The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1893-01-27
AN ODD C0URTSHlP.

EDeneZer OtlcAuey anu 1Olly wig
gins were both native residents of Port
Ryerse, small hill-surrounded village
ON the northern shore of Lake Erie.
Ebenezer was forty-fve, miller by
trade and bachelor from choice.
Polly was a maiden of thirty seven
every body declared that was her age,
though all had seen and read these
words traced by Polly's own fingers in
the sand ON the beach times without
number. Polly Fidelia Wiggins, aged
twenty-three.
Ebenezer lived all alone in o lonely
house near the mill Polly lived with
her sister, and was the only milliner,
dressmaker and general seamstress the
place could boast Of
One afternoon, when the sun was
creeping down the hills, Polly threw
aside the shirt she was making for Eb-
enezer Stickney, and, taking her sis.
ter's children, went down on the beach
for walk. Half an hour afterwards
Ebenezer was walking in the same di-
rection. He had been kept away from
the mill all day by o felon. which
neither hot lye nor lemon, nor half O
dozen poultices could drive from his
thumb
He walked along over the shingly
beach, holding the afflicted thumb ten.
derby in his palm.
At length, through an opening in a
cluster of elders, he discovered Polly
Wiggins. 1t was raw day in early
Spring, but for all that Polly's hat was
off and she was bowling and gesticu.
lating and apparently engaged in
earnest conversation.
Polly is either going crazy or else
she's trying to perform like them thea.
tire folks we saw when we took that
excursion to Buffalo.
So saying Ebenezer crept cautiously
up to the intervening bushes. He
parted the bushes carefully and peered
through, chuckling to himself with
delight, while the pain in his thumb
was entirely forgotten as he watched
Polly go through one of her surprisin q
bows. But the broad smile disappeared
from the listeners face, leaving look
of blank astonishment as be heard
Polly say:
Yes, Ebenezer Stickney, 1 consent
to marry you on four conditions"
He saw her glance timidly, not at the
whiskered face among the bushes, but
at a stump; then, as if she had been
asked what those conditions were, she
went on:
You must quit wearing that snuff.
colored, pigeon tailed coat that your
grandfather was married in. You must
smoke cigars, instead of always having
that old, black, Dutch pipe in your
mouth. Then you must shave of those
old-fashioned, grizzly gray whiskers
and raise mustache, and quit riding
that dingy-white, bob. tailed, mean.
looking rackabones of horse every.
where you go, and with your coat tails
hanging down to cover his ribs, too.
That old pigeon-t tailed coat 1t looks
bad enough any time, but ten times
worse when you're on horseback.
Ebenezer looked sober enough now,
and hung his head like scolded boy.
He was very proud of his personal APP
pearance, and often said to himself as
he arranged his collar before the glass ::
There isn't o married man around
that can compare with me for starch.
ings and sickness"
And it there was time when he
thought he looked particularly grand
1t was when he was dressed in his Sun
day suit and mounted on his faithful
white horse. He was trying to make
up his mind whether he ought to step
out and call her the biggest simpleton
in all creation, or go off about his bust
ness, when Polly began talking again
in IL tender, chiding tone, as if her feel.
ings had been hurt.
"Oh, Ebenezer; how can you ask il
love you ? Didn't Jim Winters pack
off to California just because I wouldn't
have him? Didn't Ruby Oakes try to
drown himself because I mittened himi
Didn't l refuse Jerry Vail only last Sun.
day just for you? And after I've wait.
ed hatween hope and despair all these
years, You ask me that?"
And Polly covered her face with her
hands as if to conceal either her bushes
or her tears, but shortly she uncovered
her face-and pretty, pale. though
somewhat careworn face it was-and
continued
You're very kind and thoughtful,
Ehenezer, to ask me about fixing up
your house. Where you've lived so
many years can't help being happy
home for me; but might suggest one
or two little Improvements, seeing you