The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1855-12-26


quantance with fashion and millinery displayed
BY the reporters. But wedding in the back
woods, among the wood choppers, is not often
reported in full in the papers. As a novelty
then, we give the following. The time is the
merry month of June, and the scene-an actual
one-is laid on the banks of tile Tchefuncta,
parish of ST. Tammany.
The festivities were conducted in an extreme
ly free, off-hand manner. and whosoever chose
to participate in the same, was welcome SO to
do, whether he had been especially invited or
not.
The brides father, and likewise the groom,
are known in the forest axe men and shinge
makers, of more than ordinary thrift, and the
friends of the bride (who is sunburnt, moon
face lady Of twenty fve) assert that none are
better fitted than she to FIJI the duties of
helpmate, ,inasmuch as '.she knows nothing but
hard work, and is able at all times to earn her
dollar day, either at cotton picking, hoeing
corn, or gathering moss. ,..a.e,s s.4-
The nuptials were celebrated in the ones story
"ten by six log built mansion Of the brides
father, at which place the guests began to gath
er with the approach of sundown, and ere long
merry, smirking groups of brown, bare footed
forest women, dressed in gay calicoes, thronged
the house and blocked up the door ways.
The groom who was welllooking fellow Of
about two and twenty, had arrayed himselfn a
pink and white calico shirt, and new pair of
shining black satinet pantaloons, the bottoms
of which were rolled up for the better display
of his handsome pepper and salt stockings and
calf-skin slippers His thin, swarthy visage,
had been SO closely shorn, that it fairly glis-
tened, while his ell-greased, sandy hair was
disposed on top of the head in short ram S
horn. He was evidently becoming impressed
with the solemnity Of the occasion, for he pre-
served most serious expression of countenance,
answered answered all questions with extreme
brevity, and while one hand was clutched in
that Of the bed, which occupied one corner of
the dwelling, with the other he held small
methodist hymn book, upside down, before his
face, from whose pages he scarcely once avert
ed his eyes. .a0,s -,t e. -r,sE.a
Besides apair of stout COW hide bootees, a
naked pair of huge red arms, and string of
scarlet sealingwax beads upon her neck, the
bride wore nothing which showed that she had
attempted the use Of any unusual display, and
with subdued air of intense delight she steadi-
ly contemplated the yellow sprigs which re-
lieved the blue true ground of her "Merrimac
calico" frock.
While the twilight was yet at its height the
jokes and fun of the merrer portion of the
company were stilled, for the squire (who is an
elderly ''fore handler farmer, and who, in the
absence Of clergyman, holds authority to per-
form marriage ceremonials) made his appear.
ance in nagisteria black and bearing seve-
raj portentous looking law octavos and a bible,
partly wrapped upin his bandana handkerchief
Of all dignitaries known on earth, none are
SO feared and venerated by our country people
as the squire, For this reason a complete and
attentive silence row prevailed throughout the
company, and after the squire had steadily
looked about him for fewmoments, he grave
! ly laid his books upon the dresser, spit out hi:
tobacco, wiped his spectacles, and placed then
his nose, alT Of which doings signihed that ths
ceremonies were about TO begin.
! The preliminary rite consisted of praye1
which the squire, drawn up to his fullest heigh
fervently read from tract, secreted in the cor
ner of his hat, (although he pretended to keet
his eyes shut all the while, and during the re.
cilal Of which those who possessed aprons and
hats reverently buried their faces therein, and
| those who were without, leaned their foreheads
against each others shoulders. Having fin
lshed his prayer, the squire invited the be-
trothed couple to rise, and in an impressive
speech, in which law phrases and apt quota
tons frem the bible sonorously abounded, he
discussed tie nature and beauties of the matri-
monial compact for a full half hour or more
At the close of the homily, the bride hung
her head and pinched her arms. the groom be-
came percepbly nervous, and the parents,
and the guests crowded toward the squire
(whose GOODNESS and happy demeanor was most
enchantng) w4hintense eagerness depicted on
their countenance, for the climax was obvious
ly at hand.
In few minutes, all was brought TO the
happlest termination, for the Squire read a few
sentences from one of his law books without
the smallest accident or interruption, and the
lovers were now man and wife, much to the
satisfaction of the bride, who received the con-
graduation ofher friends with broadest of grins
while the groom again strangely sat on the bed
and gazed about him with the same abstracted
air, as if he had lost his jack knife, and was
trying to bring the time to mind when he had
last seen it. aas .,, q. s.s.-=.n
Another short prayer concluded the 'squire's
duties, when the BRIDES thin, wiry, shrill-
tongued mother appeared on the scene, who
directed the men to construct table of planks
and barrels, beneath a column of oaks in front
of the dwelling, and led a train of girls and ma
irons to little smoking clubhouse near at hand
whence numerous plates of boiled pork potatoes,
fried eels loaves Of ginger bread, pots of coffee,
jugs of molasses and wbiskey, were taken and
arranged upon the festive board .-" ~.
In the meantime the boys had made several
fires Of pine knots within a comfortable dis
tance of the table, ard at length the guests sat
themselves thereto, with marks of high salts
faction.
When the squire had rapidly but largely
partaken of fried eels and whiskey and water
he borrowed plug Of tobacco Of the BRIDES
father, and after reminding the company that
he had "got good ways to go, and engaging
the groom, (whose pensiveness, by -the-b still
coninued) to do couple days "hoeing," I
which service everybody understood the
squire intended to accept as compensation for
performing the bans, he departed for the place
whence he came.
Relieved Of the awe-inspiring presence Of the
squire, the guests at once delivered themselves
up to the freest revel and jolity. Discordant
unes to the accompanying words to which the