WHY THEY DIDN’T MARRY.

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 9, 27 May 1893, Page 3

WHY THEY DIDN’T MARRY.

“ I —l wanted to ask why none of yon girls ever get married,” he stammered as a preliminary to popping the question to one of the family of five daughters. Why, yon see, it’s just this way,” she said confidingly, “ when a young man comes to see one of ns the others are so eaten up with curiosity that they make some excuse to rush in and always at the wrong time.” She blushed prettily, and he braced up with a come-one-come-all, this-rock-shal 1-fly-from - its - firm -base-as-soon-as-I air, and began again : “ Then I won’t take any chances. The coast is clear just now and I—” “ Ha ! ha ! ha ! Sue’s got a new beau ! ” rang - out a loud voice. He dropped her hand as if it had been a live coal and pushed his chair to the other side of the room before she could assure him that it was only the parrot. It takes a man quite a while to recover from such a shock, but he moved his chair into line again, and

"began tremblingly: - “Miss S—Sue, I wanted to ask yon ” . . “ S—n—s—a—n ! is that coal fire smoking ?” It was her mother’s voice this tirne and there was another dissolving view of the lovers- as they whisked far apart. Being satisfied on the point of the fire, the mother withdrew from the head of the stairs, and the perspiring lover returned to the charge. “Good gracious !” he ejaculated, I see why you girls don’t get married ! It’s now or never—” as he heard the front door open —“ Miss Sue, I want to ask you—” “ Good evening ! Ha ! ha ! this is comfort,” said the rubicund father of the family as he advanced to the fire ; “ don’t go, Mr Smith, I want to talk to you about my new deal in lumber. You needn’t sit up, Sue. I’ll turn off the gas all right.” With such obtuse heads to it, there never will be a wedding in that family—never !