The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1877-12-07
nj i s C elan @ 0 u S.
Uncle Blucher's Wedding Trip.

Time is changed, boys, since | was a
young fellow. I'm eighty now, and I've
seen considerable living. When l was
twenty-one the deer used to come out of
the woods yonder and eat my buckwheat,
and | used to go out with my rifle and
shoot 'em down to save it, Venison is
scarce now, but you couldn't coax hun
cry man to eat it then, if he could get any.
thing else, it was so common. Ask Aunt
Martha if that isn't so. AS for doings,
they're all altered. Everything is fine as
five-pence now. We had to put up with
common tixings then, tell you. Now, the
big wedding down at Dadenhammer YES
terday Aunt Martha and |, we went. All
the house was fixed up with stuffed furni-
ture, and there were things to eat I didn't
know the name of; and four musicians
from the city to play for them to dance;
and after the wedding there was carriage
to take the young folks to the railway de-
pot for what they called their tour, and a
wagon behind, bless you, with the brides
trunks, as big as houses, every one of 'em.-
That was my Martha's niece, that bride
was; and when Martha was married she
went on a different kind of tour
ing, though she says the young people will
think she wasn't bit genteel. Genteel
isn't my brother anyway-never was.-
Give me up and down just what you are
worth-nO airs.
We didn't take any in those times We
were new settlers every one ofus Martha's
mother and father had one big room for
parlor, sitting room and kitchen, and there
we were married. Peter Grimes fiddled for
us, and we had corn cakes and chicken, and
sweet cake and coffee, and light biscuits
and plum sas, and fried pork for supper !;
and the parson he ate as hearty and laugh
ed as loud as any one of us-though when
it came to dancing, of course he wasn't
there; and after we danced until morning,
Martha and started for home. l had a
cart, it hadn't any cover, and it didn't ride
very easy, and l was going to take her over
in that.
We'd had furnishing bee before and all
my folks and all hern had given US some
thing; but GRANDMOTHER Smith had fetch
ed over feather bed for present to Mar
tha-and now says she:
Put it in the wagon Butcher, and it will
make comfortable seat for Martha"
So we did it.
Martha sat on the bed. Iperched up on
the seat, and away we drove. Mother
Smith she cried, so did Martha.
Father-in- law hurrahed. So did |, and
off we went.
For considerable time had plenty to
do coaxing Martha to cheer up, telling hel
that she could go home as often as she
liked and pretending to scold her, though
wasn't angry, for a girl who loves hel
own folks, and is a good daughter, is sure
to be good wife.
| But after while she cheered up, and as
we rode along in the gray dawn, just lit
tie mister than night, she said:
"I'm so sleepy that / think shall JUS
cuddle down in the feathers and take
nap"
i'Do it," said l from my perch.
So after a while, | spoke to her withou
turning my head, and she didn't answer
Sound asleep, poor little chicken,
thought /, and drove on.
1t was cloudy sort of morning. Wed
passed through the marsh, and the mos
quitoes buzzed about, but never reused tn,
girl up. We'd come to the woods, ant
there you couldn't see your face, and still
she was sound asleep, thought, and l wa
glad she could have such a good rest
But when we'd come to the top of the hill
and could see our little house, | couldn'
stand it any longer. felt as if I'd like t,
have her take the first peep along with me
"Martha !" shouted, turning around OF
the high STAT, Martha, wake up, lasse
We can see our home from here"
But then | stopped short, and thought
should die. Martha wasn't there. Meth
er she nor the feather bed was on the car
it was just empty.
She'd fallen off somewhere-bu where
And what might have happened her p
There were plenty of wild beasts in th
woods then-the smaller kind of course
but not pleasant to meet-and the swan
in parts was deep enough to drown in.
couldn't stop to drive back slow an
careful. Jumped down, leaving old Je
to take care of himself, and away f1e,
back into the woods calling martha
Martha !" and feeling about as | went, bu
nobody answered.
tell you, boys. it was a dreadful hou
for me; almost tainted, or got fit, G
something, before | got through the wood
to the marsh. But therc-therc ju,
stopped, and being so scared had made M
so nervous, that | burst out a laughing.
There, in the midst Of the soft mud, VIZ
the feather he'd all smpareJ and snattere,