Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1908-11-21
THE WOOING
OF ROSYBEL.
BY KATHARINE X. CROSBY.
Copyrighted 1905. by Associated
Literary Press

daughter. Rosybel to leave the yard
except on sundays. when she could 60
To church under his eagle eye.
II may be that Farmer Johns Ideals
were rather exacting Rosybe thought
them 80 anyway To her there was
nothing absolutely wicked about n pipe
Of tobacco especially II the pipe were
of the rakish type affected by young
men who had been 10 college
Dick Melton had been to college In
deed his A. b. was barely 4 fortnight
old. Now he was touring the country
aft~ fashion all his own ia tho
search OF amusement
lie told his father that he wanted To-
see something Of life before entering
upon that glorious political career
which his doting parent saw stretching
before his eldest born
Now, touring suggests a gay ANA les
tive motor car. an red enamel ana
staring brass work, but Dick had -
chewed such vanities as an too com
monplace. lie was touring In hay
rack.
Besides Dick there was In the hay
rack a variety Of commodities u pile
of boards uf assorted sizes for In
stance. couple OF canvas contraptiunS
which when YOU gave them n chance
evolved into cot bed and n lounglug
chair. u nickel plated pail, which could
he transformed by some miracle into
Il complete channg dish outfit: small
table and. most important Of all a
camp organ OF the sort carried about
by wandering evangcists
When Farmer John issued his cdict
that the young man who had dropped
into church from nowhere at an aud
walked home from the meeting with
his daughter Rosybc should not enter
his premises on pain Of death via
bulldog rowSer Dick was rather
pleased than otherwise
His vacation babe fair 10 furnish
more entertainment than he had an
ticipated Moreover. he was really
very much taken with Rosybe. who
was not only the prettiest girl whom
he had met with in his travels but
~
NOR. This Is an adorable combination
hard to resist
The afore mentioned edct was pro.
nounced on sunday evening when
Dick again presented himself 10 see
Rosybel home from meeting on Mon
day morning the hayrack drove into
the field which was hordcred In part
by the neat white pqlIngs Of Farmer
Joha's homestead fence
The field lid not belong 10 Farmer
John Quite near the fence Ia the
shade Of II big elm tree the young man
proceeded To assemble the boards
which he had taken from the hayrack
II happened that Rosybels garden
had ran sadly 70 weeds over sunday.
and she was obliged TO spend consider
able time out there on Monday morn
ing In consequence
As the garden was between the house
and that particular part Of the fence
where the elm tree stood. she could
not help seeing what the Young man
was about For one thing. he was
smoking. except al times when he re-
moved the pipe and sang bacchana-
Han ditty about stein on table.
which Rosybel was glad her father
did not hear. for he always voted no
license
For another thing. the young man
was building house which In her
part o. the country Is not often gone
about So casually There was, how
ever, neither pounding OF nails nor
noise Of saw The birds sang undis-
turbed In the branches Of the elm tree.
and the hang bird In her nest watched
him without alarm
When Farmer John came IN from
the fields AZ noon he snorted az the
sight of his new neighbor by this
time the house was nearly done Dick
was hanging the front door, ami there
remained only the piazza steps 10 b.
put Ia place.
When Farmer John came In from the
fields at night the camp organ was
hard al work on the piazza Later
many couples came strolling by. on the
lookout 10 see Rosie's new fellow
They came 10 see and remained 20
dance. The grass had been clipped
short. and the strains from the organ
invited 10 Portland Fancy" Lady ~
the Lake" and kindred measures
When thcy had gone Rosybel stole
down TO the fence from the place
among the shadows where she had
been watching the scene. Dick got TO
the fence first. and there was neither
pipe nor song in his lips.
BY the shine OF his eyes you might
have guessed that there was whole
cycle Of songs IN his heart. all having
for chorus the refrain. RIOS ybcl.
daughter OF John" II was not long.
however. before they were interrupted
by the voice OF this same John calling
loudly for Rosie,
II now became the favoritc pastime
for lovers, young and old. married and
counting, to 90 down 10 the OH Mil
road TO watch the wooing ~ RDsybcl.