The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1859-12-08

'"an who warnt amemberH yThi. was n oreai
deal Tor Sister Abigailto say, for she had been
the bosom friend Of Aunt Graves !" people ON,
OF the. church and people in the church. shouldnf
orter jiney Themselves togetier--it WAS sap;n
Ssripter and would get every thing inter twist
But Ike Turtle had decreed that the marriage
shonld go on Heeven went so far ne to ;ndite
the 'nrst letter OF the Sqares to Aunt, Graves
th's tetter. which Ike exhibited to his friends as
one OF his best literary specimens was indeed a
curiosity. presume there is nothing else like
iton the face OF the globe. 1t opened by.inform.
ing Aunt Graves that since the alos, Of bis 80.
man. he had felt very grievous'like, and couldn't
hS his mind onto any thing that tho world
didn't seem at alies tsused to do---that he and
his woman had liydAin peace for thirty years,
and the marriage state was nat'raI 10 hm-tl,at
he had always hkd'Aunt Graves since the very
hrst time he seed her, and so did his woman
Too ); and many more declarations of similar i'm.
port, and it was signed !" o. Iongbow. Justice of
the Peace" and sealed too, like his legal process
that his dignity might command, even IL his per.
son did not win, the affections of the elderly
damsel ~, -s.
Aunt.Graves surrendercd--and all this within
two months after the death of Mrs Longbow.--
The Squire cast off his weeds, and made violent
preparations for matrimony; and ON certain
night shall never forget 1.-THE affair came
off, J-s.8a.ts .s.ss so -
There was great gathering at the Squire's-
sort of general invitation had been extended
far and near-the Swipse and Beagles, Aunt Sono.
ra, and ALL Great preparations had been made
in the way Of eatables The Squire was ripeed
in new suit Of :" homc-nade," (made bv Mrs.
Longbow too, in her lifetime q white vest, and
he wore cotton bandnna me- neck-handkerchief, with
heavy bows, that buried his chin, and pair of
pumps and couded blue stockings Aunt Graves,
dress cannot be described. She was a mass of
huttering ribbons. and she looked as though she
would take wings aud fly away.
Bigelow Van Slyck and Ike Turtle conducted
ire marriage eeremony--the one took the eccle-
siasti 'al the other the civil management. When
the couple were ready Tortle sat down in front
of them witt the statutes under his arm, with
Bigclow at his I. ght hand.
Turtle examined the statutes. amid profound
silence for some time, turning down one leaf here
and another there, until he found himself thor
oughly prepared for the solemn occasion. Finali
ly, he arose, and with q gravity that no man ever
put on before or since, 'exelaik ked:
Miss Graves, hold up yer right hand and
swear ..e
Miss Graves said I" she was member of the
church, and dar'sent swear" 49,, I'd.
Ike said 1T was illegal swearing he wanted
'cording TO the staters-not the wicked sort--.he
wanted her to swear that che was over fourteen
years of nge-hadnt got no husband living, no
where--warn't goin' TO practice no fraud nor
nothin' on Squire Longbow-and that she'd lest
as good a right to get married now as she ever
had"
Miss Graves looked blank, ..-
Squire Longbow said a. he'd run the risk of
the fourteen years of f-age and the fraud, and
finally he would Of the whole ont The st.ters
was well enough but it warn't to be presumed
that jsstica Of the piece could run agin 'em.-
Some folks didn't know 'em-he did"
Ike said "there was something another in the
statert about wimin's doing things without any
fear or compulsion Of any body and he guessed
he'd take Miss Graves into another room, and ex,
anime her separately and apart from her intend
ed husband" This was Joke of Turtle's
The Squire said "that meant nqrried wimin
--arter the ceremony was over, that ere would
be very legal and proper"
Mrs. swipse said rfor her part she thought the
oath orter be put--it would be nm awful thing
70 see poor cretur forced into marriage"
Sister Abigail thought so, too.
Aunt Sonora hoped there wouldn't be nothin,
did wrong, so people could take the law on 'em.
Turtle said "that they needn't any on 'em fret
their gzzards-he was responsible for the la OF
the case"
Bigelow then rose, and told the parties to nc
hands and while they were jned, he wanted the
whole company to sing psalm.
The psalm was sung.
Bigelow then commenced ihe wedding process.
esquire Longbow," exclaimed Bgelow--" 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 :" lie felt ensy and resigned
he'd gone inter it from respect TO his woman who
was now no more" a.
You do promise to take this ere woman. %
eat her, and drink her, and keep her in thing.
to wear, so long as you end she lives"
do that very thing" responded the Squire.
"And you, on your part" continued Bigelow,
turning to Aunt Graves, "promise to behave
yourself and obey the Squire in all things.p
Aunt Graves said '.she would, Providence per
mitting."
This marriage ceremony, I believe. is nearly
word for word.
Then" said Turtle, wheel yourself into
line, and let's have dance and drawing oui
his fiddle, the whole crowd, in FIVE minutes. were
tearing down at most furious rate; and when
departed. at about raidniglit, the storm was rag
ing stlll higher, the whisky and hot water cir.
cniated freely, Turtle looked quite abstraeted
about his eyes, and his footsteps were growing