Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-12-22

IN sunSlng folks that he dislikeS,
instead OF slipping flowers"
another loud laugh greeted this;
largely due to the comical expression
on lilly James face, which SO far up
set Quincy's habitual gravity that he
was obliged to smile in spite of him.
self.
If Strout felt the shot he did not be-
tray it. but turned to Hubby, who stood
at his right, and said. Now, Miss Ma
son, let me read your poetry for you,
they do 1t in the city"
Hubby h%esitated, holding the slip of
paper between her fingers, ooh! that
amt fair" said Strout. "I've set you
a good example, now you mustn't
squeal. Come, walk right up to the
trough"
I'm no pig" protested Hubby.
AS Strout leaned over to take the
paper he said in an undertone, ."No
you are a little DEAR" whereat HuIdy's
face flushed a bright crimson.
Strout cleared his voice and then
read:
Come wreathe youI face with smiles,
my dear,
A husband you'll find within the year"
This was greeted with laughter, clap
ping of hands, and cries of who is it,
Huldy?"
The Professor looked at Hubby in
uuiringly, but she averted her eyes.
He leaned over and said in an under.
tone, May l keep this }"
Hubby looked up and said in a tone
that was heard by every one at the ta-
BILE. 81 don't care; If you like it better
than that one about the bumblebee you
can have it.
The Professor then turned to Quincy
and said, Perhaps Mr.. Sawyer will
obligesthe company by passing his poe.
try along, as they do it in the city"
Quincy answered quickly. "Why,
certainly, and handed the slip to his
left-hand neighbor, who CHANGED to be
Miss Seraphina Cotton, who was the
teacher in the public school located at
Mason's Corner.
airy ability, and read the following
with great expression:
Though wealth and fame fall to my lot
I'd much prefer a little cot.
In which apart from care and strife,
I'd love my children and my wife,"
Strout laughed outright.
by the way, MT. sawyer" said he,
have you eel any little cot round
here that you'd swap your Beacon
street house for?"
Tive got my eye on some real estate
in this town." said Quincy. "and If you
own it perhaps we can make a trade"
Ezekiel Pettengill passed his slip to
Indy Putnam; 1t ran thus:
IAN honest mans the noblest work
of God,'
Nobler lives than he who tills the sod"
This was greeted with shouts and
cries of aGood for 'Zeke!" while one
Of Cobb's twins, who possessed a thin.
high. voice, cried out, Hes all wool
and a yard WIDE"
This provoked more shouts and
hand-clapping. and Ezekiel blushed like
a peony.
Indy Putnam handed her slip to
Quincy: he took in it's meaning at a
glance and looked at her inquiringly.
Strout saw the glance and cried out.
"Oh, come, now; don't leave out moth
in; read it list as it's writ"
Indy nodded to Quincy and he read:
There is no heart but hath some wish
untitled,
There is no soul without some longing
killed,
With heart and soul work for thy
hearts desire,
And turn not back for storm, nor food,
nor fire.
"This is gittin' quite tragic" said
Strout. II guess we've had all we
want to eat and drink, and have listen
ed to all the bad poetry we wan ter,
and i move -
Second the notion" cried Abner
Stiles.
"And I move" continued Strout,
shat we git back inter the kitchen and
have a little dance jist to shake our
suppers down."
After the company returned to the
kitchen, Abner was again lifted to his
elevated position on the kitchen table,
and the fun began again. There was
no doubt that in telling stories Abner
Stiles often drew the long bow, but it
was eqaully true that he had no supe-
rior in Marlborough and vicinity on
the violin, or the fiddle, as he prefer
| red to call it. He was now in his Clio.
". His fiddle was trc'red under his
chin, a red silk handkerchief with larg
yellow polka dots protecting the violin
from injury from his stubbly beard
rather than his chin from being in.
iured by the instrument.
After a few preliminary chords, Alb
ner struck up the peculiar dance move.
ment very popular in those days, call.
ed "The Cure" AS if prearranged, Hi.
ram Maxwell and Mandy Skinner ran to
the centre of the room and began sing.
ing the words belonging to the dance
Abner gradually increased the speed
IF the melody, and the singers con
sormed thereto. Faster and faster the
music went, and higher and higher the
1ancers jumped until the ceiling pre
ented any further progress upward
They leaned forward and backward
they leaned from side to side, but still
Kept up their monotonous leaps into the
leaned forward and backward, they
'eaned from side to side, but still KEEP
Up their monotonous leaps into the
'ir. Finally, when almost exhausted
hey sank into chairs hastily brough'
FOR them, amid the applause of thu
oarty.
Quincy had seen the dance at tn,
city theatres, but acknowledged tx
himself that the country version wa,
far ahead of the city one. At tn,
same time it seemed to him that tn,
II -