The Yazoo sentinel. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1878-1916, 1891-07-16
WHO DID THE WOOING?


It somehow leaked out ia the Big
Creek section that Martha Ann Todd
proposed to Jim Simkins.
How the story got ahoat no one ex-
actly knew, for Martha certainly never
told It herself, and as for james. be was
never known ia the whole course Of his
existence TO have told anything. Any
how, the report got aaoat. and soon
everyone far and near was talking about
it, aud at every candy party and sugar
in of someone WAS bound to bring up
the subject. and then the question was
added, 'Dld Martha Ana really pro-
pose.n
The facts in the case were that Martha
Ann and james were engaged. Both
Mrs. Todd and Mrs. Simpkins 'had
given this news to the world at Aunt
Jane Wormley's meeting Of the Big
Creek Ladies' Aid Ii was further gen
orally ayr ca that James never had
spupk cauugh to speak for himself, so it
really became an oppressive mystery to
the good people Of the section.
But MI these wonderings and suppose
tioas would have been cleared up had
they been able 10 look into the generous
heart Of AIaftha Ana as she sat by the
western window OF the kitchen doing
crochet work. aud looking ever and anon
over across the snow fields to the Sim
kins farmhouse, behind which sturdy
figure could be seen Justify swinging an
ak.
And this was James.
Martha Ann was as comely girl as
any III the district, and, as Uncle Billy
Mason, the master OF the postofiice and
village emporium, ayerred, "by far the
likeIiestn
Martha Ann was good to look at. She,
was not handsome. She was not pretty.
Her ewes were neither bright black nor
soft blue Her hair had no poetic ten
denotes. Her figure was neither statu-
esgue nor petite; nevertheless Martha
Ann. was mighty pleasant to girl to see.
She seemed to have way OF growing on
one, for her voice was always musical,
and her smile ever cheerful and encour-
aging.
She was now probably twenty-seven
years Of age, perhaps younger-it doesn't
matter She was 4 woman. healthy, en-
ergetic, a farmers daughter who had
worked all her life and was proud Of it,
who had taken first prize at the county
fair for bread, and had won a medal at
the same institution for a patchwork
quilt. She had made all her own clothes
since the day she was sixteen, and, be-
sides that, she could play an organ all
around the other girls.
That wasa big day In the life Of Mar
tina Ann when her ia her came home
with six-stop organ on the wood
sleigh Such beauty as it was, too,
with elegant bracket trimmings and q
cute little rack on top for books and
music. 1t wasn't five minutes after that
organ struck the parior before Corona
tom and 'sThe Battle Of Waterloo
were rolling through the house with 50
sublime and altogether magnificent
tone that Mother Todd dropped right
down on the haircloth sofa, all in her
old clothes, too. and cried, refusing to
be comforted until Martha Ann played
a few bars Of "Nearer, My Sod, to Thee.
But self-confdent rs Martha Ann was
she had for five years been Heating on q
sea of conjecture as to what Jim Slmp
kins really meant by coming over TO the
house aud talking politics with her
father and ''seeing" her home from
church every Sunday night. She some
how could not locate James in her list Of
certainties.
For long time Martha Ann seriously
doubted whether ne loved her or not.
and it was not till she felt in her heart
that she was all in all to him that she
began to scheme how to make it easy
for James TO propose.
For months she laborcd over this prob
lem. Every once and awhile Of Sunday
evening, as they strolled home together
by the creek, she would throw out a
s.feeler.r but he never understood. Dur
ing all this time she made herself as at
tractive as she knew how and played her
sweetest pieces on the organ with no
further result than getting him used TO
sitting on a haircloth chair without de-
string to tip It back against the wall, as
was his custom with the kitchen furniture
Although all her schemes came to
naught. Martha Ann never lost heart She
was sure Of one ihing and that was that
James was dying to ask her. bat couldn't.
So She looked at Il as perfectly proper /
that she should help him out.
The nearest he had ever come to say
ing something vital was on day in the /
preceding Fail when he had come over
70 help her pick some grated apples.
These apples were 50 large and precious
that the greatest care had to be taken n /
gathering them On this occasion James
was up amid the branches Of the tree On
q siep-ladder, and Martha Ann stood on
tie ground catching each apple. one By
one. in her apron.
Whether looking up 80 continuously
heightened her coloring OF not. james
thought she had never looked 50 bean
tiful and altogether womauly before, and
he registered az oath in his heart. for
be never svofe. that $50 help him Uncle
John Rogers. be would ask her the min
ute be got down" He eren got quite
brilliant up there on the ladder. and
4ciualIg ioked while Martha Ann
heamcd one continuous smile.
fina'i7 - gathered al iiAs apples -
his reach. and 50 had 20 come down 70
get rev position. Bat with each
downward step down ue1f his courage.
srd.t vas only By sup1rhuman Effort +
tt.i Be mauaeed b. .14
,fIou'rc looking nrrfffstn sH 1.I ..sf