coURTINc IN FRENCH HOLLOW.
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'Courtin' IS all slick enough when every

 oody's agreed. and the gai ains got no mls- chief in her, but when an extensive family. old maids, cross daddy, and romantic old

 nanny all want to put thur fingers into the { young uRs' dish of sweet doin's, and the

 gals fractious besides, why fellar that's | yearnin' artef mairimony is nity likely 10 { git his fires dampened, or bust hts biIer' 1 Thus reasoned Torn Bent to select party

 of river cronies, who were seated around

 him upon the boiler deck of Mlssissippi

 steamer. as she sped EIong one bright night { m June, somewhere in tl,e neighborhood Of Bayou Teebe. The subject was cour,ing,

 and. on that particular question Tom was { considered an oraele. for, besides having

 strong penchant for the fair sex. he had run

 many risks to ingrsiisie himself In their af-

 iections. Tom was now fast faIllne into the

 sere and yellow leaf of hachelorissn, and al- though he had vowed uDal,erable affection

 10 al least one fair one in each town between the mouth and the rapids, he still remained

 m unblessef singleDess.

 l How about that sfarr of your'n with old 1 Feeho's gal, in S, Louis, Tom:' inquired one of the circle.

 What. that little French gal:' inquired

 Tom, with grin; well, that thar was a

 salty scrape, boys, and though the laugh is agin me thar, I'm blessed if don't gin you ] the circumstance So Tom squared himself i for a yarn, wet his lips with little corn juice, took small strip of Missouri weed. add let out

 That gal of old Fecho's wur about the pootyest creatur, for foreigner, that ever ] took a shute arter; her eyes jest fioa,ed about in her head like siar's shadow on

 Mississippi wave. and her model was as trim as the steamer Eagle, sides, her paddles wur the clearest shaped fxins tha, ever propelled anythin' human, and her laugh ruug like a challenge bell on fast irip'--it couldn't be beat. She run into my afeeshuns. and ] couldn's help it. danced with her at some on the balls in Frenchtown. and thar gin to edge up and talk tender at her, but she only laughed at my sweet'nln'. Arter spell, when cum ii strong about afecshun, and the needcessity of iowin' side and side to- geiher. she told me that her old daddy

 wouldn't let her marry an American. F. warn't snagged at this ] wouldn't say so.-- The old feiIer wur siitin' on bench. srno- kin and lookin' on al the dance. and Jes; wished him hot berth for short spell.- Well, Marie said l, 'el melt the old man down will you gin in:'

 Oh says she, you SO vair strong at dc vat you call coax, shall not know how to say von leetei no

 50 havin' fixed it all with her, smooth as full freight and June rise, I drew up alongside of the old feliar, jest as he had cleared his ehimley for a fresh draw of his pipe. Old Fecho had been mountain tra- der, was strong timbered, not much the worse fur war. and looked wicked as iree'd bear fired up and gathered an inch or two more steam. and then blew of al him That's an onconscionable slick gal of your'n. Moun- seer says l. 10 begin with; and ii did tickle his fancy 10 have her cracked up. cause lie thought her creaiion's finishin' touch-so did |, sOui. sir says old Fecho. she vair fine lee:el gal, von angel wizout de wing; she is, sair, mine only von file

 Well she is scrouger, answered l. a perfect high pressure. and Do dspuier

 s.Vat you mean by him. eh: Vat you call s-c-r-r-r-ouge, ehs vat Is he, sair; my leetel gal no vat you call von s-c-r-r-r-ouge. sair'' and here old Fecho went off into mad it. jes; as eff I'd called her bad names. tried to put down his safety valve bu, he would blow of his wrath; and, workin' himself to perfect freshe, of rage. he swore he would take the leelel gall of hcme; and I'm blessed ef he didn', As soon as eyed the old fei- lar starlln' go, in his wake and faflored him, determined to find out whar he located, and afier an eternal long windSn' through one street arter another, down he dved into French Hollow Jest as he wur about 10 enter house ogIa the side of the hill, the old feller heard my footsteps, and iuruin' round in the darkness he shoutsd-

 sAh ha ytn sneak affkkes 53sese,sllei 5sse,sleit. szt szt cali my lee,el gal von s-c-r-r-r-ouger, shal! GU, you all up in von leetel piece vidou: ysn whole

 You know, boys. l amt easy skeer'd. bul own up that old fellar did kind a make me skeery; they told such stories about Inc way he used 10 skin Indians, that gin 10 think II was about best to let him have both sides ol the channel ef he wanted il, SO didn't daFr 10 go see Marie for long spell. One day fell a strong hankerln' and jest strolied along the ho!!sr 10 ge, glimpse on hsr, and, sure enough thar she wur, leanin' out he win der, smilin' like the mornin' sun on sleepin' bayou. l sidled up 10 the house, and asked her ef darr cum and st up with her that evening told her l was just fritierin' away ali to nothin, ;hinkin' on her, and small mite of courtin' would spur me up amazin' and then gin her such look tha, she fuiiered into consent es easy as mock in' bird whistles.

 ~Oh, oui, you shall come some ume dis night, when mon pere Is gone 10 de cabaret but you musI be yalr guIeg AS von ieetei rat, va, tie call de mouse, and go vary before he come back 10 de mAison'

 'ln coarse promised to do jes, as she sad kissed my hand to her, and said anr ravoir, as the Frsneh say for good by, and then padded of to wait for night, fels wnss than oneasy until the time arriv, and when t dld gi. round gin to crawl all over-I 