Year: 1878

the invitation.


Having accomplished this little piece of
business to their mutual satisfaction, Mr..
Peter Geigor continued on his journey
toward the "burg" while Samantha
Jane resumed sweeping. 1t struck me
as little odd that although more than
half of the porch was yet unswept at the
time Of Peters departure, the young
lady finished it up in about enc tenth
part of the time it had taken her to do
the other, and hurried shiverng into the
house. From which / infer that the
whole movement was piece of strategy
upon the part of the guileless maiden.


"The Hall" of which Samantha Jane
had made meation in the interesting
dialogue we have so truthfully reported,
had originally been a whisky saloon, but
the proprietor thereof, after trouble
with some Of his customers in regard 10
the payment tor certain drinks, (Which
ended in his being knocked down with one
of his own bottles) had became a staunch
temperance man, and instead Of selling
out the usness, left the fourshing burg
of Breakneck Peint in disgust. 1t had
thereupon been taken possession of and
was used for public purposes generally,
from a travelling minstrel show up
Here, when the blushing and blooming
Samantha Jane arrived under the escort
of my stalwart friend Stubbs, there were
gathered all the young ladies and little
girls for from miles around, and we may
as well tell it all, the old women also.
Now we are not going to write homily
on old women dancing, in forgettulness Of
the maxims of church discipline, impress
sed upon their minds in another country.
We believe it sort of duty which all
hands owe to society, to turn out on such
an occasion as this, and contribute their
mite to the general comfort and happiness
Of the community. Uer6um sap.


Therefore we must not be surprised to
learn that old man Stigger and his esti-
mabe lady soon followed Stubbs and
Samantha Jane, having very discreety
dropped behind after starting, which
action on thtir part we submit is worthy
of all praise. We know of more than one
lady of certain age, past the barriers Of
girlhood who might have been happily
married years ago, if the old folks had
only sense enough to keep out Of the way.
Our experience 10 that tits all well enough
to have the good will Of the old folks to
start in with, but when j: comes to sub
stantial sparkling third parties are to be
kept away.


The orchestra consisted of two fddles
and banjo, and three babies. Fancy"
dancers were few ard far between, for as
yet the teachers Of "the poetry of motion"
had not reached the Point, and as a natur-
nj consequence the only dances which the
guests dare essay, were the old fashioned
ones they had learned in "the States"
And good dances they were, too, if we
do say it. We wish they weuld revive
some Of them now, in place of some we
wot of. Ny friend Stubbs was in his
element. Holding the fair hand OF Sa-
manila Jane within his own together they
| threaded the mszes of the Money Musk,
or met and parted in tho indescribable
chain Of the Haymaker. AT the conclu-
sion of the latter the fate Of Mr.. Geiger
1n1 n.ir ii ,h<, nnn1H ha 4 L. hot y
hands and feet so cspably as Samantha
Jane had shown her ability to do, was the
girl to share his heart and cabin on
Scorpion Bar. And with that energy
which characterized all his actions he
determined to seal the bargain that very
night.


The dance came to nm end after awhile,
as everything in this world, and the
world itself must, if we ara to believe
what 10 told US. And as everything dies,
and passes away, it is only reasonable to
conclude that the world must share the
universal fate of all animated nature,
when it has filled its appointed purpose,
so we will not attack the philosophy Of
sages and revelation on that point. But
let 1t not be understood that the dance
at Breskneck Point ceased at what
would bs termed fashionable hours. 1t
WIS not until after "sun-up" that the
last ducet strains Of the fddles were
heard and the jewellers took their ways
homeward. In those golden days peo-
pie who went to dance went there
to dance, and dance tLey did. And it
| is a pleasant fact for me TO chronicle
that old Stigger, with that wise discre-
tion we have heretofore had occasion TO
commend, departed with his better half
and the olive branches a full half hour
before Samantha Jane and her admiring
partner could tear themselves from tie
! festive scene.


1t was before the days Of wagon
roads and the narrow trail along the
hillside left@them but little opportunity
to walk side by side. This was annoy
ing, as all our readers who have been
married or in love will readily admit,
but as we before remarked it is only
within our province to deal with facts.
Stubs felt that the wished-for opportu-
nifty would soon be gone, and though
he had felt full of courage when he
formed the resolution of knowing his fate,
as the decisive moments were passing
he felt his courage vanish, notwithstaRd-
ing he had taken a couple of good sniff
ters of whiskey to loosen his tongue
1t was not until they were descending
to Sucker Flat and the domcile Of old
Stigger, with the smoke curling upward
in gay festoons through the crisp De-
cember air, appeared in sight, impress
ino the mind with n sense Of the do