84
The University Courier.
LITERARY.
THE COURTSHIP OF THOMAS ALLEN.
Thomas Allen was what the world calls as old bachelor. Born among the rocky hills of New Hampshire, and having found his father's farm not large enough to support all the family, he emigrated to Kansas while yet a young man. Land was cheap, and Thomas immediately took a claim and went to work to improve it.
Times were hard and Thomas' worldly goods increased but slowly. His life was lonely and laborious. Oftentimes he thought he would seek a wife among the daughters of the neighboring farmers, but on account of his straitened circumstances on the one hand, and the unattractiveness of the girls on the other, he had postponed the matter. Thus the years flew quickly past until the time when this story opens. Thomas was now about forty-five years of age. His land had greatly increased in value and he had accumulated a snug little sum in the bank. The little dugout of his earlier years had given way to a comfortable farm house. For twenty years he had lived alone, and had done his own cooking and house-keeping.
Beginning at last to tire of his lonely life, he thought a housekeeper would add much to his isolated existence. So he inserted an advertisement in the county papers, in which he modestly stated that he desired to employ a housekeeper. The first applicant was an Irish woman. She was impulsive and careless. She broke the dishes and cooked so miserably that no mortal could stand it. Thomas endured her for three days, and then told her that he had decided to do his own cooking, and not live on the Dr. Tanner plan.
The next applicant was a rather elderly widow. She kept the house very neatly and her cooking was good. But her temper had soured. To speak to her was almost as dangerous an operation as to fool with a buzz-saw. She nagged and scolded Thomas so much that he finally would not go to his own house, unless compelled by dire necessary. This state of affairs lasted for two months. Then Thomas, by a superhuman effort, mustered up his courage and told her she must go. Incompatibility of temper was the reason he assigned. He received a broadside of abuse for his presumption, but was firm, and she was compelled to leave.
Several others were tried with equally bad success. One had such a melancholy expression that he lost his appetite. Another was slovenly and lazy. Thomas thanked his lucky star that he had never married when a young man, as he no doubt would have made a mistake, and as a result would have spent the rest of his life in misery.
At last, when he had almost made up his mind to have nothing to do with house-keepers, and womankind in general, he received another application for the position of house-keeper. Thomas debated a long time before he decided to try this new applicant. He decided to try once more, and if this one proved a failure he would have nothing more to do with house keepers.
Beckey Mills, the new house-keeper, was a cheery little body about thirty years of age. She was a model house-keeper. The gloom was soon banished from Thomas Allen's long neglected home. The touch of her hand transformed chaos into order. Everything about the house was cleaned and polished until it shone again. She carried sunshine with her wherever she went. She talked to Thomas so pleasantly when he came to his meals that he often caught himself wishing the meal times would come more often. Thomas enjoyed, as never before, the pleasures of home life.
Winter passed and spring came. Thomas was more and more pleased with his house-keeper, and his constant dread was that she would leave him. But an event soon occured which removed all these fears from his mind.
One day the pigs broke out of their pen and began to play havoc with the growing oats. Thomas tried in vain to get them in the pen. The pigs were hard to drive, as they had no intention of going back to the little pen. At last he thought of Becky; she would help him get them in. Running to the house he called out: "Becky, oh Becky, the pigs are in the oats. Come and help me get them out." Becky stopped her churning, donned her sunbonnet, and followed
the excited Thomas. After much runnning and chasing the pigs were all, except one, driven into the pen. He ran hither and thither. After much maneuvering, he was driven to the desired corner. But thoughts of green oats must have crossed his mind, for he suddenly determined to go back to the oats-field. He bolted. Becky and Thomas both ran to head him off. The pig ran between Thomas' legs and escaped. Becky and Thomas, however, ran together so violently that Becky was very much "shuck up like" and almost knocked off her feet. To prevent her from falling, Thomas caught her up in her arms. The pig was forgotton: so was Thomas' discretion. Becky looked so charming and so inviting, lying helpless in his arms, that he could not resist the temptation to kiss her. Becky blushed, drew herself away from him, and exclaimed: "Mr. Allen, how dare you take such liberties with me!" Turning around she walked hastely to the house.
Thomas, after much reflection, repented his conduct. He felt sure that Becky would now leave him. He felt that he was rash and impulsive, and ought to have known better. The next day when he came to dinner his worst fears were confirmed. Beckey met him at the door with a distressed look on her face, and said: "Mr. Allen, I am going to leave you. Since what occurred yesterday, I can no longer remain as your house-keeper. That old gossip Mrs. Jones was looking over the fence and saw you kiss me. She has told it to the whole neighborhood, and I am disgraced." Becky began to cry. What could Thomas do? He did the same as any sensible man would do under the circumstances. He took her in his arms, wiped away her tears, and asked her to marry him immediately. Becky ceased her crying, and the agreement was satisfied with a kiss.
That afternoon the people of that quiet neighborhood were astonished to hear of the marriage of Becky Mills and Thomas Allen. The match proved a happy one, and Thomas never regretted the day that the pigs broke into the oats-field.
ATHLETICS.
HURRAH FOR THE CRIMSON!
The Ball Team Invades Emporia and Brings Back Two Sets of Sealps Kansas University 34, College of Emporia 3.
Wednesday, May 9, dawned bright and clear, and Manager Harding with a strong combination headed by "Gazelle" Parker and "Ta-rara boom" departed at 9:30 for Emporia. The team had been supplied the previous day with new base hit bats and so when Emporia was struck she was hit hard.
Two hundred people assembled at the base ball park to witness the game, and just one hundred and ninety were very sore after K. U. had finished. The following from the Emporia Gazette will explain the rest:
The base ball game yesterday between the Kansas University club and the college of Emporia resulted in a victory for the visitors by a large majority.
The wearers of the crimson took four innings to get accustomed to the grounds, in the meantime making 6 runs to the College's 3. In the fifth the University boys ran bases until they got tired, result 10 runs. They rested while the College went out in one, two, three order, and then came back and made 11 more runs. The College boys went to pieces and only one man reached the home plate during the last six innings, giving them a total of 3 runs to 34 for K. U.
That was all.
The University club made a few errors, but nearly all played well. The battery work of Smith and Kelsey was excellent, though the latter did not throw well to second. Chamberlain's fine batting and base running, the sharp fielding of the Hogabooms, Mitchell's faultless work at first and Matteson's good play at short, and the general ability to find the ball were the features of the University game.
In the seventh inning Kelsey, the K. U. catcher, had a thumb badly dislocated and Hogaboom went behind the bat. Kelsey will not be able to play for some time.