affinity is before you are married; married folks hain't no right to hunt it," says I sternly. "We kindred soles soah above such petty feelings, we soah far above them.". "I hain't much of a soarer," says I, "and I don't pretend to be; and to tell you the truth," says I, "I am glad I hain't." "The Editah of the Augah," says she, and she grasped the paper offen the stand, and folded it up, and presented it at me like a spear, "the Editah of this paper is a kindred sole, he appreciates me, he undahstands me, and will not our names in the pages of this very papah go down to posterety togathah ?" Then says I, drove out of all patience with her, “I wish you was there now, both of you. I wish," says I, lookin' fixedly on her, "I wish you was both of you in posterity now." Marietta Holley. THE COURTIN. OD makes sech nights, all white an' still GOD Fur'z you can look or listen, Moonshine an' snow on field an' hill, Zekle crep' up quite unbeknown An' peeked in thru' the winder; A fireplace filled the room's one side There warn't no stoves (tell comfort died) The wa'nut logs shot sparkles out Again the chimbley crook-necks hung, The ole queen's-arm thet gran'ther Young The very room, coz she was in, Seemed warm from floor to ceilin', An' she looked full ez rosy again 'Twas kin' o' kingdom come to look He was six foot o' man, A1, He'd sparked it with full twenty gals, He'd squired 'em, danced 'em, druv 'em, Fust this one, an' then thet, by spells- But long o' her his veins 'ould run She thought no v'ice hed sech a swing My! when he made Ole Hunderd ring An' she'd blush scarlet, right in prayer, Thet night, I tell ye, she looked some! She heered a foot, and knowed it tu, All ways to once her feelin's flew, He kin' o' l'itered on the mat An' yit she gin her cheer a jerk Ez though she wished him furder An' on her apples kep' to work, Parin' away like murder. "You want to see my Pa, I s'pose?" "Wall... no I come dasignin""— "To see my Ma? she is sprinklin' clo'es Agin to-morrer's i'nin'." To say why gals act so or so, He stood a spell on one foot first, Says he, "I'd better call agin;" Says she, "Think likely, Mister;" Thet last word pricked him like a pin, An'... Wal, he up an' kist her. When Ma bimeby upon 'em slips, For she was jes' the quiet kind Whose naturs never vary, Like streams that keep a summer mind The blood clost roun' her heart felt glued Tell mother see how metters stood, |