Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1899-09-08
BILL SMITHS COURTSHIP
BY j. I. McVaY.
A GeOrelan's Method OF DispoS'
ing OF his Rival
s:,eaaAGsss9saA&AsAaSAAAss'N

SSs6aaaG@Ss'sSS6S% AaGAaA'4''S'sSS~
Talk crhout gtttin married, fellcrS'
said Rul Smith to some of the boys
GROUPED around the stove in the post
office the other day, "cf ye hay az
much trouble with yer courtin AZ l did
vou'u ricoplcmbcr hit az long az ye
live" ..
what wuz yer 'spericncc, Bill:
chimed in several voices. TELL us
erbOut hit
-Uit WIZ erlong in the fall nv the
vcor. erbout sorgum time, when my
trouble kummence1." said BIZ. down
Mt .Jccms Dostcrs the naborS there
abouts had been a-grindin NY ther
cane, all forwards Their tail end NV the
week hit WuZ Civ ont that thar Wuz
to be cr candy pullin an Shindig ut
Jccms' home Saturday mite. The VIM
men folks made big preparations fer er
monstrous quiltin cndurin NV the day
an the whole thing wuZ ter wind up
with the frolic ut mite.
"Now, thar WIZ err gal in Their sittle-
mcnt by the name NV Nancy Parker,
She WIZ or darter NV OF Coon Parker,
who used ter trap game an sich like up
on the COnnySaugy river. | thought
the sun rlZ an sat in NanCys eyes, fer
she wuz the purticst thing tibet ever
wore caliipr. luved her wuSser than
luvcd possum an later, an you unS
knows possum an tatCrS IL too good ter
talk erbOut. We he'd 81 fallin out, how
sumcver, crbout er Teller by the name
NV Gus Burke, who he'd kun In ter the
nabOrhood ter tceCh skulc, an | had
not been ter see her in sum tim" until
one mite les afOre the frOlic | went
over to her house. Nancy WIZ out at
ther cowpen a-mllliin, an NJ | walked
up l scd:
"'IIcllo, Nancy"
"'Why, hello BIZ! Yc are nulf ter
| cure Their sore eyes. Whar In the
round world hey yc bin keepin yer
self?
"'Oh. I've bin worliin over at the
sorgum mill purity much all day an NV
uitcs, an ies' slipped off ter run over
here an AK We if l could take We ter the
! shindig 1T Jccms DOrStcrs Tomorrow
Mite
"Wcll-er-cr- Bill says she, Gus wuz
over herc-I mean he WIZ passin by
the house las mite, an he sed AZ how
he'd be glad ter cum by an take me
over thar, an tolc him all rite
"'Yc tolc him all rite, did yCE
eyes. Yer know, Bill. thet Their
good book says first cum first sarved.'
"'Flrst cum thunder. IIain't | lived
hercabouts all my nat'ral lifc|
"'Yaas.'
"TIain't bin hawln wood over ter
Their settlement an spend!n my hard
earned money fer candy an sich like
fer YEP
"'Yaas.'
"'Now, this is what l git fur hit.
Long Gums n tioppyeercd, bowlegged,
whamplc jawcd fcllCr, with hi2 har
combcd like las y"ers jaybird's nest,
an We are jcs as sweet az pie ter him.
I'd like ter know what bizncss he's got
hecr anyhow
"'Why, Bill, he's er-goin ter teach
skulc over yon side uv thor cricl at
Sam Beason'S place. thort you know
ed tibet. An they do say he's n nifty
fine Teller
"Who seq SO? III bet er load IVY the
bes' chestnut wood on the mountain
that you're the only one
"'Now, Bill, We oughtn't ter git sc
jealous
Jealous thunder. Who's jealous!
Hit only makes dander riZc ter see one
Nv them city upstairs cum out here an
run over folies jes' cause he's got on
store clothes. They don't make him
no bcttcr'n we uns, but burned sight
wusser, I'm thinkin.'
"Wcll, Bill, we shouldn't judge pee.
pie by their 'pcarance.'
"'No guess not, fer eff we did he'd
er-bin in the chain gang two minutes
after | set my eyes on him. Well,
mus be n-gwine. I've got ter git VI
soon in the mornin an finish hawlil
tibet new groun' cane ter the mill. 81
goodby, Nancy
'Goodby, if you call thct gone.
never seed you in SIGH a hurry hefo'
William
"'Oh, kin stay here tell daybrcal
eff hit suits YOU
81 don't want ter keep yc," she said
Hits gittin bedtime anyway an she
whiskcd inter the house without ever
80 much az a-lOokin at me.
u TUX nigh cut frum thar thru the
woods ter Jim Lands store Hit wu5
Their only store fur miles GROUND. ar
Nv mites the boys wv Their naborhoo[
would meet thar an while they sci
erround on the cracker boxes or whit
tin nd tell jokes an funny stories
When got thar, found or big crowC
setting GROUND the lcctlC stove in the
back ccnd NV thor room havin err JOLT
tiCation IVY or time.
"'Whar in the world hay We bin 10
mite, Bill? said Jim Land
81 kin tell ye,' said one NV Their fol
lers over next ter the wall. Hes Dir
off in Their woods er-gripvin.'
A-gricvin fur whatY said |.
"'A gricvin case Yer gal IL a-gwint
ter git hitchcd up ter the skulc teach
err
"An the hole crowd riz sich err laf
thct They set the dogs ter barkin at ole