Year: 1876

~
as he sat string his coffee with one hand,
holding plum cake on his knee with the
other, and looking across the table into
the bright eyes of his neat little wife.
"would not it be a joke to get bachelor
Bill Smiley to take Widow Watson to
Barnum's show next week 7"


You can't do it Ed; he won't ask
her, he's SO awful shy Why he came by


here the other morning when was hang
ing out some clothes and he looked over


the fence and spoke, but when 4 shook


out night gown he blushed like girl
and went away"


Il think ! can manage. said Ed !" but
Ill have to lie just q little. But then il
wouldn't be much harm under the cir
cumstahces. for know she likes him
and be don't dislike her; but as you say,
he's so shy. Ill just 60 over to his
place to borrow some bags of him. and
il l don't bag him before l come back,
don't kiss me for week, Nellie"


So saying Ed. started, and while cross
ing the field, we will takea leok at Bill
Smiley He was rather good look
ing fellow, though hair and whiskers
showed some gray, and he had got in a
set of artificial teeth Every one said he
was good soul, and SO he was. He had
as good hundred acre farm as any In
Norwich. with new house and every.
thing comfortable, and ii be wanted
wife many a girl would have jumped at
the chance like arooster on grasshop.
per. But Bill was so .bashful-always
was-and when Susan Berrybottle, who
he was so sweet on, tho he never said
boo" to her. got married to old Wat.
son, he just drew In his head like an old
mud turtle into his shell. and there WAS
no getting him out again, though it had
beeu noticed that 81 ce Susan had become
q widow he had paid more attention to
his clothes, aud had been very regular in
his visits to the church the fair widow
attended.


But here comes Ed Wilbur.


Good mbrning Mr. Smiley"


Good morning Mr. Wilbur; what's the
news up your wayl


Oh, nothing particular that know
Of said Ed "only Barnum's show that
everybody aud his girl is going to l
was over to old Sockriders last night
and l see his son Gus. has new buggy,
and was serubbng up his harness, and
he's got that white faced colt of his as
slick as seal understand he thinks
of taking widow Watson to the show.
He has been hanging around there good
deal oflate, but I'd just cut him out l
would Sasaa ia q niae,a;ttlc woman and
deservesU Detter Tnian' tfuu yvruJ- young
pup of a fellow, though I would not blame
her much, if she takes him, for she must
be dreadful lonesome; and then she has
to let her farm out on shares, and it isn't
half worked, and no one else seems to
have the spunk to speak up to her. BY
jingo! il were a single man I'd show a
thing or two"


So saying, Ed. borrowed some bags
and started around the corner OF the barn,
where he left Bill weeping, and put his
ear to knot hole and listened, knowing
that the bachelor had habit of taking
to himself when anything worried him.


"Confound thot young Sockrider' y
said Bill !; what business has he there I'd
like to know? Got new buggy has be
Well, SO have |, and a new harness, too;
andhs horse can't get in sight of mine,
and declare I've half mind to-yes
I'll go this very night and ask her to 90
to the show with me I'll show Ed vii
bur that amt such calf as he thinks
am; if | did let old Watson get the start
in the first place"


Ed could, scarce help laughing outright,
but he hastily hitched the bags on his
shoulder, and with low chuckle at his
success, started home to tell the news to
Nellie and about five o'clock that even
ing they saw Bill 60 by with his horse on
his way to the widows. Hejogged along
quietly thinking Of the old singing school
days-and what pretty girl Susan was
then, and wondered inwardly il he would
have more courage to talk up to her; un-
til At distance OF about a mile of her
house, he came to bridge over large
creek, and it so happened that just as he
came to the middle of the bridge he gave
tremendous snceze and blew his teeth
out of his mouth nd clear over the dash
board, and striking a plank they rolled
over the side of the bridge and dropped
into four feet of water,


Words cannot do justice to poor Bill,
or paint the expression on his face as he
sat there completely dumbfounded at this
starting piece of i'll luck. After while
he stepped out ofhis buggy, and getting
down on his hands and knees looked in.
to the water. " Yes, there they were,"
at the bottom, with crowd oflittle fishes
rubbing their noses against them, and
Bill wished that his nose was as close for
one second. His beautiful teeth that had
cost him so much, and show coming on
and no time to get another set-and the
wdow-and young Sockrider. Well, he
must try and get them somehow and no
time to lose, tor somebody might come
along and ask him what he was fooling
around there tor He had no notion of
spelling his good clothes by wading in
with them on, and besides il he did that
he could not go to the widows that night,
so he took look up and down the road
to see that no one was in sight, and then
quickly undressed himself laying his
clothes in the buggy to keep them clean
Then he ran around to the bank and wa
ded into the ice. col Ia wa.e.--but his teeth
did not chatter in his head, he only wish
ed they could. Quietly he waded along
so as not to stir up the mud, and " when be
got to the right spot, dropped under the