Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1858-12-10
Joe Bowers Wedding.


himself making learned charges, and pass
iYg sentence, outside OF the courtroom.
Ga receul occasion, he was called on
to exercise the "power and authority, in
HIM vested, in the case ola young couple
who desired to have their hands united in
the hoiy hc.d Of wedlock. Of course he
CONSENTED 70 perform the pleasing duty,
and on the appointed evening was prompt
iy or maud. The room was crowded by
the beauty aud fashion Of the town.
Ii Is customary, on OCCASIONS of the kind
referred 70, for the good folks of the noun
tain towns to pass around the wine quite
freely. The J udge is an ardent aimirer OF
the fair sex, and that be should get little
mellow amid the glorious scenes Of the
evening, was not to be wondered at by
those who knew him intimately.
Tie wine had passed. The music had
ceased. Tue time for making Joseph
Bowers and Nancy Harkins one, had ar
riveG. Every heart throbbed with most
delightful emotions. The young gentle
men desired to know how "Joe' would
stand it, aud the young ladies were anx-
ious 20 see how :. Nance" would suffer the
anxious shock. Others, again, who had
closely observed the turn of affairs during
the evening, fixed their attention upon
the Jaige, to see how he would come out
Of the scrape.
At length the trying moment was an
nounced. The Judge arose very cautiously
from the chair which he had occupied in
one corner OF the room, and, casting his
eyes over the company, singled out the
Sheriff Of the county, who was present as
an invited guest. The Judge had imbibed
just enough to make him forget the nature
of his business. Looking stcrnly at the
officer, he shouted
"Mr. Sheriff, open the Court, and call
order"
\ general litter followed this command,
IN the midst Of which the Sheriff took the
q court" gently by the arm, and led him
to his seat in the corner, at the same time
informing that august parsonage of the |
mistake.
Everything now bid fair, until another
annoyance, which was nothing else than
The absence Of the Bridegroom, was obser-
we'd 1t turned out that he had just stepped
across the street to join his friends in a
parting drink; but, before his return, some
cold-blooded wag had whispered in the
car Of our fogey the cause of delay in the
proceedings. Instantly the chair in the
corner moved, and in that direction all eyes
were fixed
" bring Joe Into Court on asupenar" The
Judge had his own way of pronouncing the
word. Then addressing the bride, who
stood in the foreground, and hung her head
in deep confusion, he added: Il s'pose
yol are the Plaintiff. Well, don't take on.
Innocence and virtue will be protected by
this ere Court.
This was the saddest blunder of all. The
judge was again made to see his mistake,
and would have been sidcrably set
bac X, hid it not been for corrective 10
TIE shape Of forty draps of the critter,'
which he instantly applied.
In 4 few moments all was ready. The
Bridegroom had arrived full OF joy. The
pressed forward. The excite.
mept was intense. lie evidently felt every
inch a Judge.
"J o-e Boo w-e-r s." commen-
ccl The man of law, in the most distressing
style Of speech with which he was iuvari.
ably troubled VIXEN uuder the influence 0:
} llor, "J-J-o.e B o-w-e-r.s, stand up.
Have y-yOu anything to say why s-sen-
-crce-"
Stop. stop! stop. Judge" shouted
e Sheriff, from the back part of the room,
= You are not going to hang the man, but
marry him"
The Judge drew long breath, and
I.inhel rapidly, but stood his ground we'll.
recovering himself, he proceeded
"JJ o-e Bowers, do y-you t-take
INFANCY H-Earkins for your wife, so
h help you God p
This was tolerable effort, and Joe nod
ded assent
"N-Nlncy Harkins, it now remains for
this c-court to"
Here the Sheriff again interrupted him,
reminding him Of the real business Of the
evening.
Miss N-Nancy," resumed the Judge,
after being set right, "do y-you t-take
J Joe T. Bowers for a husband, tito the
LIST of your knowledge and b-belief or do
you uot?"
"You can bet I will ~ answered the
light hearted Nancy.
The Judge then took the hands Of the
happy couple, and joined them, and wound
up the business as follows:
sit now r-remains for this h.here court |
TO pronounce you, J-Joe Bowers, and y you
Nancy Harkins, man and wife, and"-