The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1855-01-24
Taken at his Word.


and social, refined company, made the trip on
Of pleasure, indeed, long shall / remember th
saucy Emily Barton and her superb livin!
freight One lovely summer afternoon it wa
whispered that we were to have wedding be
fore the boat reached her destination, said whis
per starting first and low near the stern, some
where in the vicinity of the ladies' cabin, ant
speedily making its way to the hall, the boile
4 deck, and even to the main, like the snow bal
down the mountain, gathering size, form, ane
momentum, as it rolled forward, until the prin
clpals IN the interesting scene were not only
4 pointed out, but the parson-some scraps of til,
history Of each, fiction, fact and surmise, al
hashed up Ingeniously, leaving you in the hal
pleasant half painful suspense and doubt tha
opens theeyes SO wide and strains the drum q
the ear SO tight to all transpiring around you
We'll, we landed to wood att magnificent beecl
bottom, the tall heavily leayed trees with theil
silver gray trunks making a deep cool shade
while, they, with their grassy green bank thai
bore them, were imaged in the CLASSY river, SO
clear, So true, that inversion only pointed the
false from the real, cutting this charming spot
ntwaln came murmuring crystal spring brook
scarce four spans wide, to lose itself in the mass
OF Tennessee waters, they in turn to be alike
lost in the boundless sea.
No sooner was the staging out than there
emerged from the ladies' cabin manly look
ing fellow, dressed in faultless taste, intellect
beaning in every feature, while over his face
perfect happiness shone like phoshorus on the
sea, and leaning On his arm was the most lovea-
bic woman it has ever been my lot to behold,
her fine hazel eyes (tell tales that they were
speaking deep emotion, and her expressive lip
quyerlng with suppressed excitement, while
her dress,step, and grace was that Of queen.
.sThere they are!'' 'sThat's her!" ooh how
handsome!'' burst from many lip as we in
stlnctlvely made way to let them pass to the
altar, and where that was we had about as clear
an idea as q atranscendentalist generally has OF
what he is talking about. But one thing we all
seemed to know, that there was fun ahead, and
to follow in their wake was the way to see it.
As the ladies passed gallant arm was offered
to each, and thus we marched out of the cabin,
down the stairs, across the staging, and up the
sloping bank. Some fifty yards up the brook
the pair stopped, and joining hands they stood
with the clear water between them-bridged it
was by the twining fingers and crossed by a
stream of love pure as itself. All was silent
still-unti broken by the minister reading in
an impressive manner, ''And of the rib which
the lord God had taken from man made he a
woman and brought her to the man And Adam
said this is now bone Of my bone and flesh of
my flesh, she shall be called woman because
she was taken out of man. Therefore shall a
maa leave his father and his mother and cleave
unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh He
closed the book and offered a most touching and
hoo, If,,1 I,.4 r
that earnestappeal to the throne of grace. Then
asking the usual questions, he pronounced them
husband and wife. The bride slowly sinking
on her knees raised her beautiful face, all COW
cred with tears, and her clasped hands, and in
the most touchingly sweet voice, ,tremulous with
deep emotion said-'And now, oh mercful
Father, grant that our two lives thus united may
peacefully flow in one, even as this rvulet, until
we reach the river of death, and undivided in
faith and conduct, be permitted to enjoy thine
eternal smiles in the land of the pure and the
blest." Every pulse seemed stilled, hoping,
wishing for more of this beautiful drama Not
word, not a movement from all that throng, all,
allwas happiness. Oh, lovely panorama. how
thou art craven on this heart! The happy man
was in the act Of imprinting kiss upon the
smiling lips of his magnificent bride, when the
clear tones of manly voice startled all from
their pleasing reverie Universal gaze rested on
handsome, tall Tennesseean, whose eagle eye
spoke the mana fit Representative of a state
where sleeps a Jackson.
Il can't stand this any longer, | cant B.
Pardon, ladies, pardon, I have a proposition to
make on the good faith of a man who never
lies Or trlfles. must make it OF desc here
goes. Now will marry on this spot any lady
that has the nerve to face such music; look at me
and if you can love me as she loves (pointng
at the bride) Ill promise to be a husband to
you, such a husband as she deserves, and such
husband as a true hearted man will make to
the woman who comes trembling under his
wing. l further say that no spot or shame at
taches to my name nor ever shall, and this arm
will support and protect the one who can trust
it. Who'll take me?" and his eye ran slowly
and steadily over the crowd of handsome wo-
men around him, his earnest manner and novel /
speech had aroused an intense feeling, all was
surprise and deep sympathy with the fearless
excited orator, when, to the astonlshment and /
delight OF every one, fawn-like blue-eyed girl, I
from the howery banks of the Alabama, stepped
to his side, and looking confidently up to his
eyes, with her hands on his arm, said-sI ara
thine!" By this time his arm was around her
waist, and parting her curls black as the
ravens wing at midnight looked steadfastly in
her face for moment, and 'ssigned the con-
5ract'' with a kiss that all the married ladies
afterwards pronounced of the genuine sort
perfect, satisfactory. Raising his flashing eyes
with triumphant expression from the pleasant
Job just mentioned, he said-ssWhere is that
9arson? send him right here-on this spot we
net and on this spot well be made one. Inever
ct such luck as this pass me by waiting minute,
g go ahead = and on that spot where they first
net were they solemnly united forcver-When
he words "What God had joined let no man put
'sunder,' died away, shout went up that
woke the echoes for miles, every hand was
.xtended to the happy, lucky, yenturesome
elbow, and every lady in that crowd pressed
he lip Of his trusting and handsome wife, (for
moment wished were her, but instantly
eeoyered my selpossession and thrust the
weakness from me, woman kissing each other
iways seemed a waste Of sweetness to me, but
hey know best, laughing, shouting happy,we
II returned on board Our generous captain