Year: 1870

''Now, Aunt Sally, do please tell US why you
never married. You know you said once that
when you were girl you were engaged to
minister, and promised you would tell us all
about it sometime. Now, Aunt, please do


"Well, if ever did see such girls in my born
days. It's tease, tease, from morning till night,
you must know all about every thing you haven't
any business to know anything about. Such
inquisitive pesterierous critters as you are J.
When was young, girls was different they
minded their business, and didn't go sailing
around with whole string of beaux, getting
their heads filled with all kinds of nonsense.
never dared to ask my aunts. married or single,
about any of their affairs. Pretty mess I'd have
got in if ! had When they offered to tell me
ything Of their own accord, kept my mouth
shut and listened. Everything is different now
a-days young folks have no respect for their
elders. But as see | am not going to have any
peace till do tell you, why ist listen, and don't
let me hea" word out of one of your mouths till
| | get through"


''Thats right, Aunt Sally go right ahead, do
aud we will keep perfectly still.'


''Well, you see, when | was about seventeen
years old, was living in Utica, in ;he State OF
New York. Though say it myself, | was quite
good-looking girl, then, and had several beaux
The one that took my fancy most was a young
minister, very promising young man. and re-
markably pious aud steady. He thought good
deal of me, and kind of took fancy to him.
aud things ran on Till we were engaged. One
evening he came to mel remember it as well
as if it were only yesterday. When he came in
to the parlor where was sitting alone, be came
up to me and-but now, pshaw girls, don't
like to tell The rest"


''Oh, Aunt Sally, for mercy sake don't stop
tell us what he did ?'


"Well, as sad he came up 20 ME, and put
his arms around me, and rather hugged me,
when got excited and some frustrated il was
q long time ago, and | don't know what might
have hugged him back little. Then | felt
but now just clear out, every one ofyou, shan't
tell you any more"


Goodness gracious, no, Aunt Sally. Tell
us how you felt. Didn't you ieel good And
what did he do next ~


ooh, such torments as you are +! | was like any
other girl, and pretty soon pretended to be mad
about it, and pushed him away, though wasn't
mad a bit. You must know that the house
where lived was OF one OF the back streets of
the town There were glass doors in the parlor,
which opened right ont over the street, and no
balcony or any thing of the kind in front of the
house As it was in the summer season these
doors open and the shutters drawn to.
stepped back little from him, aud when he
edged up close | pushed him away again |
pushed harder than intended TO, and dom you
think, girls, the poor fellow lost his balance and
fell through one OF the doors into the street.
Yes, it's so. AS he fell gave a scream and
caught him--but declare won't tell any thing
more. I'm going to leave the room"


'No, no. Aunt Sally. How did you catch
him Did it hurt him much ?''


"Well, if must, I must. He fell head first,
and as he was going caught him by the legs of
his trowsers. held on for minute and tried
to pull him back, but his suspenders gave way,
and the poor young man fell clear out of his pam
falcons into whole parcel of ladies and gentle
men passing along the street"


"Oh Aunty, Aunty, Lordy, Lordy l''


''There, that's right; squal and giggle as
much as you want to. Girls that can't hear
about ,little thing like that without tearing
around the room, and he-he-ing in snch way,
don't know enough to come home when it rains
A nice time the man that ever Dlarries one of you
will have won't he Catch me telling you any,
thing again"


"But Aunt Sally, what became of him Did
you ever see him again Z"


"No the moment he touched the ground he
got mp and left that place in a terrible hurry -
| tell you ii was a sight TO be remembered to see
how that man did run. Father happened to be
coming up the street at the time, and he said he
never saw anything to equal it in his whole life
heard others say that he did the fastest running
ever known in that part of the country, and that
he never stopped or looked behind until be was
two miles out of town. He sent me a note few
days afterward, saying that the engagement must
be broken off, as be could never look me in the
face again after what happened. He went out
West, and | believe he is preaching out in Illi-
nois But he never married. He very mod
est and ! suppose he was so badly frightened
that time that be never dared to trust himself
near woman again. That, girls, is the reason
| never married. felt very bad about it for a
long time, for be was real good man, and I've
often thought to myself that we should always
have been happy if his suspendsrs hadn't given
acay 2"