Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1890-08-23
ABRAHAM'S C0URTSHIP.

During my residence on a north
Georgia plantation one of my chief
pleasures was TO listen to the charac-
teristic stories related by the unedu-
Gated ruralists.
One day during the summer while
dozen or more negro and white
laborers were resting at noon, after
having eaten their dinners from their
tin buckets in the shade of the trees
which bordered vast wheat field,
Abraham Jennings, a tall, slender
man of about 45 years, was induced To
recount the story of his courtship-a
theme to which he had not unfre-
quently alluded as being of somewhat
more than passing interest
His innuendoes had excited the in
terest of his hearers and the entire
group sat open cared during the re-
cital.
''Gi' me the water jug, Jake. you
black rascal, Of you're left anything
in ID" he called out TO giant negro
who had just lowered the article in
question from his lips to the grass
After ministering 10 his thirst with
the neck of the jug between his lips,
he began, with the air of one who very
much enjoys telling AN experience:
II saw my ole oman fur the fust
time he said. stroking his full. iron
gray beard with his sunburned hand,
whilst a tender expression stole into
his face, lover thar on the Preston
farm.
Her pap, Jim House, had jist come
over the mountain from Eannin', aad
was one o the Preston senters
went thar fur the purpose o buyin' a
poke o. seed corn of special variety
which had been the talk considerable
fur its bearin' qualities. an which he
had fetched from Fannin'.
Il fust went to his shack, a pore
enough cabin ii was, too, fur sich
agreeable folks to live in, but it was
the best they could git as it was late in
year when they moved, an good, com
Portable houses was as sca'ce as hen 5
teeth them times.
His wife was busy a-cookin' dinner
at the chimbley, was a-pa;tin' batch
O. meal dough in a oven as ! come up.
She had neat look, an while she was
a-directin' me whar to find Jim, cast
my eyes bit on the inside.
I'D seed as many cabins as the next
un, but that was the most home like
Un u SEED III man. u laiA
1.-THE fiat rocks o the hearth was rs
clean as new straw, not even a speck
o. ashes. An tho shelves, agin tho
logs, was kivered 18th papers cut not
chity on aige. Everything was a.
bright as pin.
II found Jim an his daughter Mary
down in a ten acre field IN the crecl
bottom. He was layin' off corn row
with bay nag in first rate order, sh,
was drappin the seed, an her brother
young strip of a boy, was kiverin i
18th q hoe.
''She come up. ketched up 18th tn,
plow, while me an her pa was tallzin'
thought ON my soul had never seet
another sich. Her face, which | secC
when she showed back her bonnet, wa
the purttiest Id ever put eyes on,
didn't hear half what House had TO say
recommendin' o. the seed. which h,
was powerful partial to, kase had IN.
mind ON her.
He toll Mary to go back 18th me t
the house an fill my poke with TN
corn; an when ] axed i'm how mucl
the damage was he shuck his head an
said Never mind about that-that Ia
b'lieved IN bein noighborly.'
mo words passed 'twixt me an he
on the way. She was SO powerful shy
rs afeard almost 10 draw my breath
much less TO strike up conversation
Her motions couldn't a-becn beat ol
earth.
when we riched the crib, nothir
'cept pen o pine poles, she riehed il
an filled the poke. | toll her | wa
very much obleeged fur the 'commc
dation.
"'Not at ali, she said, 'thout lookir
up, an left me thar.
u stopped behind elump o hushe
in the big road an watched her on th
way back To the field. l never wa
much of han to take on over We
men; in fact. no end o. people was &
the opinion at I'd live an die "A ol
batch, but just thar firmly believe
tuck q turn-leastwise | lknowed
hadn't seed the last o that gal
Tho fust step tuck after that va
20 find out whar they went TO meetin
The meetin' house was two mil
furder'n the one I'd been goin' 10, bt
that didn't mex no odds. Ii was all
could do to wait till Sunday, was i
sot on seein' her agin.
AOu dIO sikOtu " j AttN PAl aRhN
ole Beasley said, agrinnin' known
like. when | overtnck i'm on Il
meetin' house road. You may hay
my ole hat ef itaint Jim Houses q
ats a fetchin' so many o you fcllel
from t'other side the river. You G,
up an fed fore day, I'll bound yol
The parsonll have to have the meetil
house made bigger to 'commodate Il
congregation. Thar's a powerful sigl
o intrust abein' tuck lately in q
word o. the Lord.
II never said nothin', il wasn't /
use. Jest whipped my mule 10 mai
Inn keep up ,ith his hoss, an we wei
on TO the meetin' house.
II hitched an went in.
THAR they sot, Mary an her moth
kide by side on the women's side, aI
House an his son on t'other
i aidRt pay overly much attentic
y what the parson bad 10 say, fur