13:2 



THE FOGY DAYS AND NOW ; 



the person of a college girl, who was so pointedly flung in my 

 pathway that I recognized in her, at once, the providential 

 boon. As pretty as a pink, as gentle as a dove, and sweeter 

 to me than taffy. I gathered all my forces and stormed the 

 citadel without delay, allowing no grass to grow under my 

 diligent feet. I went in to win, and the recollection of my 

 former weakness only made me the stronger and more deter- 

 mined. We first commenced playing the fiddle and piano 

 together, and accorded from the start. Our music made others 

 merry, and we had a little side-show of happiness to ourselves; 

 and although now thirty-five years have sped since our union, 

 I keep up my fiddling with an harmonious accompaniment 

 from this dear old girl, and, if spared, hope to keep attuned to 

 our golden wedding. 



I felt from the first, in this campaign, that I w?-s master of 

 the situation, and talked out my love like a little man; and my 

 love listened to me lingeringly, and like the fellow who had no 

 heart to refuse a drink, gave me her hand affectionately, and 

 referred me to the old folks. But didn't I feel good then. 

 How I stepped around the streets of Anderson next day. I 

 stood so straio-ht in mv boots that I sorter leant back. The 

 girl was mine, and I didn't care who knew it. I thought of 

 my first failure and how greatly I had imj^roved upon that 

 effort, how nice I had done up this job, and that I was no 

 longer to be classed with the batchelor dogs; soon to be a 

 respectable married man, the prospective head of a family, a 

 man of responsibility and consequence, and no telling what 

 the future misjht have in store for me. 



The greatest trouble I now had to contend with was impa' 

 tience. I didn't want to wait. The little lady lacked about 

 two years of finishing her education. But I decided it would 



