Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1898-03-31

that night and travelled on with Kim.
The next day they came To a settlement
where the preacher was goin' 10 hold
quarterly meetin'. 1t was down in
Poscy county, lndiany, in elearin in
I woods, and all the houses was log
cabins with puncheon floors and stick
and-mud chimleys. They was the first
houses gran'dad had seen in four days
travel, and they looked mighty in
vitin'.
he preacher walt to one house and
toll gran dad he'd better go to another
that he pinted out, for il might not be
convenient Tor one family To entertain
them both. Backwoods folks was
mighty clever, but sometimes they was
scarce in the matter OF plates and
spoons, though they always had plenty
10 eat, such as it was, anu were glad to
have company. The men folks ct with
tnelr hunJtn knives, and silver and pew
ter w. not SO common that they was
used every day and in every house.
Well, as gran dad was goln' in at the
door or the caoin where ne was TO ask
for his dinner, he saw girl standin' at
49, - paw II IA AASkis TIC NlCdIl1 DG-
in near the river, where fish was plen-
~. She was about II, was barefoot and
had on blue linsey wool dress. Her
hair was yaIler and her cheeks was like
red apples. Gran dad he walked up to
her and give her look. She looked at
him, blushin' little, and her blue eyes
dancin' with mischief
" How-de-do? said CRANE dad. You
amt the woman of the house, know,
for you amt married The girl
laughed and blushed more than ever
a. she said she wasn't the woman of
the house. My, you're purity, gran dad
said. I'm mighty glad you amt mar
ried, but you're too purity to stay
single
Maybe you're lool<in' for a wife,
said the girl, still laughin as though it
were mighty good joke.
Now, gran'dad hadn't a notion of
gettin married till that minute. but
something seemed to strike him all of a
heap just then. His legs shook under
him like a green hunters does when he
sights his first buck. Great drops of
sweat came out on his face, and his
mouth felt as dry as though he had Il
tech of fever. This passed off in less
time than it takes me to tell it; then he
braced up and come a little nearer TO
the blue-eyed girl. He gave a sort of
gasp, as if he had been runnin' hard.
then said, quite steady and earnest:
'1es, l am lookin' for u wife, and YOU
suit me tirst-rate. viii you have me q
Tie purity girl didn't laugh any
more. for she see that he was in earnest.
Have your she said, so astonished
she could hardly speak You must be
crazy. / don't even know your name,
and you don't know NINE.
Well, my name is Tom Martin. ;
gran dad said, serious and steady. L
am from Nirginny, and I'm going to
lllinoy to take up a claim. I've got $500
in money; | don't drink nor swear, am
a church member and % years old.
What's your name?'
:" Jane Smith, she answered. taking
up the fish and putting some more in
the pan.
Wen, Jane Smith. like your looks
and like you. Will you have me, now
or never?'
Well, | don't mind. said Jane. think
in it over until the last piece was in the
pan and the grease sputterin' away at
great rate. | don't mind, and don't
care if do
Now, guess you think grandad put
his arms round her and kissed her and
said something soft, for that's what
folks always do in story books when a
girl says she will have 'em, but he didn't.
lie knowed better. The chance was that
Jane, bein' proper brought up. would
have clipped him side of the head with
the fryin' fork So he Just went to the
door and sung ont to the circuit rider
to come there. The preacher he come
in a hurry Grandad told him in few
words that he wanted to be spliced to
Jane Smith, then and there He didn't
ask no questions, the preacher didn't,
but told them to jine hands. James
mother had been TO the spring TO fetch
some water and just now come in. Her
father and brother had been in the
stable givin' the horses their noon feed,
and they happened in; then all stood
starin' as if they were daft, while Jane
laid down the fork she's been tIrnin'
fish with. gave her hand to grandad.
and they We're man and wife in less
than two minutes. Then Jane went on
fryin' fish for dinner.
THAT evening they had big supper,
for word had been sent all around the
settlement inyitin' people to come, and
after supper there WIZ some whisky
drunk. for in those days preachers and
deacons took their dram regular and
never thought of doin' any harm. There
was dancin', TOO. and the young men
wore moccasins they had made them
selves, and most of the girls was bare
foot. The bride borrowed a pair Of
cowhide shoes and tuck-comb for the
party, put on her best linsey gown and
danced with the rest
"Grandad stayed three days with his