One day a young man's friends would see him mending the washing tub of a maiden's mother.

They kept the joke until Saturday night, and then he learned from them what he had been after.
It dazed him for a time, but in a year or so he grew accustomed to the idea, and they were then married.

With a little help he fell in love just like other people.
Sam'l was going the way of the others, but he found it difficult to come to the point.

He only went courting once a week, and he could never take up the running at the place where he left off the Saturday before.

Thus he had not, so far, made great headway.