Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-02-06
GOING HOME FROM CHURCH.

GOING HOME FROM CHORCH.
p;+tor and Sweet About Equally Mixed in
tn. Counting of Thirty or Forty Years
Ago. g.
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 i'll a 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 u
chances, and nobody vas so base as to
try to forestall the natural u OF
events by rendering competition lmpos-
sible 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 row Just beyond the door
and on either side of the walk leading
from it. When the girls came out one
at a time. we watched our chances and
aSkGO UllS IlOllcLuOuS IuSoSioh'
I see YOU home to-night?n 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 "the
SACK for short.
A good-looking girl often "sacked"
as many as a dozen of us before she got
through with the exercises OF the even
-. I'M. 1a.z J,1s~, \ ~sIs1r Crno0raIIr
came out first, and as all of us We're
bent upon carrying off the prize beauty,
were permitted to depart for home I'M
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 outside. and those near
est her all rendered her their arms. She
would cast her eagle eye over the calf
pasture and pick out the n 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 OR
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 mex Sunday was on we
repeated the performance, which only
| varied from what it had been before in
the fact that the successful fellow on the
one occasion was liable to get left on
the other. 1 well remember a time
when I was sacked" Itmade me love
the girl worse than [ did before, so on
the following Sunday evening l stood
right by the side of the fellow whose
chances / thought best, and began my
question in unison with his. When she
said eyes, l rendered my arm with
great promptness and she accepted it,
thinking it was the arm of the other
fellow, and he thought he was sacked
and went home alone, while /, who had
been ''sacked,' accompanied the girl
and made myself so agreeable l never
had any trouble afterward. Q
remember another occasion when a
new girl came to the village and the
boys were all stronghold on going
home with her. Knowing that ac-
quaintance was nine points in such a
case, l bribed my sister with two dishes
of ice-cream to call on her and take me
along tor company, and when the lines
had been formed on either side of the
door, as usual, she came out after the
other girls had passed and the whole
crowd tackled her. ] was sure 1 had
the dead wood on that job, but before
she reached the place where l stood, q
little, runty son-of-a-gun came strutting
along with her chnging to his arm, and
| was left to sympathize with the other
boys on the cooperative plan. 1t was
very funny for the runt, but it was
tough on the remainder of the gang.
l tell you, boys of to-day, bitter and
sweet were pretty well mixed in the
counting Of those good days of the
long ago.-Bloominglon Through Mall
Ex-senator Sharon's estate, il
which Sarah Hill-by the decision Of
the Court, "Mrs. Sharon''-will share.
is put down at 3d. 600, 900. Ex-Judge
] GnD,ro VIZ TN,1,. Me-. IJ:11,. 10000