The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1881-01-13
IFCRClF'S .SEHEN1DERS.

incrc N..s AZ o.ic tune clique OF rough
--ouue fellows ,yllo mado it their bust
,,,,s 10 ,.renade all newly-wedded
.gp'es
'Selcnading" WAS what they were
~ ased 20 cail il hGI ii WAS far from
i,ing either a musical or Il compliment
.vv performance l., fact, il was II ter
ihie huG-beag for all prospective brides
:.l br.dcggooms. On the evening Of
SD. marriage. this sercaade party, num-
.c,ing fifteen or twenty members, was
sare ~ make its umwelcome appearance
81 lie yard. literally provided with fish
unns. old tin pans, guns, and almost
,..i, o:her possible Instrument of din
aad racket
Those rude fellows came disguised in
mass, aad old clothes; and tho first
hinl .. thcis approach WAS usually
discharge Of guns. racket of stones on
lhe root. blended with II horrible blare
al horns nnG limitations of Indian war
vhcops.
(. the newly-mnde husband did not
wish that sort of music continued all
lt.h.. j., mast arise, open his doors, and
iuyi;c IN these Gnwelcome guests.
Olce in the house. they would make
tu n,- .v,- very much at home, and ex-
le,;ed 60 Boz treated" 10 good sup
rer. az .l>, 10 he furnished with hand
som. san @. money with which to go
away and provide II supper for them
selves
This was not the worst. For theb
uolly demanded that the bride sh
q. -saqht into the room, and often
stel-uisguised and masked rs
,ycrc-vn ~aluiing her with kiss.
II aimittanco was refused them, they
kept MP their terrific din. hour after
umir. and sometimes they had broken
iut1 houses. Often they got on the roof
to continue their dcaiening fanfarade !;
indeed. there was no end OF their pranks;
ANA II moi treated with So much liber-
a..iy "a, they Thought due them, they
top'7 come again night after night.
Occasionally they met with rough
reception III the shap. OF hot water, jets
ol ras zee oil from squirt-guns, and
Shots llal even been fired NJ them.
I.att v were an ahominanle nuis-
:ncc and outrage on all rights and de-
convey, W.. aliniitcl by every one vet
10 t,ae difficult Ia proceed against them
l'v and the purity was powerful
,..ash G., make itself feared as well as
I.t.d. Oh-rwiSn it would have
been ,'rompily broken up 10y m indig.
1.n; immunity.
nave tried 10 learn the origin Of such
se.enading, and l think the custom
came 70 us from among the French
Canadians of the Lower provinces Fo.
these people have trick which they
call chgrivori," where a party, fantas-
t:caly dressed and equipped. with
cracked iildies, horns and kettle-drums,
som. in g II wake" wedding
-l.utl.r- j. some circumstance about
!, Which offend, puhir taste: as, for ex-
:ma'c. when the bride Is many years
",'.rthan the bridegroom, or il, on the
g. han1, ~ Old gray-bcard were to
ise ye.y Young wife.
Such wore the scrcnadcrs. and such
,a lh- state II Affairs, at the time OF
- marriage Of youmg man named
}.li- NhrcA, friend and neighbor OF
&. writer.
Willis, Of Wits. ~ W. called him,
-, ,uic.-vit;el Young iaan and pos
tossed "a eood deal of good SENSE and
raalr Independence / have often
heard him say, whenever We would heai
81 d .erenaie, that lac would never LET
thn, company into his house, nor give
'aem q cent to carou-o on.
When Wills came to }c u, his parents
wanted him 10 liv,. nn their farm and
take care Of them. II was 10 very de-
-lrahle cffcr. There WAS II heavy mort
oaga on the farm, and thcre were tw1
helpless, bcd-.id irn members Of the
family. Willis, too. hal been planning
20 90 West as soon ~ Ice became of age
and hc was Just the man 10 make ms
way iD the West and do well. But be
ron-rienti,us!y gave mp has plans for the
axe @! tie old people, and settled down
70 nome. like the good son he was, to
49, oil the debts on The place. and "see
mis- folks through, as the neighbors ex-
ir --.d j,
There was another, too, concerned in
iGis sacrifice OF wits plans-Amanda
Bnchcldcr. II schooimaic and very dear
Il.nd q! Wllts'-and who, il was said,
0as as like him as two people could be.
II had long been an understood thing
FLAT, when Wills went West, Mandy
8aci elder would 20 with him as Mrs.
Alurch.
There was wedding that fall, on
Thanksgiving day Inorning-Wilts and
Mandy. They moved bome-that is &c
say, 10 Willis home, that afternoon.
That day, at the store at the corners,
Il fellow named Gdllison, supposed to he
connected with the "sercnade gang,
united to Wits that hc hoped he willis,
was laying IN stock of good things
ior 'he celebration that night.