Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1856-02-21
A MISSISSIPPI SCENE.
LOVE on A CTION--MAR-
RIAGE--BOATMEN's JUSTICE.

The st. Louis Herald tells this story: A
week or so ago, the good steamer Helen
Marrow ice bound at Rattlcsnake land
ing, twenty miles below this city-was the
scene of one of tn )se little romances which
will occasionally occur in spite of life's
dull realities. We state the facts as related
to us by passenger.
The Helen Mar was bound down the
Ohio for this city. At Paducah, young
man from Tennessee came aboard and took
passage in the cabin. He was from the
country, and, being away from home, with
pocket full of rocks, he was not long in
making the acquaintance of all on board
from the tiremen to the captain Among
the passengers was a young girl Of seven
teen, to whom the Tennessean paid mark
ed attentions, and it was evident that she
was not Indifferent to his Establishments.
The ice was running thick in the river,
as the Helen Mar turned her bow up the
Mississippi, and her progress was slow
The young Tennessean would frequently
Join the circle gathered around the stove,
but presently paid all his attentions to the
young lady. Presently she seldom appear
ed in the ladies' cabin, and her step recent
ly as light as antelope's, was heavy and
slow; her check was pale, and her eyes
dim and swollen. Tears were seen to steal
from under her fringed eyelids, and it was
whispered that sobs-deep, heartbroken
sobs of anguish and despair-were heard
from her state in the silence of the
night, when others slept
The boatmen began to suspect that some
thing WAS wrong; they canvassed the mat
ter among themselves. and resolved upon
an investigation. The frazier vessel being
leaky, they determined to overhaul her and
discover the cause. With that delicacy,
characteristic Of western boatmen, they
said nothing to the girl herself, but called
upon some of the lady passengers to inter
rogato her.
The girl was young and artless. With
tears and sobs she confessed she had yield
ed to the young mans opportunities, and
had fallen from virtue. Sho blamed him
not, however, but took all the blame upon
herself.
1t was about ten o'clock at night when
this fact was communicated to the crew
and passengers composing tho court of in
CURRY They wore not long in making up
their verdict. Their decision was that the
two crafts be dashed together.
The Tennesean was arraigned before the
imperative tribunal, and made acquainted
with the sentence. He had to take the girl
or be left high and dry on sand bar,
where ne would freeze to death in less than
an hour. He 'caved in at once-said he
was willing to do what was right. and
would make the wronged lady mistress of
his plantation in Tennessee. The girls
consent was also obtained. and the next
step was to find blacksmith to do the
welding. There was no one on board au-
thorized to officiate on such interesting oc-
casions, and about midnight the boat was
landed at Chester, on the Illinois shore,
and a messenger was dispatched to procure
Parson or Justice of the Peace.
A Justice was found, jerked out of bed.
and marched down to the boat, rather
against his will, and the marriage ceremo-
ny in the Sucker State being exceedingly
brief, the deed was done an less Man t,co
minutes
Having piloted the two crafts safely into
port, and tied them up snugly together, the
jovIal boatmen resolved to have night of
it,. After drinking the health of the be-
wildered Justice, they sent him ashore and
re-organized tie court as a board of com
missloners to assess damages. The pro-
ccedings on this occasion were of the most
mirth- provoking character Our inform
ant says they were indescribably amusing.
Many proposals were made to inflict some
ludicrous sort Of penalty upon the BRIDE
groom, and the off-hand speeches deliver
ed were highly honorable to the bar of the
steamboat 1t was finally agreed that the
young man should pay a fine; censusta-
ker was appointed to count noses. and a
clerk to figure up the costs. The sentence
was, that the happy fellow should pay -four
dollars and a hnlf, in lega Illinois curren-
cy-coon skins excluded-to be expended
in spirituous comforts for the benefit of the
honorable court. The finding of the court