The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-06-01
s0UAN CREEK FOLKS.
AUNT NARY JASON TELLS OF A LOB
STER AND A MARRIAGE. xr

&@@ssA~Ns@
Shiny In His Cisws-Queer End Of
Humble Oourtship BY the Sea.
John Reeds son Abner had been sort q
chimp up to my darter Polly fur seyera
months when I got hold Of him one event.
and SOC:
"Abner, IL pears to me that the seldom
ness with which you cum here Is abou
five nights week. Do you feel yoursel
drawed this way by anything In pertick
lerp"
II do, Amt Mary, he see as he blushe
clear down to his chin.
SIS 1t Pollyi"
at is. I'm In love with her, and
want to ak II kin hev herr"
"Abner," SEE as moshuns him to SO
down, "luvin gal 10 one thing and pur
vidin fur wife Is another. How you 30
in to support wifeS Polly has got biz
appetite, and it will take bar'ls and bar'l
of -four and pork and taters to pull he
through. She's as savin as most Of 'em
but she wants q new p ar of shoes every
var, and the dresses and stockin's and fix
ms all cost money. How you goin to d.
IT, Abnera"
"Ketchin Holsters" SEE no as he turns
pale clear back to his ears
"Ketchin HOLSTERS is all right, Abner
as fur as 1t goes, same as tongin fur CLANS
and oysters, but thar's nuthin sure bout
1t. One day you may ketoh dozen, and
every one will be whopper, and then
agin you may not git one fur three or fou,
days. HOLSTERS is queer critters, and lob.
ster marriages can't be reckoned on fun
happiness"
"I've found powerful big clam bed, u
SEE Abner arter awhile and lookin kinder
hopeful as he said it.
"I'm favorin Of CLAIMS as fur as fritters
CO." SOC I, 'but my ole man never made a
dollar day when clammin. hain't
nuthin ag In you as q young man, Abner,
and everybody in Squan Creek speaks we'll
Of you, butt guess you'd better sort Of sheer
of till you hev got at least 800 ahead to
start on"
kin I hev Poll when I've got hun
dred9" he asks. with gulp in his throat
said that he could, and feelin to pity
him cut him half a pumpkin pie and got
him drink Of hard cider and sent him
home feelin leetle more chirk. That same
night said to Polly:
"I've bin talkin with Abner, and he's
to marry you when he gifts 500 ahead.
Don't go to weepin around now and wear
In out your handkerchief a-pullin your
nose, but help me to make that soft soap
and trust to luck. II Abner has any git
up in him, he'll be claimin you inside Of
three months"
81 toll oh ln11 r
had a mighty curious dream. knowed that
Abner had some lobster pots out but I
lidn't know jest whar. seen 'em in my
dream, however. In one of the pots thar
was only one lobster but he was a whop-
pin big Teller and looked to be so vars
old. He had suthin shiny in his claws,
but I couldn't make out what 1t was. I
seen that critter of lobster jest as plain
ns sec that door, and when I woke up I
couldn't skassly believe 1t was dream.
Next night I dreamed the same thing
ag'in, and in the mornin I see Abner's
father passin by, and SEE to him:
"Good mornin, Mr.. Reed. How's tho
fish a-runnin these days?'
"No fish to speak Of, Aunt Mary" sea
he.
"Is Abner doin any great with his lob
stcr potsp''
"Can't say that he is, as he hasn't bin
out fur two or three days.
Then told him to go and tell Abner
to go out and fish up the pot furthest to
the south and take keerful look at the
big lobster, and he said that he d do 1t and
went along home. That evenin l was
windin carpet rags and Polly was SEWN
when somebody opened the door without
knockin, and looked up to see Abner
Reed. His face was all a-grin, and he
couldn't keep his heels on the floor, and
had to ak him If his mother was dead or
tho COW had got mired on the marsh be-
fore he said:
"Aunt Mary, I've cum fur to say that
men Pollyl1 be married next week."
"Mebbe you WILL" SEE I, "but that's 40
cordin. Did you go out to the lobster pots
today"
II did,"
"And did you find thumpin big Teller
In that last pot to the south2"
81 did!' he seq, with an awful grin.
"Waal, drempt he had sunthin shiny
in his claws and If you hahn t run a'gin a
post and knocked the sense outer your head
I'd like to know what 1t was"
ut was diamond ring, and I've sold |
It fur $3.50, and here's the CASH. That's
my 800 and sunthin to spare, and l had
your word fur 1t about Polly"
I was never SO nigh knocked out in all |
my life, and it was six or seven minits be-
fore could git my breath. I'd drempt Of
that lobster and seen that ere diamond In
his claws, and that Abner should go out
thar and find 1t all 80 and make a CARLOAD
Of money seemed so strange that my feet
got numb and chills went over my back.
Polly she busted out cryin. and Abner
cried and danced around, and it was like
a camp meetin fur awhile. Bimeby SEE
to Abncr:
II don't believe you kin find 1t in any
try that the Lawd has anything to do
with Holsters, but this ere is proof that he
dors, and it would DO sinful fur me to
stand out ag'in it. Twas inspired to dream
of that big lobster, and you was inspired
TO go out and find that diamond ring he d
picked up sumwhar on the bottom. Pol.
ly, are you sure you luv Abner almost to
death and that you'll hang yourself to that
bedpost If you can't marry him9"
"I'm sure" sez she.
"And, Abner, are you allus goin to luv,
honor and cherish and wash the dishes
when she's got headache, and mind tho
Young uns when she wants to run over to
see ma bout what's good fur the chicken
3ox and whoopin cough2"
He promised everything, and we all
'orter wept some more, and they got mar
led the next Tuesday. They hain't either
me Of EN- melted away from too much
happiness yit, but they is az well off as
most folks, and they feels as do-that the
,ull thing was kind Of fixed up in heaven.
Yes, Holsters is curious critters, mighty
,ur Gus, but the Lawd made EN- that way, .
md guess it's all right NJ. QUAD.
Sign OF Trip Abroad.
"Mrs. Gaswell, your daughters visit
o Europe seems to have made her quite
poliShed Young woman