The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1857-04-16
Dumurutla 5tnrq,
- en-. [From Graham's Magazins.l ...-
"a SQUIRE L0NGB0W'S
S ECOND M MARRIAG GE

esquire Longbow sincerely mourned the
loss of his wife--internally and externally.
Externally, he was one Of the strongest
mourners / ever saw. He wore a weed,
floating from his hat, nearly foot long. It
was the longest weed that had ever been
mounted AT Puddeford; but our readers
must not forget who Squire LongLow was
a magistrate, and leading man in communi-
ty.a And while the yeader is aboutILH he
may also recolect Gatthe Squire is not the
only man, east or vest, who has, yentured
upon little ostentat tion over the grave Of
the departed-nosAaSoman neitheri ../~- 2
Who was to be the next Mrs. EoaSbow {?
That was the question. The public. indeed
asked it long before the Squire. Who~was
to have the honor of presiding at Lhe
Squire's tablel What woman was to be
placed at the head Of society, in Puddleford {?
The Swipeses and Beagles, Aunt Sonora,
Aunt Graves, and Sister Abigail, and scores
Of others, all began to speculate upon this
important subject. Even Turtle and Bates
indulged in a few general remarks. ....
Aunt Sonora gave it as her mind, "the
Squire ought to be pretty skeery how he
married anybody, kase if he got one of them
flipper tergiobet sort O. wmmen, she'd turn
the whole house enside out, and he'd be one
of the most miserablest of all men," She
said if he know'd what was good for him
self, he'd jest keep clear of all the young
gals that were fussing and fgeting round
him, and 60 right in for some old standby
Of a woman, that know'd how to take the
brunt Of things-but lors-a me-" continued
Aunt Sonora, " there's no doing nothing
with these old widowers--they're all like
my Uncle Jo, who married in hurry, and
repented arterwa-ds-and the poor dear old
soul arn't had minutes peace since"
: e The Swipeses and Beagles, who, it will be
secollected, belonged to clique that had in
times past, warred against Longbow & CO.,
''tho't it would be shameful for the Squire
to marry at ALT would be an insult agin
the memory Of poor old Mrs. Longbow, who
was dead and gone" (Some people, you
know, reader, abuse the living, but defend
the dead.) "And if the Squire should mar
ry, they should think for their part, that
she'd rise up out of her grave, and haunt
him She could never sleep easy, if she
know'd that the Squire had got some other
woman. who was eating her preserves, and
wearing out her clothes, and lordng it over
the house like all possessed"
Other opinions were expressed by other
persons-in fact, the Squire's widowhood
was ths great concern of Puddleford. "He
was so well on to do" as Aunt Sonora used
to call it, that he was considered a great
{" catch" ...... ........... : ,
after few weeks of sorrow, the Squire
himself really began to entertain notions of
matriniony. |: is true, he had passed the
age Of sixty, and it required great effort to
get up sufficient amount Of romance to
carry out such an enterprise. Symptoms be-
gan, however, to wax strong. The first
alarming indication was his attendance at
church. The Squire had always been
kind Of a.heathen, in this respect, and had
for many years set a poor example; but
people, who want to marry, will 90 to
church. Whether this is done to get up a
reputation, or simply to take survey ofthe
unappropriated female stock yet remaining
on hand, / cannot saw, =, .....,...'
~ The Squire was " fixed up" amazingly,
the-first time saw him at church. His
hairahad been cut, and thoroughly creased.
His shirt.colar covered his ears; and his
boots shone like mirror Aunt Sonora
said be looked epymost as good as new.r
Aunt Graves was in the choir that day, and
she sung az she never sang before. She
blhged all the heavy straips Of music