Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-04-25
Aunt Graves agreed to "refiect ont. {"

Aunt Graves agreed to ''refect on'tn
1t was not long after this consultation that
Mrs Swipes began to smell a rat" as she
said She commanded Mary Jane Arabella
"never to dsrken the doors of the old hog,
Longbow, agin; and as for that female critter,
Graves, she'd got husband livin' down at the
East ard, and they d all get into prison for life
the first thing they know ~
Sister Abigail declared she'd have Aunt
Graves turned out of church if she married a
man that warn't member" This was great
deal for Sister Abigail to say, for she had been
the bosom friend of Aunt Graves. People in
the church shouldn't orter jine themselves to-
gether-it was against Scripter and would get
everything inter twist"
/ But Ike Turtle had decreed that the marriage
should go on. He even went so far as to indite
tho first letter of the Squire's to Aunt Graves
This letter, which Ike exhibited to his friends,
as one of his best literary specimens, was indeed
a curiosity. / presume there is nothing else
like it on the face Of the globe. 1t opened by
informing Aunt Graves that since the {" loss of
his woman he had felt very grievous like, and
couldn't fix his mind onto any ything-that the
world didn't seem at all as it used to do-that
be and his woman had lived in peace for thirty
years, and the marriage state was natl to him;
that he had always liked Aunt Graves since the
very first time he seed her, and so did his woman
too" and many more declarations of similar
import, and it was signed y. Longbow, Jus.
tice of the Peace" and sealed, too, like his
legal processes, that his dignity might command
even If his person did not win the affections of
| this elderly damsel
Aunt Graves surrendered-all this within two
months after the death of Mrs. Longbow The
Squire cast of his weeds, and made violent
preparations for matrimony and on a certain
night shall never forget 1.-THE affair came
off
There was great gathering at the Sauire'-
q of TAFT had IL
far and near-the Swipes! and Beagles, Aunt
Sonora and all. Great preparation had been
made in the way of eatables. The Squire WAS
rigged in a new suit of '' home made" (made
by Mrs Longbow, too, in her life time) a white
vest and he wore a cotton bandanna necker-
chief, with heavy bows that buried his chin, a
pair of pumps and cloud blue stockings. Aunt
Grayesfs dress cannot be described. She was a
mass Of futtering ribbons, and she looked as
though she would take wings and fly.
Bigelow Van Slyck and Ike Turtle conducted
the marriage ceremony-the one the ecclesias-
tical and the other the civil management. When
the couple were ready Turtle sat down in front
of them with the statutes under his arm. with
BigelOw at his right hand.
Turtle examined the statutes amid profound
silence for some time, turning down one leaf
here and another there, until he found himsel
thoroughly prepared for the solemn occasion
Finally he rose, and with gravity that no man
" Miss Graves, hold up yer right hand and
swear"
Miss Graves said she was member of church
and darsent swear.
Ike said it was illegal swearing he wanted.
'cOrding to the staterts-not the wicked sOrt-he
wanted her to swear that she was over fourteen
years of age-hadn' got no husband living no.
where-warn't gOin' to practice no fraud nor
nothin' on Squire Longbow-and that she I'd jest
as good a right to get married now as she ever
had
Miss Graves looked blank.
Squire Longbow said 50 he d run the risk of
the fourteen years of age and the fraud, and
finally he would of the whole ont. The staterts
was well enough, but it warnt to be presumed
that justice of the peace would run agin' EN-.
Some folks didn't know 'em-he did"
Ike said " there was something another in the
statert about wlmin's doing these things with
out any fear or eOmpulslon of any body, and
he guessed he'd take Miss Graves into another
room and examine her separately and apart
from her intended husband" This was joke
of Turtles.
The Squire said 90 that meant married wimin-
after the ceremony was over, that would be
very legal and proper ....
Mrs. Swipes said, - for her part, she thought
the oath orter to be putt would be an awful
thing to see poor creetur forced into mar
riage."
Elcler ADlgdll InOuRut 50 100.
Aunt Sonora hoped there wouldn't be nothin'
did wrong. % so the people could take the law
on en-"
Turtle said that - they needn't any on 'em
fret their gizzards-he was responsible for the
law of the case"
Bigelow then rose, and told the parties to jine
hands, and while they were jined, he wanted
the whole company to sing a psalm.
The psalm was sung.
Rioalnu than fba ,radd;no ,oro
cess. Squire Longbow," exclaimed Bigelow,
. this is your second wife, and some folks say
the third, and hope you feel the awful position
in which you find yourself"
The Squire said he - felt easy and resigned
he had gone inter it from respect to his woman
who was now no more"
You do promise to take this ere woman to
eat her, and drink her, and keep her in things
to wear, 50 long as you and she lives !'' .
Il do that very thing responded the
Squire.
And you, on your part" continued Bige-
low, turning to Aunt Graves promise to be-
have yourself and obey the Squire in all
things"
Aunt Graves said she would, " Providence
permitting"
This marriage ceremony is. I believe, nearly
word for word
Them said Turtle, 80 wheel yourself into
line, and let's have dance, and drawing out
his fiddle, the whole crowd, in five minutes,
were tearing down at furious rate, and when
departed, at about midnight, the storm was
raging still higher, the whiskey and hot water
circulated freely. Turtle looked quite abstract
ed about the eyes, and his footsteps were grow
ing more and more uncertain. Bulliphant's face
shOne like drummond light, the voices of the
females little stimulated, were as noisy and
confused rs those of Babel, and your humble
servant: why he walked home straight as
gun-of course he did-and was able to distin-
guish hay-stack from meeting house, any
where along the road
SHocxIse-The Easton (Md.) Star says cor
oner,s inquest was held in that county, on Satur-
day last over the body of a child named Marga-