The Showman's Courtship.

Cromwell Argus, Volume III, Issue 112, 2 January 1872, Page 7

The Showman's Courtship.

0 Thare was many affectin tie 3 which made ma hanker arter Betsy Jane. Her father's farm jined our'n ; their cows and our'n squencht their thnrst at the sania spring ; our old mares both had stars in their forreds ; the measels broke out in both famerlies at nearly the same period ; our parients (Betsy's and mine) slent regularly everv S-mday in the same meetin' house, and the nabors used to obsarve, "How thick the Wards and Peasleys air !" It was a sublime sib, in the spring of the year, to see our several mothers (Betsy's and mine) with their gowns piud up so they couldn't sile 'em, aTecshuuitly Bilin sope together & aboozin the nabers. Alfcho I hankered intensely arter the objack of my affecshuns, I darsan't tell her of the fires which was rajin in my manly Buszum. I'd try to do it, but my tung would korwollup up agin the roof of my mowth & stick thar, like death to a deceast Afrikan or a country postmaster to his ofliss, while my hart wanged agin my ribs like an old fashioned wheat Sale agin a barn door. 'Twas a carm still nite in Joon. All nater was husht and nary zeffer disturbed the screen silens. I sot with Betsy Jane on the fense of her father's pastuv. We'd been rompin threw the woods, kullin flours and diiving the woodchuch from his 'Nativ Lar (sc to speak) with long sticks. Wall we sot thf.r on the fense, a swingin our feet two and fro, blushin as red as the Baldinsville skool home when it was fust painted, and lookin very simple, I make no doubt. My left arm was ockepied in ballunsin myself on the the fmse, while my rite was woundid luvinly round her waste. I chared my throat and tremblinly sed, " BetSf, you're a Gazelle." I thoight that air was putty fine. I waitid to see vliat effeck it would have upon her. It evidmtly didn't fetch her, for she up and sed; " Youia sheep !" Sea I, "Betsy, I think very muchly of you." " I don' believe a word you say—so there now cum!' with which observation she hitched aw<v from me. " I wish tiar was winders to my sole," sed I, "so that y>u could see some of my feelins. There's lire emff in here," sed I, strikin my buzzumwith'my fist, "to bile all the corn beef an I tunipg in the naberhood. Versoovius and th critter ain't a circumstans !" She bowd li>r lied down and commencot chawin the strhgs to her sun-bonnet. "Ar could ym know the sleeplis nites I worry threw witi on your account, how vittles has seized tobe attraotiv to me & how my lims has shrink up, you wouldn't dowt me. on this wastin form and these "ere sunken cheeks—•—." I should have coitinnered on in this stra.no probly for sum tim», but unfortunitly I lost my ballunse and fdl o-er into the oastur ker smash, tearin m- close and sovcerly damagin myself gineraly, Betsy .fane spruhj to my assistance in dubble quick time. >,nd dragged me 4th. : Then drawin herself unto her ful hite she sed : | "I wont listen to yorr noncents no longer. Just say rite strate ou what you're drivin at. If you moan gettin hitched, I'm: tx !" I considered that air euiff for ail practical purpusscs,_and we proceeded imme'diat-uv to j the parson's <fc was made 1 that reiy nite.Artemm Ward,