The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-01-15 00:00:00

SCOTCH MARRIAGES UNDER
DIFFICULTIES.

Three marriages have taken place in Strathdearn,
all of them attended, owing to the severity of the
snowstorm, with circumstances of an interesting
chaxacter. A marriage was arranged for Wednesday
week at a house in Strathdearn, about 20 miles from
Inverness, a spot high-lying and unprotected. The
bridegroom reached the house on horseback.
and the clergyman and some guests also reached
it, although with difficulty and much labour.
The happy couple after the ceremony were to go-to
Boat of Garten Railway Station, but how was the
journey to be accomplished? To the south the road
was blocked, and to the north the road was blocked—
everywhere there was snow so deep that no vehicle
could be dragged through it. At length the bride
volunteered to talee the saddle, and to face the storm
and the road on horseback, and on horseback accord-
ingly the couple set out on their honeymoon. The
journey to Boat of Garten proved a long and difficult
one, but it was accomplished in safety, and the bride
and bridegroom were none the worse of their difficult
and, doubtless, anxious undertaking.

Another marriage took place on Friday in the same
locality. The bride was there, but the bridegroom
lived in Inverness. For days, it may be presumed, he
had his own fears about the difficulties that lay before
him in his contemplated journey from Inverness to
Strathdearn. The bridegroom, however, was not to
be kept at home, or to be stuck in the snow. He
hired two sleighs, well yoked, one dogcart well-yoked,
and one saddle horse, and with these he set out, deter-.
'mined that, should one or other of these means prove
unequal to the journey, he would go on his way with
such as remained. He reached the bride's house, the
wedding took place, and the bride and bridegroom
arrived in Inverness the same night in a sleigh.
There was yet another marriage in Strathdearn at-
tended with similar difficulties. The weather was so
threatening that there were negotiations for the post-
ponement of the wedding, but these fell through. The
bridegroom and a company of twelve came from the
west of Ross-shire, and in spite of snow-blocked roads
and stormy weather reached the bride's house, five-and-
twenty miles from Inverness. Thus in all these
cases, in spite of difficulties, the parties were united.—
Inverness Courier.

PUZZLING THE DOCTOR,—A young lady at a fashion-
able dinner party pestered Dr. Johnson with a conun-
drum—a thing which the bluff old philosopher utterly
detested. "Why is the letter 'J 'like the end of
Spring, doctor?" was the question, and of course the
doctor couldn't tell. 'Because it is the beginning of
June," was the solution. "Now, Miss, will you tell me
why the letter ' K ' is like a pig's tail ! " sternly asked
the doctor. The young lady had togive it up. "Because
it's the end of pork, Miss. The doctor was bothered
with no more conundrums.

Too CiviL.—Macklin, one night sitting at the back
of the boxes with a gentleman of his acquaintance, an
underbred lounger stood up immediately before him,
and shut out the sight of the stage entirely from him.
Macklin patted him gently on the shoulder with his
cane, and with much seeming civility, revestecl that
when he saw or heard anything-that was entertaining
on the stage he would let him and the gentleman with
him know of it, as at present they must totally depend
on his kindness. This had the desired effect, and the
lounger walked off.

THE RISING IN THE TRANSVAAL.-

Tl 4 Times of Wednesday published the following :--
DIRBAN, Jan. 11.

The Potchefstroom garrison may hold out a few
weeks longer. Among the beleaguered are Colonel
Winslow, Major Thornhill, Commissioner Dunn Dr.
Wallis, Lieutenants Rundle, Hay, Lidsdell, Dunn,
Crown, Chevalier, Forsems.n and family, Palmer,
Sketchley, and Watt. Major Clarke and Command-
ant Raaf are still close prisoners.

The Commeroial Bad-.nk building has suffered con-
siderably, while the Standard Bank remains intact.
Neither have been looted.

It is estimated that 7,000 Boers are under arms, of
whom 2,000 are serving through fear.
Sir George P. Colley started on the 10th.
The survivors of the 94th Regiment are in Pieter-
maritzburg.
The inhabitants of Newcastle demur ut being
coerced by the military to take up arms.
Tee Boers say that the neutrality of Natal is incon-
sistent with their allowing our troops to concentrate
there.

The Pondos are fighting the Xesibes, Willoughby
helping the latter. _ _

The-Colonial forces are capturing large quantities
of cattle in Basutoland without casulties. Commall-
dant Frost, it was expected, would attack the rebels
in their mountains on the Bth.

The following telegram, dated January 11, from Sir
romeroyColley to the Secretary of State for the Colonies
was received at the Colonial Office en Tuesday:

"News from Potchefstroom to let inst. Fort still
holds out; has supply for month.

" Boers made unsuccessful attack with old ship's
gun
and children of English residents in fort.
_ _ _ _ _ ch_

"Major Clarke, Commandant Rad, and the Land-
drost still prisoners."

A Reuter 's telegram from Bombay, dated Jannasv 11,
says :—" Her Majesty's Indian troopship Euphrates, with
the 16th Hussars, the 2nd Battalion of the 60th Rifles, and
one battery of Artillery on board, sailed hence yesterday for
?Mal."