Year: 1874

The narrative of which | am about to
write was told me one black, cold night in
a country parlor. 1t was one of those nights
in mdwinter when the wind swept over the
the land, making everything tinge with its
frosty breath, and | was seated before
blazing fire. surrounded by a jolly half-dozen
boys and an old bachelor, Peter Green, of
about forty-eight years of age.


1t was just the night within to enjoy a
good story, SO each of us had to tell his
favorte story, save Mr.. Green, and as he
was jolly story-teller, we were somewhat
surprised to hear him say: 81 have no
story that would interest you," go we had
to find other entertainments for while,
when one of the boys told us to ask him
bow it happened that he never married.
So he did.


"Well, gentlemen" he began, sit don't
seem right for me to tell you how it hap
pened; but as it is about myself, don't
care much. You see when | was young
we had to walk as high as five miles to
church and singing school which was our
anything to do with my not getting a wife,
but wanted to show you hat we had some
trouble them days in getting our sport.


"Jobn Smith and | were like brothers,
or like Mary and her little lamb. :"
here one went the other were sure to 60
SO we went to see two sisters, and as we
were not the best boys imaginable, the old
gentleman took umbrage and would not al
low us to come near the house, SO we would
take the girls to the end of the lane, and
there we would take the final kiss"


owe soon got tired of that sort of thing,
and | told John on our way TO singing
school one night that l was going home
with Sadie, and that ! was going in the
house, too"


''He said the old man would cane me if
did"


81 told him I was going to risk it any
how, come what would"


''He then said be would risk it if !
would"


$50 home we both went with the girls"


"When we got to the end of the lane
told the girls we proposed going all the
way"


"They looked at each other in away !
didn't like any too well, but they sail the
old folks would be in bed, so they didn't
care if we did"


"They were a little more surprised
yet when | told them we thought of going
in awhile, but as all was quiet when we
got to the house, we had no trouble getting
into the house,"


Then and there we had our first court,
and made up my mind to ask Sadie to be
my wife the next time | came"


cit was now past the turn of night and
rs we had four miles to walk, told John
we must be going. So we stepped out Up
on the porch, but just as we did SO, the
sky was lit up by lightning, and one tre-
mendous thunder peal rolled along the
mountain eides. Its echoes had not died
out in the far-off wales until the rain be-
gan TO pour from the garden fulness of
the pent up clouds. We waited for it to
stop until we were sleepy when the girls
said we should 60 to bed in the little room
at the head of the stairs which led out OF
The kitchen; as their father didn't get up
early, we could 90 home before the old
folks were up. So after bidding the girls
a sweet good-nieht--and hugging them u
little-and wishing them pleasant dreams,
and promising them to come back on next
Saturday night, we STATED for bed


"We didn't have far to go, as the bed
stood near the head of the stairs. John
was soon in bed, but was slow and full
of curiosity, l set about to look about the
ROOM"


eat last thought would sit down on
chest which was spread with nice white
cloth, while drew off my boots. So down
set, when. stars of the east, went down
plump into custard pie.


! thought John would die laughing, for.