Judge — June 14, 1884 — page 6: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

for siz months vate marriage, acting as Jenkins’s best man, and not forgetting to give the bride a very hearty and affectionate salute. But matters became more serious when, a few days later, some one carried a report of the courtship to my grandmother. Poor Martin was sent for, and, after much serious and earnest dis- course, Jesired to kneel down and pray that she might not ever be tempted to com- mit the sin of uniting herself to Jenkins. Poor Martin was so awed and overcome that she dared not expostulate, but prayed and sobbed at the mistress’s dictation and then allied forth to bind me to more solemn recy than ever, for I was her sole conti- dant. My grandmother wore a wig, a bay wig, which she always had fresh baked every Saturday that she might appear in her glory on Sunday. She had a habit of testifying her approval of the sermon by embracing the clergyman on every occasion, a practice that was often very embarrasing to the recip- ient of the favor. I never saw Aunt Prissy really rebellious and angry butonce. There was a certain Mr. Sloper, a reverend gentle- man, who began to display an unus amount of interest in my grandmother eternal welfare, bringing loads of tracts and sermons, and paying long visits daily My aunt saw reason to believe that there was a second edition of the ‘ Vicar of Wake- field” going on in our home. According’ one morning she contrived to have her mother out before the worthy gentleman called, and to receive him herself. She, for once, gave vent to her feelings, and spoke her mind so freely that the reverend gentl man seized the bundle of his various tracts which she had gathered together for the purpose of restoring to him, and fairly ran out of the hous My grandmother was rather puzzled at the suc den cessation of his visits, but after a while fresh interests inter- vened and Mr. Sloper was forgotten. T always held the opinion that m nd- mother would marry again some day, as in- deed she would had she lived a few weeks longer. So deeply rooted was this convic- tion in my mind, that I am told I expressed in my childhood great satisfaction on learn- ing that a man might not marry his grand- mother, as I always feared that mine would ‘one day compel me to marry her. I always knew Aunt Prissy would not, though Mr. Haughton, to whom my grandmother was betrothed at the time of death, certainly proposed first to Aunt Prissy, for Jenkins, who drove them in the buggy together the day it happened, told me he heard it all. We used to go out of town in the summer, usually toa farmhouse belonging to an old servant of grandma’s. ‘There I was in my glory. [had my pony, my catapult, and my lishing rod. Grandma used to sit day long on a garden scat or bench and re in the country air and sunshine. On one of our visits there she suffered very much from one of her bad ks of rheumatic gout but being rather casier one day, Aunt Pris got her out with some difficulty, and settled her comfortably with her book on her usual seat, which w long bench in the garden. There was an old gentleman, also staying in the farm house, who was paralyzed’ in the lower limh Ilis friends wished him also to take advantage of the bright day, so he was carried out and placed at the other end of the bench. My grandmother was not acquainted with him, ‘but after his attendant left she observed he seemed much tated and even sobbed aloud at intervals. Prompted by the kindest motives. she asked him the cause of his distress. I was hidden in the trees behind them, so I’m qualified to give the conversation verbatim: ‘randmother.—** What is the matter, sir? Can I do anything for you?” Old Gentlenan.—* O—o—oh! my wife.” Grandm, sir.” Old Gent.—“ So am I.” (Sobs.) Grandm.—* When did she die sir? Old Gent.—** Twenty years ago—O-o-h! Will,you fill her vacant place? Grandm.—* Really sir, I— Old Gent.—* Will, you fill her vacant place? Will you, will you, will you?” Grandm.—* Really, sir. You are under amistake. I could not Old Gent.—* Oh! fill her vacant place?” It was certainly a most unpleasant situa- tion for my grandmother. she was phy. sically unable to move, the old gectleiad had ample time to press his suit, and I have only the firmness of my grandmother's char- acter to thank for the fact that he did not become my step grandpapa. Poor Aunt Prissy. Grandma did go for her for leaving her so long alone, but I never dared divulge the fact that I had been an unseen spectator of all the proceedings. Thave lost ‘Tam sure I am very sorry A FIRE-ESCAPE—water. or, United at PROLOGUE, G. Frep Cramsixetos had been spark- ing Lucretia P, Knowmeaux, whenever he got the chance, for over a month and their names were becoming synonymous. Yet her nature did not seem to have been pierced by Cupid’s darts and she was rather distant in her manner toward him. He longed to ask her for a hat-band but dares not. he was a blonde. Crarter 1. It was morning recess at the Winterville Academy. Lucretia P, Knowmeaux slipped up to G. Fred Crammington in her peculiarly fasci- nating manner and remarkir “Please accept this as a token of my esteem,” slipped a neat white parcel into his hand, at the same time bestowing upon him one of her kiss-me-quick smiles. G. Fred Crammington, momentarily over- come by the unexpected generosity, bowed low before the beautiful fiend, and ina voice which partook of the art-playing-me-false significance thanked her. When Luere . Knowmeaux was alone, she laughed a weird, bitter laugh and eat a pickled lime, On the parcel was inscribed: A Valentine for G. Pred Crammin Cuarren U At about 6 a. M. of the day following the momentous incident related above, a figure stood in the doorway of the school-room of the Winterville Academy and said— ‘er! Scenes of my youth, farewell isappeared. As there was no one in the room—nothing but rows of empty desks—the event would seem to argue a certain goneness in the rea- n of the speaker, but a haggard look about his eyes and a disappointed look around his mouth supported the theory of a case of temporary aberration rather than a perma- nent lack of reason The figure wore a piece of string with a bone attached around his neck, Cuarter HI. ‘The roll was being called by of the Winterville Academy: “G, Fred, Crammington.” No answer. No pen can describe the emotions wh seized upon Lucretia P. Knowmeaux; is moment her face blanched a pale white- and she nearly fainted. It was only by looking steadily at the word ‘ ammonia” in her chemistry’ for several minutes that she recovered herself. the princi Cuarter IV, About a year from the disappearance of . Fred. Craminington from the Winterville Academy, a crowd of brawny men, scarred and weather-beaten and armed to the teeth, was sitting around a camp-fire in the middle of the plains, It was about thirty degrees below zero and the snow was twenty-one feet deep. It was a hard winter. ‘The band was listening to the melodious voice of one who seemed to be their leader. He was not more than fifteen years old, but there was something in his aspect, in his five twelve-shooters and six bowie-knives, that commanded respect. He spoke: Ye ask me why I eat not the tender chicken. I will tell. In my younger days I became enamored of a maid beautiful as comicbooks.com