The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-05-23
COL. AND MRS. BILLINGS
- = RETURN FROM TRIP

Col. Josh Billings, of the Sea-
board, takes a day or two off some
times for an outing. Recently ne
and Mrs. Billings went down to
Williston to spend few days with
TIE home people of Mrs. Billings.
They had a pleasant stay, and Col.
Josh had some new experiences. He
tried his hand out at fishing, but he
says the low country fish will not
bite for an up-countryman. After he
had tried it for, several days he gave
up the fight and joined party going
out to get some honey from a bee
tree.
He was more successful in the
honey business, he says, because
when the tree was cut,.it was found
to be well lined with honey. The
Colonel collared a piece about eight
inche long and elk inches broad and
ate it without either bread or but
ter. He says it gave him a slight
case of Indigestion, but he hopes to
live to get over it.
While they waited at Hodges on
the homeward trip a few days ago.
Mrs. Billings told good joke on the
Colonel. He had never been down in
to Mrs. Billings country, and not
being "native born" Of this grand
old commonwealth, ne didn't know
whether Williston was ten, a hun
dred or a Thousand miles from Abb
beville. But he had decided to go
down and see the future Mrs. Bill
ings. He asked one of the transfer
men at Abbeville what he would
charge to transport him to Willis
ton, and how long it would take him
to 90 there. The price was fixed, and
he was told that the "Trip could be
made in two hours. So the next Sat-
urday, Colonel Billings worked until
P. NJ, polished up from a to 6 T.
NJ, and at SOL was in the road for
Williston as he supposed. He carried
bunch of roses, a five pound box of
candy and big expectations.
1t was in the winter days and by
1880 it had been dark good while.
He was put out at the drug store, he
says, or some other store, but ne
could not find the places which had
been mentioned by Mrs Billings,
and when he inquired Of passers-by
if they knew the lady in the case,
none of them knew her. He was
greatly nonplussed. He felt little
crazy anyway as it was his first
coutring trip in a good many years.
He didn't know whether he had been
asleep, was then asleep, or whether
good joke had been played on him.
Finally he passed the bank in the
town where he was and noticed that
instead of being at Williston, he was
in the city of Wilmington, S. c.,
more than a hundred miles away.
All this time Mrs. Billings, as she
now is, was in the parlo- trying to
look disinteresed. as she waited for
the gentleman in the case, and as
the hours passed and he did not
come, she crossed his name from the
list of her acquaintances, that is un-
til explanations had been made.
Colonel Billings, when he found
his mistake, stayed around Wiling
ton for awhile. He didn't tell any
body his business nor of his disap-
pointment, least of all the hackman,
because he didn't want the news to
leak out in Abbeville, but the way
he "cussed" inwardly is know Of
every courting man.
The Colonel says, however, that
he stayed in Wilmington long enough
to find out that all the good-looking
widows, rich old maids and pretty
maidens in that city, had been fully
courted by DR.. Link, and that Will
ington was no place for him.