he's wuth dozen ordirary men.
You mought go fulher and fare wuss."
"Jest what I'm goin' TO dew"
"Did yew tell him SOP
"No, | writ now, mother, let me be ; |
amt goin to marry no man thet thinks
I'm jumpin ct the chance. I'd a heap
ruther be an old maid"
There was nothing said for some time ;
then the widow asked:
"When did yew write, Main
"a day or 80 past
"Where did you git pen ?'
"I borrowed one. Mebbe you'd like
to know what said tew him"
you've guessed rite" said the widow
eagerly.
mother, s'long es l didn't have him"
said the girl curtly, and no more was
said, but the widow sighed heavily and
held her hand to her left side.
Amazin knew that ii meant her heart
for she had been brought up to respect
that organ as an intimdating power.
This time she did not relent, but wonder.
ed why she could not like that big, good
looking Van Vleet well enough to marry
him, for they were poor, poor as That
historic church mouse and he was well
of.
But they were not mcrccnary. People
called them simple folks; perhaps be.
cause they lacked education, and believed
every thing that was told them. But
they were good as gold. The widows
face and form, lank and uDgainly, were
familiar in every sick room. They rem.
dered unto Cesar the thugs that were
CasGr'a. They owed no man anything,
though they worked early and late to
sccoEn2 2lish il. They were good 20 arciy-
body and everything, and Amazn Grace
her mother had named her after the
hymn beginning, "Amazing Grace, how
sweet the sound"-was really pretty. So
thought big, hnlking, shame. faced Van
Vleet, when he came Il courting her, with
his trousers tucked into cowhde boots
and coon.skn cap tied down over his
ears. She was the only girl he was
afraid of, and he wasn't afraid of her,
come RI. Ii down to it..
lie was al ronest, decent chap, With /.
fist like sledge hammer and n heart
like child's. He wanted Amazin Grace,
and he couldn't imagine any reason why
he should not have her. When be got
her simple little letter of refusal, written
out with infinite difficulty and spelled on
n new plan of phonetics, he read IL over
and over, smoked his cob pipe, read the
letter again, grinned good bit. then
folded it reyerently, and put it in the
pocket nearest his heart.
"That's all rite, my girl" he chuckled.
A couple of months passed away. One
peculiarly Of time is that it treats all
people alike. 1t does not fly from some
and stand still with Others. It was spring
at the Van Vleet farm, which was ono
mass of apple and cherry blossoms, and
it was spring at the Widow Pilsbury's
littlc 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" but she
had sung it all her life. 1t was her
bread and butter.
"There's Van Vleet !" she exclaimed,
looking up from her lap. board. "Well,
I declare What brings him here ?"
"P'raps he's comm to ask yew to hev
him, mother" said Amazin Grace,
laughing, while sweet flush of pink
stained her round cheeks.
81 wish he should ~ said the widow,
devoutly; II should consider it wus
hyin' in the face of Providence not to
marry such msa--if he asked re"
But Mr.. Van Vleet stalked in with
brief "good day" threw an armful OF
blossoms into the lnp of Amazin Grace,
and said:
''I'm ready for weddin'."
"Did you git my le!ter?" asked the
"Yept It warn't to say, lovin' but
took yer meanin'. I've fenced in the
hull north lot, and furbushed the house
up, 30 yer wouldn't know it, an kalcu-
late of we kin git married next week, it
won't Interfere with my spring work
hey3" .
Amazin Grace set back and looked the
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 farward gave
Amazin Grace an awful smack.
"That seals the bargain" he said, but
the indignant girl jumped up and order.
ed hil out OF the house. 10 her aston.
ish;nent he didn't bulge step.
mot much l reckin I've right to
kiss yer, now" he said boldly-then he
stepped to the door and called loudly:
NMother kuni here p
The widow must have been convent
emily near, for she almost fell into the
room ut his first word, and he bestowed
another sounding smack on her.
"It's all rite" he said, "me an Amaz.
in Grace is goin' to be married, and you
kin dance at the weddin'." .,l
"But--but the letter." gasped the girl.
You air't understood g word Of it.''
"The fact is," said Van Vleet, II ain't
had no education to speak of; been too
busy grubbin' land all my life. / didn't
rally read the letter t. sense it, but when
l see how you signed it that was enuff
for me. T. knowed you wouldn't hey
writ that way. to a feller ye weren't goin'
to marry. Idon,t know much about gals,
but I,khow TINT u rs Is
WHEN il aasail settled that they. were
to be married the next week, Sunday,
Farmer Van Vleet rode of, and the two
women put away the lap.bos.d, and re.
eigncdj the nniversal shirt making bust.
hess forever, aase ~; v..il;'0--,,
I'D give the world to know what I
writ to him" said Amazin' Grace.
Tine world amt yourn tew give" cor
sected her mother, piously.
"I'm sart'in sure1 told him no." said
II, ,SvI L