Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1891-09-21
HOW l POPPED TO SALLY.
BY BAcKwooDs MILLER.

Inc Yclf the cruei war ocRun,
that found myself in the backwoods Of
Illinois, a stalwart son of the forest; not
quite old enough TO vote, but old enough
TO be in love-yes, desperately in love.
no longer cared for the chase, nor other
rural sports. There seemed 10 be an
aching void beneath the folds of my
striped linsey vest which neither dog nor
gun, nor my big white alley could fill.
wandered about as one in a dream,
and began to look very pale and haggard !;
could neither eat, drink, nor be merry.
My old aunt thought was coming down
with the measles, and insisted upon
drenching me with herb teas; but knew
it was something more dreadful than
measles, and that the remedy lay in an
other direction.
The object of my infatuation was Sally
Jenkins, a neighbor girl, who lived near
by, and likelier lass you could not find
in a days ride. Sally and l had been
playmates from childhood up. We had
roamed the woods together, had climbed
the hills on our stick horses, and made
playhouses in the valley. We made mud
pies and played ~old man and old
woman, and now wanted to play old
man and old woman in earnest.
That great mass of yellow, golden hair
that was flying loose at the sports OF the
wind, and those large blue eyes seemed
60 haunt me by day, and were in my
dreams by night.
The question which was so sorely
worrying me was, whether Sally enter
tanned a similar feeling for me, or did
she regard me as a mere plaything.
Then ! reasoned with myself that she
certainly did care little bit for me, for
didn't she always wear that great spot
ted yellow dress, when called, because
] had said il was pretty and didn't she
wear that speckled bonnet because l adj.
mired it and wouldn't she always wear
hollyhock blossom in her bosom because
il was my favorite fiower7 and didn't
she eat great chunks of molasses candy.
and say il was sweeter because gave il
to her2 Taking 1t altogether, felt that
had some grounds for hope, and so
resolved to investigate the matter.
E "A lDNtly IN ioaIy June,
When birds and bees were all Ia tune"
found me dressed in my best suit Of
homespun clothes, with large holly
hook blossom in the buttonhole of my
striped vest. With peculiar sensation
moving my every nerve, was threading
my may along the winding paths through
the greenwood to the habitation Of the
girl loved.
Yes, had resolved to see Sally, pop
that dreadful question, and have the
suspense over with. If she said yes-it
would be "love in a cottage; !" if she said
no, would go TO the war and be killed,
or get in the guardhouse, didn't care
which. The possibility Of her saying no
was too dreadful to thiuk of. The very
idea of such catastrophe seemed TO cast
a shadow of gloom over this beautiful
June morning.
The big brass buttons on my new claw.
hammer coat would shine and glister
like new tin pan on kitchen wall.
The bees were humming among the
flowers, and the early bird was out after
the worm. The worm and / seemed to
be about the only things that did not en-
Joy being out. The shorter the distance
grew between me and Sally's house the
fainter grew my heart, and the more
dreadful the ordeal before me. Facing a
cannon was nothing TO facing Sally with
this interrogation point in my eyes. 1t
seemed much easier to walk right up to
a cannon and crawl in than to look
down into those blue eyes and ask Sally
TO be my wife. l imagined she would
laugh right in my face at the absurdity
of the thing, or, what seemed ten
thousand times worse, look serious and
say she would be @my sister.
While walking along in this frame of
mind, and wondering how it was all
going to turn out, the red brick chimney
Of Sally's house suddenly loomed up over
the hill. My heart gave a terrible
hounce, and began humping and pound.
ing against my linsey jacket, as if il
knew what was up and had determined
TO burst out and go back home Greal
drops Of cold sweat rolled of my fore.
head, and felt my courage oozing out
at my fingers ends Cold despair had
seized upon me, and down sat on hol-
low log by the roadside. / was not ex.
actly tired, but wanted to reflect mo.
ment and try to pull myself together be-
fore venturing any farther.
While thus engaged, a song burst forth
from a shady bower on the hillside Just
beyond. Ii was the voice of Sally. ane
TO my ear it was far sweeter than any
song the birds had been singing over.
head. In an instant my whole being was
changed from cold despair 10 self reliant
exultant, confident love. Hope rode a
high horse, as rose up and glided Will
catlike tread toward the little nook
from whence the song proceeded.
parted the grapeyinea peered through
and there sat Sally on mossy hilloci
beneath a hawthorn bush, weaving q
wreath Of roses, her long yellow hal
falling in golden ringlets about her shoul
ders, and covered with the white bios
SONS that were softly dropping from the
tree above, and like fakes of snow were
dotting the folds Of that yellow spotted
dress. Her face was wreathed in smiles
and JOY danced in her eyes, as she sang
'Oh. give me q cot In the valley ] love.
A tent IN the greenwood home in the grove
care not how humble. for happy twill Be,