The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-04-16
Courting in Nebraska-Efect Of the
Scarcity of Women.

A heavy dose of girls, none of your
homeopathic prescriptions, is what
Nebraska needs. A party of US were
duck hunting the other day on the Mis-.
souri, bottoms. Night overlook us before
we were aware of it, and We were obliged
to seek lodging at the first dwelling we
could find. It was a small one.story
structure of three rooms, and occupied
by family Of six-father, mother,
daughter, and three sons. The sons were
all unmarried, and from the calls that
were made afterwards, we judge the
daughter was unmarried also. We hadn't
been in the house five minutes when
some kind of a vehicle drove up and two
young men were ushered into the parlor.
Straightway the mother and daughter
held whispered consultation which closed
with an invitation to the sitting room for
supper. It was evident the young men
callers had been to tea, as they stayed in
the parlor with ''sweet sixteen"
Scarcely had we taken our seats at
the table when q howl from the dogs
outdoors announced another conner. He
seemed to avoid the front door, and
knocked at that where our party wasj just
sitting to supper. The mother rose to
answer the summons, when We were
surprised by the daughter opening the
parlor door and rushed forward with,
"Don't git up, mother It's one of my
fellows Come in, Jim; how do you
do?"
Aud Jim entered in response to the
CHEEKY salutation. He made himself as
comfortable as possible till we had finish
ed supper, when another whispered con-
sultation proved that the "parlor is as
full as it ort to be-" whispered by Miss in
response to some motherly suggestion.
The old gentleman solved the question
by inviting US to the kitchen to smoke.
It was evident that Jim didn't smoke, for
he remained in the sitting room. We
should have doubtless enjoyed quiet
cigar, had not the old lady opened the
back door, and shouted at the top of her
voice, "Come round here to the back
door!'
1t was another young man, and we
fancied he looked as if he had come very
late. Two young men within the parlor,
one in the sitting-room and one in the
kitchen. What should be done? The
courting business was getting hot
There was another talk between mother
and daughter. 1t was evident their
devices had been exhausted. The old
gentleman was called into the corner.
He settled the question by whisper:
"I'll not move again until the sitting
room is full"
Into the sitting-room went number
four and we smoked. It was full ten
minutes before the next disturbers came,
and they entered the kitchen with the
air of old acquaintances. We looked
anxiously at the host. Taking his pipe
from his mouth single sentence relieved
US:
"Thenl's the widowers. Stick w
And we "stuck" and smoked on. For
the next half hour the girl must have
been kept busy. The widowers had
certainly a third of her time. 1t was 9
o'clock. We wish to go to bed, and the
only bed we had discovered was in the
parlor. The old gentleman OWNED our
wishes, and said:
"I'm sorry, gentlemen! But this is
one of the regular courtin' nights
Them two fellers in the parlor never
leaves afore midnight, and the widowers
allus stay all night. And that amt the
worst of it. Dan'll be here at 10 o'clock.
1 and the boys always sleep in the hay.
stack Friday nights. Yer welcome to
thatW
The parlor, sitting-room and kitchen
full, we retreated to the hay.stack. In
response to question on the point the
old gentleman said:
Friday nights it's purity bad, but
Sundays it's wuzz. Last Sunday night
there was ten on 'em, and the girl is
getlin' more and more pertickler. The
more she gets the more she wants !"
On the hay-stack, with stiff breeze
driving away the mosquitoes, we heard
Dan drive up. One of the last remarks
of the old man before we fell asleep, was,
eyes, gentlemen courtin's hot in Nebras.
byW And we believed him.