Tombstone epitaph., 1891-02-15
POLLY MADE A MATCH.
A Bashful Youth Helped Out by . Bird
 That Spoke Up.

A Bashful Youth Helped Out by . Bird
 That Spoke Up.
 "A parrot is usually regarded, know, as very mischievous, meddlesome bird, and all the stories are of their interfer- ence and trouble making, but have al- ways believed that l owe my life's hap piness to one of them" remarked MT. M. C. day or two ago to the St. Louis Globe-Democrat's Attica (N. Y.) correspondent The story being en- treated, MT. C. continued:
 'l was the most tashful youth you eyer saw, the very shyest imaginable, especially where ladies weua concerned. Twas fond of their society, enjoying it so that sought it as often as could, and yet at the same time in perfect agony of bashfulness if required to an- swer the simplest question, or to express an opinion on any subject, while to be asked to button a glove or any such lit tie service would throw me into such state of nervous excitement that usual- ly ended in making an awkward dunce of myself. visited at one house where the girls, or, rather, two of them, romp. ing. high-spirited misses, took the keen est delight in playing upon this bashful- ness of mine, but secretly adoring the other sister-the eldest-I bore this pa- tiently, for, while she could not always refrain from laughing at her sisters pranks, and the confusion they threw me into, she herself never leased me.
 But to get to Miss Polly. She was a green bird with yellow head and a wicked eye and habit of walking in the flower garden, where in little sum- mer house fitted up as parlor the girls were fond of entertaining their com pany during the pleasant months. This bird was sitting one day on trellis near by, when in state of the greatest excitement l came to this summer parlor, and, meeting servant, sent Miss Nellie word to please meet me there. I had heard that rival had appeared on the scene and that it was thought that the girl had loved so long in silence was favoring the newcomer, but had made up my mind to find out the truth of the report by speaking at last in my own cause. I had fully determined in doing this, which seemed an easy task, till caught sight of her sweet face as she advanced toward me; then my cour- age fled, and in abject terror l waited for her. I I,stammered out some foolish speech intended for an apology and sat looking at her, dismayed to see how. .un- usually quiet and depressed she seemed, while Polly, walking up and down the trellis, watched us both suspiciously. At last just as 1 decided to put it of, as I had decided hundred times before, that parrot paused in her strutting, and, leaning over, urged: Kiss her! kiss her, quick! you goose!' My heart stopped beating and l scarcely dared steal 8 glance at Miss Nellie, but when l dld she was blushing so divinely, her lips were so tenn pting and, well, there was look in her eyes that told me delicious secret; so, with sudden cour- age, leaned forward and with a May l, Nell? followed PoIl's sage advice.
 "Yes, my wife's name is Nellie, and Poll, now gone the way of all flesh, now stands upon our mantel, beautifully stuffed and prized most highly. In all probability I would have allowed the treasure l coveted to slip through, my fingers had she not helped me out, for my wife has since told me she had just decided it was lost time to continue to love man so bashful that he would not take his own, and that she would try and like the other fellow"