Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1875-03-06

stars an see de bride" found her
and her six bridesmaids in full custom
white muslin dresses, with low necks
and short sleeves, and white wreaths
on their heads; the bride wore long
white veil. The dresses spotless in con-
trast with their dark skins, and were
really neat and pretty, though a suspi-
cious- looking pin showed here and there,
and an underskirt mol. white might be q
bit too long, and the big cowhide shoes
would not kee, entirely out of sight.
Still, when I remembered they were all
field hands," plowed, hoed and
reaped, like the men, 1 only wondered
they looked MS we'll as they did.
After touch here and there, they
were ready for the ceremony, which
took place on the stoop, as the house was
so crowded that all could not see them
inside. Tho bridal party stood in a
semi-circle round the minister, who
stood in the doorway while the crowd
gathered round on the stoop and Steps
and in the yard. Two or. three held
candles near the door, while the. fire
blazed up brightly in the background.
The right hands were joined and the
minister was offering prayer, when
there came q loud crack, as if the tim
bers were breaking. The house was an
old one and the stoop some six feet
high, and the weight Of the crowd was
most too much for it. "
Je-rus-lumw some one exclaimed,
&C. if dis ere old pieuzza amt givin'
out!'
The minister paused with uplifted
hands and retreated backward into the
house, and in minute the whole "pie-
azza" was cleared of bridal party and all,
When the panic was over the party got
into position again in one of the rooms,
and the ceremony proceeded The
minister resumed his prayer, then pro-
nounced them man and wife, and then
gave ont the hymn, "Hark! from the
tombs doleful sound!" which they
sang-the minister lining it out-before
any one stepped forward with their con-
gratulations.
Then came supper. A long table was
set, loaded with cakes, candies, ETC.,
but for o center piece roast pig was
standing on huge platter. We stood
round the table--the minister at the
head, the bridal party at his right, and
I on his left-while the various dishes
were passed round from side tables.
The first dish was cold pork, the next
hominy-the inevitable +" hog and hom-
iny," after that came chickens, turkeys.
beef, pies, cake, ETC., all very nice. AS
we left the table, our places was filled
by others, and so on till all the crowd
had their supper. I wondered how
they could provide such feast for so
many; but some ono whispered to me, :"
" Uncle JIM (the father of the bride)
" makes dem all pay der quarter. less
doys done sent chicken or peck ob
meal afore." "Why, then, these are
not inritcd guests? ?" Z" y! yes dey is,
but Uncle Jim he sent do terms an de
invite. Dat are Uncle Jim, him's one
cute niger, make q heap out OBJ dis ere. I"
Tain't Uncle Jim," said another;
"it's Aunt Milly (his wifo); hers de
boss, shuah; she done make him charge
dem; ketch her making oil dat fuss fur
nothin'." .ui ''r F. >.. ..aa=
did not doubt she was the 9. boss, -
for the Sunday before she attended
"meeting" at our school house the
lower story of an old Theological In
stitute. The room, O huge one a.was
full. Uncle Jim" was sitting with
the men on the logs at one side of the
room, and "Aunt Milly" sat in chair
near the preacher" About the mid
die of the sermon she got up (no easy
task, she was so fat, and walked across
the room, her thick shoes creaking as
her heavy feet came down decidedly, to
where her husband was, sitting, and
slapped him in the face with her fan,
telling him, "Wake up dar! - great
'zample ye're settin' des ere young ones
in de house lob God" Uncle Jim
looked sheepish enough, while she
marched back with her heavy tread
and took her seat with an emphatic nod,
and the preacher, resumed his sermon,
for she made such d commotion he had
to wait for her to get.quiet. 1siat'"
III was sitting in the room L first en-
tered, waiting for the " buggy, when
l heard these remarks about "mine
host" and his wife. After waiting
nearly an hour. a boy came in, and in
formed me, De mules locked up in
de stable, and poppy he's done lost the
key Had to lock up his property for
fear OF his wedding guests ey1tF
There was nothing to do but to wait
till the key was found, for, as they said,
!" it was too powerful muddy" to think
OF walking homo. T. haard's heaps" of
talk-aA sorts of comments passed on
the supper, etc, $50 the time did not
seem SO very longAand too, discov-
cred the secret Of the huge black ket-
ties on the hearth. One was filed with
hominy, another with chicken pie, and
the third with stew, and oil these were
emptied while ] waited There was o
family OF kittens and one of puppies on
the hearth, ! could see now a leg, ana
now q tail or head, among the kettles,
NJ NJ, = A. 4 - . ~