Nevada County picayune., 1890-11-27
A TASTEFUL MAN.

A Senator from Arkansas was q aa i've 0f Hic.nIn county, Irun. Du one occasion a member of Con aress was iamcniing his own bash. fJlucsS aad awkwafdne9s. Why, ,4id the SenaDor from Arkansas, you don't ,nnN what bashiulness is. Let mc tell tou story. and when l get through l will stand the bob. if you don't agree you never knew any thing about bashfuness and it's bane ful effects. 1 was tine most bashiuI i boy west of the Al cghenies. wouldn't look at a girl, much less speak to one: bHt for aiI that l fell desperately iii love with sweet, ! beautiful neighbor girl. It was 2 desirable match on both sides, and the old folks saw the drift and fixed 1 it up. l thought should die just thinking of it. l was q gawky, awk- ward hoy, about l9 years old. She was an intelligent. refined, fairly ed uca,ed girl. in country and at a time when the girls had superior ad- yantagcs and were. therefore, supe- rior in culture to boys l fixed the day as far as could put it off. l lay awake Tn cold precipitation as the time drew near, and shiyered with agony as l thought of the terrible ordeal.
 The dreadful day came. went through the program somewhat in q dazed. confused, mechanical sort of way, like an automatom booby. l could eat nothing and played at such games as 'possum pie, Sister Phoebe. and all that sort of thing, The guests one by one departed, and my hair began to stand on end. Be yond the awful curtain lay the terri blc unknown. My blood grew cold and boiled by turns. felt like flee ing 10 the wpods. spending the night in the barn, leaving for the West never to return. 1 was deeply de voted to Sallie. l loved her harder than mule can kick, but that terri bic ordeal l could not, dare not stand 1t. Finally the last guest was gone. the bride retired, the family had gone to bed, and l was left alone with the old man. John, said he, you take this candle, you will find your room just over this. Good night, John, and may the Lord have mercy on your soul, and with mis- chieyous twinkle of his fine gray eyes he left the room. l mentally said Amen" and when l heard him close a distant door, 1 staggered to my feet and seized the farthing dip with nervous grasp. l stood for some minuses contemplating my ter riblc fate, and the inevitable doom about to overwheiu me. knew it could not be avoided, and yet hes itatod to meet my fate like man. l stood so long that three love letters grew on the wick of the tallow dip and q winding sheet was decorating the sides of the brass candlcstick.
 "A happy thought struck me. l hastily climbed the stair, marked the position of the landing and of the door of the bridal chamber. l would have died before l would have dis robcd in that holy chamber, where awaited me q beautiful and trembling girl, a blushing maiden, clothed upon with her own beauty and mod esty and her snowy robe de nuit l would make the usual preparations without, blow out the light, open the door, and let friendly night shield my shrinking modcsty and bashful- ness and grateful darkness at least mitigate the horrors of the situation. It was done. Preparations for re turing were few and simple in their character in Hickman, altogether consisting of disrobing, and owing to the scarcity of cloth in those days, man was something near the Adamic state when he was prepared to woo sleep. The dreadful hour had come. was ready. l blew out the light, grasped the door knob with death Iy grip and nervous clutch; one moment and it would be over. One moment and it wasn't over, lcapcd within aad there around a glowing fire, wi.h candles burning brightly on the mantel and bureau, was the blushing bride, surrounded bv six lovely bridesmaids