Year: 1870

Any one who is disposed to try laugh
will do well to read on.


John Jackson was very industrious i
hard working man of twenty-three years
Being the eldest child and onl y son, he had
always remained at home, assisting his father
upon the farm. John was much respected
by every one in the neighborhood, and many
bright-eyed girl had secretly thought she
would like to change her name to Mrs. john
Jackson. But John was no ''lades man. Z
The fact was, John was very bashful. Hes
would rather hoe potatoes all day than un-
dergO the ceremony of an introduction to &c
young lady. Not that John disliked thee
dear creatures; far from it. We believe
that he in common with all bashful welt
meaning men, entertained the highest respec
and admiration for them. And this, n,
doubt, was the principal cause of his bashfu
ness. He felt that they were superior being
and that he was unworthy to associate wit
them on terms of equality. But we canno
stop to moralize.


Nancy Clark was the daughter of rel
spectacle farmer, whose lands adjoined the
Jackson farm. Nancy was pretty, saucy
little wench, and she liked John jackson.
When they were children they attended the
same school, and he was few years her Sc
nior, and usually her champion in the childish
disputes that arose and her companion in 90
ing and returning. AT last, John became so
much of a young man as to be kept from
school as she had been in past years. John
discovered too, that he had been growing in
statute, and it seemed as if he had been
growing out of shape. His feet and legs ap-
peared very awkward; he didn't know what
to Go with his hands; his face panied him,
and, all in all, he was inclined to think he
was not more than half put together.


Now, the truth, was, John Jackson was
really fine looking young man, and nothing
but his admiration of Nancy could have
suggested any such foolish thoughts about
himself


As novelists say, it was a lovely day in
August. The heavens were clear; serene
and beautiful: the trees were laden with
golden fruit, andthe beautiful birds twittered
their songs of love in the branches. Earth
(there we slide down to earth once more such
lofty flights, they wake our head dizzv.)
We were about to say that "earth had
yielded her bountiful harvest of years
grass, clover and honeysuckles, which the
noble yeomanry of Chesterville had galncred
within their storehouses but, upon second
thought, have concluded to word it thus:
"The farmers of Chesterve were done hay
ing"


John Jackson's sister had quilting that
afternoon. His father had gone to Keith's
mill to get some wheat ground, and j ohm was
left to repair some tools, to be ready on the
morrow to commence moving the meadow
grass. Suddenly it occurred to John that if
he remained about the house in the afternoon
he would be called in at tea time and re-
quired to do the honors of the table. TO
avoid this, he quietly shouldered his scythe
and stole away to the meadow, half a mile
distant, fully resolved that he would not
leave there until it was so dark that he could
not see to NOV, and thus avoid seeing the
girls.


The meadow was surrounded on all sides
by thick forest, which effectually shut out
what little breeze might be stirring The sun
poured its rays as though the little meadow
was the focus point where the heat was con-
centrated. John moved and sweat, sweat
and moved, until he was obliged to set down
and cool off. Then it occurred to John that
if he took off his pants he might bs much
more comfortable. There could be no impro-
priety in it for he was entirely concealed from
observation, and there was not the slightest
reason to suppose that he could be seen by
any person.


So John stripped off, and with no cover,
save his linen-commonly called shirt-he
resumed his work. He was just congratu-
iating himself upon the good time he was
having, and the lucky escape he had made
from meeting the girls, when he chanced to
disturb huge black snake, genuine
twster, with white ring around his neck.


John was no coward, but he was mortaly
afraid of a snake. "Self preservation" was
the first ''passage" that flashed upon Johns
mind, and "legs take care of the body" the
next. Dropping his scythe, and spinning
around like top, he was ready to strike 2 |
40 gait, when at the moment the snake was
near enough to hook his crooked teeth into
Johns shirt. just above. the hem. With
tremendous spring. he started off with the
speed of locomotive, his first jump took the
snake clear from the ground, and as John