Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1895-02-22
SCARED OUT OF A WIFE.

Inc narrative which 1 an . OO0
to writ was told TO me one black
cold night, in country parlor.
was one OF those nights in mid
winter, when the wind swept ovei
the land, making everything tingl,
with its frosty breath, that [ wa
seated before a blazing 6rt, sur
rounded by jolly half dozen boyI
and an Old bachelor-Peter Green
about forty and eight years old.
1t was just the night without t
make those within enjoy a gOOC
story, so each of us had to tell bis
favorlte story, save Mr.. Green, anC
as he was a jolly old fellow. we al
looked for jolly story. We wei q
somewhat surprised to hear him
say, 81 have no story that vOnld
interest you,' so we had to fl I'd
other entertainment for a time,
when one of the boys told me to ak
him how it happened he never got
married. So | did.
"Well; gentlemen" he began,
"lt don't look right for me to tel
how that happened, but as it j:
about myself don't care much
You see when I was young we had
to walk as high as five miles to
church and singing school, which
was our chief enjoyment. But this
dldu,t have anything TO do with
with my getting a wife, but | Just
wanted to show you that We had
some trouble them days in gettin z
our sport.
"Johu Smith and | were like
brothers, or like an Iry and her lit
lamb; where one went the other
was sure to go. ST went to see
two sisters, and as ", 7ere not the
best boys imaginable, the old gen
tleman took umbrage and wonldn't
allow us to come near the house,
so we wOnld take the glrls to the
end Of the lane, and there we
would have TO take The final kiss
ave soon got tired OF that kind
of fun, and | told John on our way
to singing school Oae night, that
! was going to take Sadie home,
and that 1 was going into the
house, to.
"He said the old man would ruu
me If | did.
81 told him | was going to risk
1t anyhow, let come what would.
ale said he would risk 1t If !
would.
80 home we went with the girls.
when we got to the end of the
road | told the gIrls we propose d
going all the way.
'Tbey looked at each other In a
way | didn't like too well, but they
said the old folks would be in bed,
50 they didn't care If we did.
'Ihey were a little more surpris-
ed still when l told them we
thought of going IN a little while,
but as all was quiet we had o
trouble in getting into the kitch-
en-.
Then and there We had our first
court. and made up my mind TO
ask Sadie to be my wife the next
time | came.
1T was now just the turn Of
night, aud we had four miles.
walk. | told John we bad 10 be
going. Sc we stepped out on the
porch, but as we did so, the sky
was lit up by lightning, and ole
tremendous thunder peal rolled
along the mountain sides. Its
echo had not died out In the far of
wales until the rain began to drop
from the garnered fullness OF the
clouds. We waited tor it to stop
until we we're all sleepy, when the
girls said we should go to bed in
the little room at the head OF th
kitchen, as their father didn't get
up early, we could be home befoTe e
the old folks were astir. 50 after
bidding the girls a sweet goodnight
aud hugging them a little, aud
wishing them pleasant dreams
and promising them to come back
next Saturday night, we started
for bed.
We didn't have far to go, as th'
bed stood near the head OF the
stars. John was soon in bed
but as | was always little slow
aud full of curiosity, | was Looking
around the little room.
At last l thought | would 81
down on chest hich sat spread
oyer with nice white cloth, wh ell
stars of the Il lst, | welJ plum /
iltO a big egg custard pie.
thought John would die laugh
ing for he said I had smashed th'
cdstard all to thunder, aud th,
plate right IN two.