Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1895-01-18
NOT TO BE BULLTED.

It was the boast of Colonel McCofin
Bales Of Kentucky that none but a dis
tinguished man had the hardihood to
propose marriage to one Of his daugh-
terE The old man was, an aristoorat by
blood and long experience, was afraid Of
no one, drank liquor gracefully, smoked
home grown tobacco and had, while the
owner of q woodward on Green river,
knocked down more steamboat men than
any other man in his state. He argued,
and with justice, it must be admitted,
that it was his duty to protect the affec-
lions OF his daughters, to guard them
agninst Misrepresentation. "See that o
man is worthy Of your love before you
give it to him, " he was won't to say.
Establish a and thereby justify a
an effect. There are many ways by
which a man may distinguish himself
by bravery, by skill in certain directions
but a woman must look to marriage.
There are ways for her to become no
t%orious, to got herself talked about, but
her truest distinction must come through
her choice Of q husband"
Finally all the girls a v one were
married of. Rose had been plucked by
o man who was put off until he had
snatched distinction from the tight hand
Of fate. And this is the story they tell
Of him. He had been q failure, a mere
nobody, up to tho time he accepted the
challenge of a ringmaster to ride a trick
mule. Ho had failed as a distiller-and
when q man fails at that business in
Kentucky there is IN organic weakness
about him-he had failed as a county
clerk, as town marshal; he had owned
a slow horse, acow that was dry half the
time-in fact, it was agreed that there
was no hope for him. But a circus came
along. He was a candidate for sheriff at
the time, but with no chance of success.
Even his best friends guyed him.
Well, he went to the circus and sat
on one of the high seats, unhonored, un-
discovered. The trick mule was led out
and in due time slammed the senses out
of a livery stable negro. Again the chal-
lenge was shouted, but the negroes
shook their heads, and it was not expect
cd that any II but a negro would come
forward The crowd wa disappointed.
Wa there no one there with nerve
enough to espouse the cause Of the peo-
ple2 Just at this moment Shanks Boyle,
the failure, arose and said that he reck-
oned that he would undertake the job.
And he rode the mule.
And they say that the poor thing
squatted and prayed for mercy. Boyle
was elected sheriff, and then the next
year was short in his accounts, but that
made no difference, for his friends, true
admirers of genius, made up the deficit.
Shortly after this he married Rose Bales.
The remaining daughter was named
Lily. She was the handsomest flower in
the garden, and no young man in the
community had an excuse to fall in love
with her. But not long ago there stroll
ed into the neighborhood a lank, pecul-
lar looking fellow who said that he was
on the lookout for a chunk of a wife.
This was said at Nesbitt's store, and it
was said in a matter Of fact way by the
young, lank fellow as he sat ON a nail
keg, splitting through his teeth. Bill
Nesbitt turned to him and remarked:
II reckon you've come to the right
place. There's a girl up yonder OF the
hill-old Colonel Bales daughter. She'd
make you q monstrous fine wife"
The fellow spat through his teeth
and remarked that he was somewhat
particular as to what sort of a family
he married into. I've been on the look
out for quite awhile, " said he, land l
amt seed no woman yit that jolted me
much. I'm putty hard to jolt, I reck-
ON. My brother was once in love with a
girl, and he told me that she hit him
-.-wo-N-1 L,-l - --..A iii. IL. 4.
see her, and / sot square in front Of her,
but she didn't hit me one to speak of.
Yes, I'm so blamed particular that
reckon that I'm goin to AVE a good bit
of trouble in findin q woman to suit
me. 1 reckon 1 must have been born that
way. Don't think pap was that way, and
know brother wasn't"
what mout be your r-equirementsy''
Bill asked.
"Oh, after all, ] don't reckon I'm a:
hard to please Gs some fellows. I'm
jest peculiar, thLb's all. There's q
mighty big difference in men as tC
what they demand Of a woman, some
insistin ON one thing and some another,
and the %strangest part Of it all is that
I don't care SO much what she's like as
1 do about her daddy. And have often
thought that l could look at a gal and
tell all about her daddy. / just mach
ully want the old man to be a hummer.
reckon ! must be sorter crazy ON the
subject.
Amt 1t money you're after" Bill
asked
INC l don't care if the old mar
nain't got a cent. / just want him tC
b. different from other folks. don't
know why I'm that way, but / am, and
IcaA't help It. Oh, / could have mar,
ned los Of putty girls with money and
hoses and all that sortof thing, and
liked ihem we'll enough, understand, but
Wouidn't marry 'em because Their dad,
dies did't strike mo rght-had nothir
10 distinguish Themselves with, so t