Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-08-10
Backward Andy's
 Coortin'
Aushos of Through the Turf saets, ".te.
Copyright. by Joseph B. Bowles.) }
IAN IRISH LOVE sroRYl


 Liza Jane she lived in the very next townland to myself. An as Liza Jane was given out for hundred pounds of dry money, there was. as ye may well cuspect, tremendous traffic of boys come afther her.
 But it's little announcement they got rom Liza Jane; she considered icoortin' ridiculous waste of time that pair of tomfools, only, might engage in; an as for margin tho most Of the lads that presented them. selves. she said she wouldn't make dishciouts of them, to wipe a pot.
 This. say, she thought of most of the neighbor boys. but not of all. There was one. Andy McClarnin, or bao's Andy. as he was better known. by raison. as nj: fathers name was Bab Anyway. this Bab's Andy was no eyescre to Liza Jane, for he had a fine farm that fed five milch-cows, an give him ten head ot stock to sell of every harvest; his father, poor man, was five years dead
 An Liza Jane Bohunnan saw that, all things considered, she couldn't get, an wouldn't ask for, a better or . warmer sittin'-down than Bab's Andy's. An accordin'ly she made up her mind that she'd marry Bab's Andy in case the boy wes anyways mid din willin'.
 At the tail-end O four years coort- ship Liza Jane begun to be not too plaised with proceedin's. An fair good raison. too, the poor girl had.
 Mother" says she of a night when both herself an her mother was sit- tin over the kitchen fire, "I have let him fool round me for long enough. l mean." goes on she. ''to have him. once an for all, make up hls mind on this matter whether he wants to make wife of me or not-I mean that he'll make it up. or I'll make 1t up for him purty quick"
 Brave woman ye are, Liza Jane" says the mother. says she.
 An on next Sunday night. too, he'll make his dicision."
 "The jewel ye are, Liza Jane!"
 An when. on the next Sunday night, poor Andy, poor sowl, come ploudin' to Liza Jane's, it's little he suspected the thraps that was laid down for him to walk into.
 Are ye all alone?" says he.
 My mother an them," says she, "went one road an another, to see the neighbors. an left me to myself"
 Which" says Bab's Andy. says he. twas noways kindly of them tor'st ye."
 Which" says Liza Jane, Says she, calm, an lookin' steady into the fire, twas very, very good of them" Good of them!" says Andy, says he.
 Was very, very good of them." say $ she, "considerin' that they knew needed a quate hour to myself to dis cuss in me mind a very serious mat ter--in fact. l may say. an exthraor- Slnary serious matter"
 Bab's Andy he was all taken aback, an the face on him got lengthy at onct, an he says. "Oh! I beg yer par don. Liza Jane."
 An extraordinary serious matter, as was sayin'." she went on. as cool an calm, "an' one that wants a good deal of deliberation; an one. more over, that I'm mortial glad to have ye here. to talk 1t over with ye."
 "oh!" says Bab's Andy. says he. settlin' himself to hear 1t. an lookin' pleased that he was to be consulted.
 For" says she. tits such a matter that there's only one man in the worl' i couli talk 1t over with-an' that's you"
 I'm proud" says Andy. I'm proud to know 1t. Liza Jane."
 For better. for worse" says she, p,ayin' a thrumpcard. flor ficher, for poorer for good or for ill."
 Poor Andy. it seemed like dhraim to him tha. he'd heard something like them words somewhere or other afore, but it puzzled him for . minute to mind what 1t was about So he gave it up. an remarked. Just so. Liza Jane. Indeed. so!"
 < An then says she. For richer. ssyed. for poorer. for good or for iil' from this time hcnceforrid." Then she waited a wes bit, to give him an otnsr caance-though if she'd waited dur,n. he nine lives of cat 1t would never get lnto Andy's skull. Andy ucc,sru.n." she says. don't ye see what I'm dhrivin' stf"
 poor Andy looked confused an ashamed of himself. sa' says he: ~raith. an I don't. tfen. Liza. know from Adam down what ye're dhrlvin
 T don't doubt it,- says Liza Jane sevs,rly. Well. win ye understand mo vhen I say that I'm thinkin' l had best marry an settle down
 Troth. that was plain enough for . ral,n,.post to understand. So its very little vondher that Bab's Andy did.
 Marry" says she. "an' settle down. rersecsiy cool sn' calm. an nevcf soemin' to see Andy's raptures at all, -An..- says she. T was waitin'. very anxious. to have your opinion on It
 -An' my opinion" says he. with bis head hsnsin., -is that though ye'vs done many wise things in your life ve never done anything wiser; an'-