Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-02-03
WHY HE WAS SINGLE.

=
No, l never was much of a margin
man, an that's the reason / allus staid an
old bachelor. Ny father only got married
oncet, though. an come within one of as
many times as he did.
This is why I'm single: One day when
was at Miss Slimmins' little shop want
ed to git some thread to sew on buttons,
an Miss Slimmins, she ups an says, smilin
Hike:
.sBilkins," says she, syou ought to git
married an have somebody to sew on your
buttons for you"
81 don't know says l. II never did
git married yit, an I'd hardly know how
TO 20 aboutit Idon't see as any one would
want to marry me-" says ].
'sOh, plenty of 'em would" says she
"Such q fine lookin, nice young man as
you be, an a-makin good Twin too. The
trouble is you're too modest" says she.
'Tm sure you can find real nice wife If
you only try" an then she sniggered as u
she had been a-sayin sumpin real funny
swell. I'll think about it, says ].
After got to my room ] got to thinkin
about what she said, an it did seem kind
a-lonesomelike. / got to cogitatin over the
girls an concluded there was only one as
I'd take.
made up my mind to do it, but didn't
know how. So jest settled down that a
have talk with young Squire blackstone,
"a mighty risin young lawyer an a'great
hand with the ladies.
Well, comes next mornin, goes down
TO Squire Blackstone's Office an found him
alone, an then / ups an tells him all about
. 1T an asked his advice as to what was the
right way to go about it.
aWeli, Bilkins, says he, "the only way
to do is to get the lady what has captured
your heart an tell her so like man. i
don't want to seem 'quisitive, but I'd hate
10 see you marry somebody as was not
good enough fer you"
"No fears of that, squire" says /.
"Shes Jest the incest lady ever see, an
don't mind tellin you her name, rs be-
tween friends" says L. cts Miss Annie
Dalrymple, as lives up ON the hill with her
widowed mother"
The squire gave n long whistle, an then
he kind "a laughed casylike an said:
lyon aim high, Bilkins. You won't be
a-throwin of yourself away, an in matters
Of this kind it's always better to aim too
high than too low" NJ then he said
sumpiD about ga faint hedrt not bein fair
to the lady," an that it wouldn't do any
harm to be tryin of it on anyway" Well,
that same afternoon put on my best
clothes an went up on the hill to Widow
Dalrymple's an it bein summer time
found Miss Annie a-sittin out on the porch
a-readin of book an a-lookin sweeter
than ever see her before, it seemed to me.
An when comes up she held out her hand
an smiled an said:
Glow d'y' do, Mr.. Bilkins''-she allus
said Mr. Bilkins--''I am pleased to see you
Come up on the porch an take Il seat.
| was kind of upset, an didn't know
what to say, but she didn't seem to notice,
SO fin'ly got brave an tVd her all about
it plumb straight through. About Miss
Slimmins' advice an about my thinkin
over all the young ladies in the town an
decidn that she was the only real nice one
in the whole lot an about nay dreamin on
it all night an goin to Squire Blackstone
in the mornin an his advice, that the only
way to do was to tell her about it, cause
"a faint heart wasn't fair to the lady"
An she jest listened 60 all had TO say,
which made it so much easier fer me, an
smiled her sweet smile all through, an
when came to the end she says:
~ am sure you do me n great honor
Mr.. Bilkins, for honest admiration il
sumpin one can't 'preciate too high, an ]
thank you fer havin been so frank with
me- OWN to previous engagement, it
would be impossible fer me to consider the
Offer but you can tell Squire Blackstone
that you did not have Il faint heart an was
perfectly fair to the lady, who will always
be pleased to be remembered as your
friend"
Them was her very words.
~ hope there's no offense," says l,
"bein as none was intended"
"Nonc at all, Mr. Bilkins," says she.
"none Mt all, assure you"
An then ! made my manners an left her.
She was allus my friend, an the next
fall when she an Squire Blackstone got
married ] got purity invite to the weddin
through the postoflice, directed to Mr.
Thomas Bilkins, an / went to the weddin
too, an shook hands with the bride an
groom, an she had the same sweet smile
that allus liked to see, an got lots OF
nice eatin's, an the bride cut me off n big
slice Of the weddn cake herself, what she
give to me to dream on.
No. never did see no other lady aswas
like her. an SO | never did git married,
but il it hadn't "a been fer that there 'prc-
vious engagement" there amt no tellin
what mightn't N happcned.-H. J. S. III
New York Press.