Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-07-07

Written fer the Posr-IxrsLLraEsCKl

Aes9A91
Written fer the Posr-IxrslIIoExcn-
Mr.. g. came TO my house one day ane
asked me to perform the marriage csre
mony between himself and Miss II. On
the evening appointed went TO The
house Of the brides parents, bat all wal
not quite ready. sir. Z. vas o1f. Mis-
BIS parents were living in the house OF
Mr.. j., who had about two thirds sense
As ! sst waiting Nr. J. came to me and
said, II am sorry. Mr.. T., bat We have
engaged the Governor TO pryforn THU
CEREMONY" Il struck me a. rafhel
strange and at first tho1aht / bad bet
ter 90 home. But as had been some
What intimate with Miss H.
and the family, I thought they might
say l went OF mad, and as
did not care tn have them say that.
thought would stay ss friend. But
again thought Mr.. e., the man TO be
married, engaged me, aud will at least
ask him ii he wishes TO make q change.
Soon, however, the Governor came in
and both he and saw there Was CON-
dict Of forces, bat both kept our mouths
shut on the subject. Not long after Ar.
7. came In, and as he passed by me
whispered to him. asking If he wished
me 70 perform the ceremony, and he
said yes. But Mr.. j. soon took Mr.. L.
| out and evidently there was conference
on the subject. Mr.. u. found he Was in
predicament with two persons present
TO tie she knot. He called IA both ont
TO explain matters, aud the explanation
be gave was this: That Mr.. mad said
to hiu, after he had first engaged me,
that he woaid like To have the Governor
come, and Mr.. U. said yes Mr.. j.
meant To perform the ceremony, but
M. U. said. IL Thought he meant to
nave him come to-to-to give tone to
the wedding" The Governnr was Just
the kind Ut a man TO enjoy the joke aud
be immediately said 'Iil give tone"
80 married them and he remained to
give tone e. 1t. | hardly wanted t. tell
such joke on the Governor. but It VAS
too rich for him 10 keep aud he told il,
so that Is was all over town the next
day.
The scene changes and was called on
to marry eleven couples of Indians who
had bought some land and who felt that
IN case Of death il was better TO be- mar
rled legally. Ali went well with the first
ten couples, the cai.f being married
f1rst SO that tbs others might sac how il
WAS done, and then nine couples stood
up aud were marrisd with the same set
Of words. But tine wife of tbs other Was
sick with the measles. She had taken
cold and they had bsen driven in. bat
had come out again so that she was AS
red AS beet. But still they were afraid
she would die, and rs was not to be in
the region again for several months
they were very anxious to be married
She was so near death that they had
moved her from their good honse into a
mat house which WAS filled with smoke.
Inc fire Was thrown ont and IL soon oo-
came less smoky. She was too sick to
stand up, only barely able to sit no.
This she managed to do on the bed.
which WAS on the ground. Her husband
sat beside her and took her hand and
married them. measles and all.
At another time married an old In
dian, who had hOmesteaded some land,
but who had been married long before
IN Indian fashion. As lie had never
seen such ceremony, took him aside
and explained it to him rs we'll as l
could. When l began the ceremony
proper, and had said the words, "You
take this woman to be your lawful
wife," and was ready to say, "You
promise to honor and love her." he
broke out, saying, "Of course I do.
You don't suppose I have been living
with her for the last fifteen years and
shall now put her away? See, here
stands my 10y fourteen years old. OF
course l do" waited till he stepped,
said, "All right" kept a so sr face and
went on with the ceremony; but
laughed in my sleeve very hard all tho
time.
An Indian school girl was to be mar
ried and her companions thought it
should be done in extra style. Thanks
to the teacher aud matron almost ev-
erything passed of in the best style.
But five of the girls concluded to be
bridesmaids and wore left to manage
that part themselves. Each one picked
out young man whom she expected to
be her beau. Knowing that they would
hardly understand how TO act request
cd them to come to my house fifteen
minutes before the ceremony should
take place in the church and l would
instruct them. They came ON time. but
what WAS my surprise 10 seq the bride
and groom and the five girls, but not
single groomsman, and they thought il
WAS all right. Those whom they had
expected were off in the woods, or at
home, or we're far from being dressed
for the occasion, for the girls had spent
a long time IN getting themselves ready
and were in full dress. What a time 1
had hunting up partners! Those who
were on the ground had to borrow
clothes. and others whom l wanted felt
that they had been sighted SD long that
they did not care to step into such
place then, and the Ceremony was de-
layed some before it could all be ar
ranged. But how l was surprised to see
i've bridesmaids m ,rch ia for drill with
out single partner.
But one thing once occurred which |
was not 30 much of a Ike. had been
called a long ways from home to marry
couple, and was there necessarily two
or three days beforehand. II was known
in the neighb0rhood that they we're to
be married, aud that | had come for
the purpose, bot the exact time II was not
intended to make public. Passing BY
house where had stayed in previous
years n few nights, and where I was
somewhat acquainted, the woman .me
~ the door. tnirty or forty yards from
where ! was, and said: Are those
folks married yot?' and when she
found that they we're not, wanted to
know when they would be. Never have
besides this time been asked quite 81
impolitely, but very often have had
questions asked about the time Ut mar
rlaRe ceremonies when II was very hard
TO know what TO do. Moral: Please do
not ask clergyman, If you know he 10
to perform such ceremony, any such
question, for he hates to tell lie, be
ha.es to say. 1T 10 none of your bust.
ness" and offend those who have been
friends, and he hates almost as badly TO
tell the truth.