“I stayed my year out with Madam Rylander, and then I quit; and she was despod anxious to keep me, but I had other fish to fry, and took a notion I’d drive round the country and play the gentleman.
“I come across, in New York, a young feller of color, his parents very respectable folks who lived in Philadelphia; and they took an anxious notion for me to go home with ’em; and I started with ’em for Philadelphia; and I had as good clothes as any feller, and a considerable money, and I thought I might as well spend it so as any way. Well come to Philadelphia, I found the Nixon’s very rich and mazin’ respectable; and I got acquain’ted with the family, and they had a darter by the name of Solena, and she was dreadful handsome, and she struck my fancy right off the first sight I had on her. She was handsome in fetur and pretty spoken and handsome behaved every way. Well I made up my mind the first sight I had on her, I’d have her if I could git her. I’d been in Philadelphia ’bout a week, and I axed her for her company, and ’twas granted. I made it my business to wait on her, and ride round with her, and visit her alone, as much as I could. The old folks seemed to like it mazinly, and that pleased me, and I went the length of my rope, and felt my oats tu. I treated her like a gentleman as far as I knew how—I took her to New York three times, in company with her brothers and their sweethearts; and we went in great splendor tu, and I found that every day, I was nearin’ the prize, and finally I popped the question, and arter some hesitation, she said, ‘Yis, Peter.’ But I had another Cape to double, and that was to git the consent of the old folks; and so one Sunday evenin’, as we was a courtin’ all alone in the parlor, I concluded, a fain’t heart never won a fair lady; and so I brushes up my hair, and starts into the old folks’ room, and I right out with the question; and he says.
“‘What do you mean, Mr. Wheeler?’
“‘I mean jist as I say, Sir! May I marry Solena.’
“‘Do you think you can spend your life happy with her?’
“‘Yis, Sir.’
“‘Did you ever see any body in all your travels, you liked better?’
“‘No, Sir! She’s the apple of my eye, and the joy of my heart.’
“‘I have no objection Mr. Wheeler. Now Ma, how do you feel?’
“‘Oh! I think Solena had better say, Yis.’