The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-11-13
FUCKERS WOOING.

Although: + E'armer Fucker had long
dreamed of a visit to Chautauqua,
when he found himself at that Mecca
of devout excursionists, early last Au-
gust, the brawny man was tempted to
doubt his own identity. The holiday
surroundings were wholly unlike any
thing to which he was accustomed in
his prosy New England home; the rich
crowded program offered was in strik-
ing contrast to the dull monotony OF
farm life. When this son of toll first
entered the auditorium, and saw that
amphitheater crowded with thousands
of people listening breathlessly to the
full, sweet tone of the grand organ, his
cramped, selfish heart was strongly
touched and expanded. For an in
stant the wish crept m that he had
asked Jane if she would like to come,
too. But there was not much timefor
his own thoughts, for as the music
ceased white-haired speaker arose
and was introduced to the audience as
John B. Cough.
At this announcement Samuel Tuck
er's satisfaction. was to great to be
/ kept to himself, and! he said, half
aloud, to his next neighbor: "Well
now, am beat to, think Pm going to
hear the man I've wanted to hear for
more'n 20 years" The young lady
! gave an amused little laugh, but it fell
unheeded upon the msophisticated
speaker whose attention was already
caught by the orator.
Mr.. Cough commenced his brief lee
ture with one. of his .inimitable de-
/ scriptions. The story was of man
who applied for q divorce and was ad-
vised by his eminent lawyer to try the
effect of making love to his wife as he
had done before marrying her, instead
| of resorting to the measure he had
proposed. 1t tincluded also an account
of a late visit when the happy husband
withdrew his application; and, fairly
dancing with glee, assured the lawyer
that his experiment had worked like a
! charm, that "Sally had become an
amiable and affeetionate wife as a man
could ask to have"
Mr.. Coughs representation of the
scene drew forth long applause, but
! Samuel fuckers interest was of too
serious g. nature to permit his Joining
in the laughter. AS ifhalfunconscious
| for a moment, of the multitude about
| him, he said In an undertone: "I'd
be willing to take my oath that
! wouldn't work with Jane. All have
| to say is,that mans wife was different
! from mine; I'd as soon think of feed
ing serrup to mummy as to begin
! sparkling again with her"
It would seem that this course of
reasoning did not wholly dismiss from
| the farmers mind a train of thoughts
and possibilities suggested by the
| lecturers story. In every treat ofthe
| following days-at sacred service or
! popular lecture, at the museum or by
the model of the Holy land, while
listening to concert or gazing with
! throngs upon the illuminated fleet, the
! far away husband was relentlessly fol
! lowed by a. vision of hard worked
| Jane, looking upon him with reproach-
, full eyes. At length he quieted his con-
/ science with the determination to
prove that his estimate of his wife was
correct. "When [ go home," he said
to himself, "I'n just show the woman
some little attentions, and I'll see they
won't have any more effect on her
| than they would on the old bay mare.
James bound to be sullen and obstin-
ate, and suppose Imay as well make
up my mind to it,
! On reaching home the resolution
was not easily carried out. When Mr..
/ Tucker planned some gallantry toward
his wife the very thought made him
feel so unnatural and foolish that post
| ponement resulted, but the Sabbath
offered an opportunity so convenient
that he improved it.
The farm was nearly mile from
church, yet Samuel Tucker had for
years been in thehabit of driving back
alone, leaving his wife to attend Sun
day school and then walk home as
best she could through mud or dust.
Great was Mrs. Tucker s sastonishment,
therefore, on the Sabbath after his re-
turn, to find him waiting for her at the
close of the Bible service. The faintest
suspicion that he had driven back to
the church for her did not cross the
good woman's mind; she supposed he
had business with some of the brethren,
and was hesitating whether to walk on
as usual or to suggest waiting for him,
when the farmer called out: cts jest
as cheap to ride as to walk" Silently
the wife to her seat in the buggy, and
! silently they drove home, much to the
husbands satisfaction, for it seemed to
him proof of the woman's dull, un-
appreciatlve nature. "She didn't act
pleased, but was only dazed like, as I
knew she would be-" he muttered, as
he went about his midday "chores."
At the same time Mr.. Tucker was
conscious of having performed most
praiseworthy act, and felt so comfort
able that he resolved to repeat the ex-
pertinent. So on the following Sab
bath Jane again found her husband in
waiting, and as she mounted the high
buggy ve1tured to utter half audible
''thank you," and to ask Samuel if he
had been waiting long. To which Mr..
Tucker replied that he had just reach
ed the church, and didn't know but he
might find she had started on foot.
This reply seemed to Jane a positive