Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-02-08

wouldn't know which one to put in the
best bed.
Well, he was to have arrived last
Saturday afternoon, but when Sophia
Jane and George went to the depot he
was not there, but had sent a telegram
The agent gave it to them sealed up in
letter; they thought it was full of
electricity, and SO brought it home un-
opened, for fear it would spill out on
the way. I ordered them to keep it
out of the house, SO George laid it on
block, took the ax and chopped the
end off the envelope, and, don't you
think, there was nothing but common
writing in it, and poor penmanship at
that. It said that, owing to the trains
being late and failing to make connec-
tions, he would arrive on the morning
train.
I was just mad, because we had
killed our hog the day before and l
had hurried up and rendered out the
fat so I could make batch Of dough-
nuts and have them warm for supper,
and now he wasn't coming until morn
ing, but finally settled down and eat
hearty meal and went to bed.
got up early, for the train came in
before sunrise, and went to the depot
myself the next morning, so as to be
the first one to meet him. l got there
just as the train stopped, and, seeing q
man get of, run up and Rugged and
kissed him right before the eyes of the
people in the car windows, and I'll be
bound if the man didn't look like a
sheep and began to laugh like fool.
I didn't know what to make of it until
three other men got off, and one of
them came up to me and asked
where Tryphena Higgins lived, and
then I asked him his name, and
10 and behold! it was Solomon. Then
I cast one eye kind of behind me, and
as hope to die, had kissed a niger
| If I hadn't had my veil on when l
kissed him I believe I should have
sunk through the floor when [ found
out my mistake.
Well, I didn't kiss Solomon after
that, for I was so mortified that my
lips wouldn't have smacked if king
had come along. I escorted him home,
and when we got there [ took him to
the front door and told him to wait I'M
til went round the back way and I'M
fastened the lock, for [ had an idea
that like as not Phyletus. Sophia Jane,
and George would all he sitting around
the fire half dressed, and wanted to
get them off to fix up before he saw
them, but when I got in I'll be bound
if Solomon was not there shaking
hands and kissing Sophia Jane, and,
just as [ had supposed, she was with
out her frizzes or false teeth and looked
like SLOUGH. I knew all the time
that the front door wasn't locked, but
I never dreamed OF his trying it and
then walking in to surprise the rest OF
the family.
was fustered to think my little
scheme had failed, but went to work
frying sausage and getting breakfast,
and after while we sat down to eat.
I kept watch of Solomon all through
the meal, and he never once put his
knife into his mouth, but he put his
fork in till I sat and shook for fear be
would stick prong into his tongue.
Why, Fidola, don't you think, he
actually eat pie with his fork! Did you
ever?
I can't tell you all Of the many
interesting things he did and said, but
you know 1 have always calculated that
Sophia Jane was perfect reader, and
so had her show off before him quite
a good many times; and so, one even
ing, after she got through with a piece,
he said he would read US selection.
So listened, and I thought to myself
that if he beat Sophia Jane he would
have to get up pretty early in the
morning. He said he would read
"The Bells" by E. Poe. You have
often seen the piece, and Sophia Jane
always said it was the silliest piece
she ever saw, and 1 myself thought il
wasn't worth the paper it was written
on, and even our schoolma'am had the
scholars skip that piece last winter
because she said it had no sense in it
But you ought to have heard
him read it. While he was
reading the first verse, it made
me think Of the time Phyletus and ]
took the sleigh ride out to Aunt Nan
cy's, the second verse made me think
of a wedding, the third of the Chicago
fire, and the last made me think of the
time 1 was in those turbulent waters ]
told you about
When he got through we all felt as
if there had been funeral in our owl
house. Seeing we felt blue, he read
funny piece about mouse getting into
q mans pantaloons, and we all cheerei
up and laughed. After that we hai
him read every evening, and sometime.
we cried, and then again we laughed
Since he left 1 can hardly get So
,phia Jane to read, and we ali Join il
saving that he is an ingenious" :
think Phyletus and 1 will 20 to Sc,
him next spring, and 1 suppose he viii
come again next winter, for the girl
here are well-nigh crazy over him. anl
if he had stayed another week I be
lieve we could have gotten into tn,
upper-ten society.
1 Miss Hessbold came here to hoarl
before Solomon had been here thre,
days, and do believe she fell in lov,
with him, for while he was here sh,
neglected poor George shamefullv 81
TOR Georges good I was glad whe,
Solomon left. She eats enough to XII
horse, and she, too, always uses he
fork, but I believe she does it beca ms
Solomon did it. 40