The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1879-04-25

| ANA, without implying any license 10
dispute about tastes-which, from time i'm
memorial, have been considered out of tho
pale OF controversy choice was
well justified by her qualities, both If mind
and person. She was considerably above
the medium height, with the free carriage,
which health aud elastic spirits always give.
Even now, though nearly forty years have
passed, and she has borne and nurtured
numerous family, her bearing is more erect
and graceful than that of many girl with
in her teens. Dark hair and eyes, with Il
| well archcd brow-chceks little cmbrowncd
| by exposure to the sun and wind-a nose
rather aquelinc than straight-a pleasant
mouth, with red lips, which were never
known to trcmblc, save i'll talking to the
Ranger round, full chin, surrounding
like an Ionic capital, the marble column of
her neck, and figure, which united the
freedom Of rural life with the elegance Of
city cultivation ; these were her attractions.
Crptain Edgar was lucky fcllow-tor she
loved him with all the fcrvor Of the wilder
ness; and by nothing in her education had
she learned to act as if ashamed Of her af
fectou.
lie was well worthy of such bride -
Tall, elegantly formed, active aud graceful,
he was the very type OF young frontier
man. Gait, carriage, voice, and countc-
nance, were all in unison with the open,
manly spirit of his class, Prominently
brave among q people noted for courage J;
able as leader where, III order to lead, SUI
Tcriority must be plainly seen and deeply
felt; he was already, though scarcely five.
anltwcnty, the captain Of company Of
rangers, whose arduous task it was to pro-
tcct Il troHticr of nearly an hundred miles
from the dcprcdationo OF the Indians. The
latter stirred up, as is universally believed
in this country, by British agents, since the
opening Of the war, were gathering, in un-
prccccdcntcd numbers, along the lakes and
on the Upper Mississippi; and, like bolts
from thunder-c cloud, war parties were NOV.
inS rapidly in all directions falling, with
the suddcnncss of Indian strategy, when
their descent was least expected and van
ishiny among the shadows of the forest,
ere their blows could be returned If the
settlements on Shoal Creek had, us yet, es-
capped incurSion, it was chiefly owing to the
vigllrncc and activity Of Edgar's Rangers,
and in circumstances like these, it may well
be supposed, that nothing, save the ut
most confidence, would have induced the
pioneers to trust 50 young man with 4 res
possibility 50 heavy.
But neither war, no: rumors of war,
could exclude from the mind of the Youthful
| captain, thoughts Of love and authorizations
OF domestic bliss In the midst Of these
alarms a day was appointed for his marriage
with Jane Fielding 1t was the 10th Of
September, lSl3-a day memorable in the
annals Of our country, as that on which
Perry achieved his famous victory over
Barclay; and though they, of course, knew
nothing OF the approaching event, it is
probable that even SO brilliant an anticipa-
tion would not wholly have withdrawn their
attention from that which SO much more
nearly concerned them.
\ wedding on the frontier, in those days,
was Il far hcarticr affair than it now is III
the same country. People seem to be
somewhat ashamed Of getting married of
late, and seek TO avoid observation, very
much AZ if they were about some act only
allowable because not positively prohibited
by statutory enactmcntS. The first that the
ncig hborhood learns in these modest times,
of a matrimonial union, is the stcalthy de-
parturc OF close carriage, in which the
guilty parties are privately Withdrawing, to
hide their culprit faces among cArcl, SIS
strangers. The public feeling of the oldcn
tune was somewhat different. The con-
summation, i'll fact, of an union which was
already complete in affection, was then
deemed an occasion Of social congratua-
ton, and sometimes of noisy cnjoymcnt.-
The cighbors-huSbands wives, sons, and
daugE tcrs-wcrc all called in, to take part
in the hilarity; and each felt that, if the
event was, as it should be, happy one to
the parties directly Interested, it would be
wrong to detract from that happiness, BY
gloom, reserve, or ceremony.
The pioneers cared little for scented notes
Of invitation, embossed cards, or emblem
attic turtic-duves no more than for the un-
sui stantial trickcrics which now make up Il
wedding feast. AS the day approached
though yet perhaps week remained, tho
children Of the brides family were sent
forth to warn the ncighbors m,' or, rot
unircqucntly, the parties took advantage OF
some other merry. making, to announce the
auspcious event. and deliver invitations
and, without other iormaiity, all who lived
within days ride OF the place, considered
themselves invited and arrang, d their af
fairs accordingly. Some Inconvenience to
the host aud hostess might result from the
uncertainty about the number Of their
guests; but the art Of providing mathcmat.
lcaily for the precise number expected, was