Smyrna times., 1885-12-16
Going Home From Church.
BITTER AND SWEET ABOUT EQUALLY
MIXED IN THE COURTING OF
THIRTY OR FORTY YEARS
AGO,

In these days of social system, we
scarcely ever see some of the acts that |
characterized old-time counting. Now, |
a fellow goes to see his girl in way |
then regarded as very cOwardly-visits |
her at her residence and takes her to |
church, leaving no sense of uncertainty
as to who will take her home.
In the good old days we all took our
chances and nobody was so base as to
try to forestall the natural course of
events by rendering competition i'm
possible on account of monopoliZing the
best girl The boys were generous,
and gave each other a chance.
We always sat on the rear benches at
church, and when the dOxology had
been sung and the benediction pro-
nounced we slid out" This is the
Latin for going outside and ranging
ourselves in rows just beyond the door
and on either side of the walk leading
from it. When the girls came out, one
at time, we watched our chances and
asked the momentOus question: Can
| l see YOU home tonight" so low no.
body but the girl could hear it, and
then walked off with her as proudly as
if we had conquered a natiOn-unless
we got the mitten," sometimes called
1.-THE sack" j" for short.
A good-looking girl often sacked
as many as a dozen of us before she
got through with the exercises of the
evening. The less desirable girls gen
orally came out first, and as all of US
were bent upon carrying Oft the prize
beauty, were permitted to depart for
home unmolested. Some of them oc-
casionally looked out of the corners of
their eyes at US, as much as to say ::
Molest me if you want to-" but we
suffered them to depart in peace.
When the belle of the evening came to
the door, there was a general sigh out
side, and those nearest her all ten
dered her their arms. She would cast
her eagle eye over the calf pasture
and pick out the one who held highest
favor in her eyes, and take his arm
and lean lovingly upon it while the
other boys found themselves alone in
the silent darkness with no more girls
to ask and none to 90 home with OF
make them afraid. Slowly and sadly
we took up our weary burdens and me-
andered toward home, striving to think
of some charm that would enable us to
overthrow our successful rival.
When the next Sunday was on we
repeated the performance, which only
varied what it had been before in the
fact that the successful fellow on the
one occasion was liable to get left or
the other. l well remember a time
when I was sacked" 1t made me
love the girl worse than 1 did before
so on the following Sunday evening
+ stood right by the side of the fellow
whose chances l thought best, and be
! gan my question in unison with his
q When She said "yes," 1 rendered my
o arm with great promptness and sh
= accepted it, thinking it was the arm o
the other fellow, and he thought h.
was sacked" and went home alone
|, while /, who had been sacked" &C
= companied the girl and made mysel
e so agreeable l never had any trOubl
I afterWard.
= remember another occasion when
:. new girl came to the village and tn
= bows were all strong bent on goin
n with her Knowing that acquaintanc
l. was nine points in such a case, l bribe
nv sister with two dishes of ice-creaI
;, to call on her and take me along 70
4 company, and when the lines had bee
- formed on either side of the door, q
= usual, she came out after the OthC
10 girls had passed and the whole crow
- tackled her. 1 was sure 1 had til
a. a. dead wood on that job, but before sh
= reached the place where I stood,
's little, runty sOn-Of-a-gun came stru
+ ting along with her clinging to his arr
a. a. and l was left to sympathize with IL
: . other boys on the cooperative plal
q 1t was very funny for the runt, but
= was tough on the remainder of Il
iF gang. tell you, boys of to-day, bitt
Of and sweet were pretty well mixed
IN the courting of those good days of Il
ne long ago.-BlOOmingtOn Through Ma