Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-04-23
CHAPTER XXI.
TIE WEDDING.

THE WEDDING.
For a long time after the first
settlement OF this country the in
habitants in general married young.
There was no distinction of rank,
and very little of fortune. On these
accounts the first impression of
love resulted in marriage, ard a
family establishment cost but lit
tie labor and nothing else.
A description of a wedding, from
the beginning to the end, will serve
to show the manners Of our fore
fathers, and mark the grade of civil
lization which has succeeded to
their rude state of society in the
course of a few years.
At an early period the practice
of celebrating the marriage at the
house of the bride began, and it
should seem with great propriety.
She also has the choice Of the priest
to perform the ceremony.
In the first years Of the settle.
mcnt of this country, a wedding en-
gagged the attention of a whole
neighborhood, and the frolick was
anticipated by old and young with
eager anticipation. This is not to
be wondered at, when it is told
that a wedding was almost the on
ly gathering which was not accom-
panied with the labor of reaping,
log-rolling, building a cabin, or
planning some scout or campaign.
In the morning of the wedding
day, the groom and his attendants
assembled at the house Of his faith
er, for the purpose of reaching the
mansion Of his bride by noon, which
was the usual time for celebrating
the nuptialS, which for certqin must
take place before dinner.
lie: the reader imagine an assem-
blage of people, without store,
tailor or mantuamaker, within a
hundred miles, and an assemblaGe
of horses, without blacksmith or
saddler within an equal distance.
The gentlemen dressed in shoe
packs, mOccasoms, leather breeches,
leggins, and linscy hunting shirts,
all homemade. The ladies' dressed
in linsey pstti-colts and linseY or
linen bed gowns, coarse shoes,
stockings, handkcrchiefs, and buck
skin gloves, if any; if there were
any buckles, rings, buttons or ruff
fles, they were the relics of old
times, family pieces from parents
or grandparents. The horses were
caparisoncd with old saddles, old
brides or halters, and pack-sdddles,
with a bag or blanket thrown over
them ; a rope or string as often
constituted the girth as a piece of
leather.
The march, in double file, was
often interrupted by the narrow
ness and distractions of our horse
paths, as they were called, for we
had no roads; and these difficulties
were often increased, sometimes by
the good, and sometimes by the i'll
will of neighbOrs, by falling trees
and tying grape vines across the
way. Sometimes an ambuscade |
was formed by the way side, and |
an unexpected discharge Of several |
guns took place, so as to cover the |
wedding company with smoke
Let the reader imagine the scene |
which followed this discharge, the |
sudden spring of the horses, the /
shtieks of the girls and the chiyalric |
hustle of their partners to save them
from falling. Sometimes, IN spite
Of all that could be done to prevent
it, some were thrown to the ground;
if wrist, elbow or ankle happened
to be sprained, it was tied with a
handkerchief, and little moro was
thought or said abont it.
Another ceremony took place be.
fore the party reached the house of !
the bride, after the practice of max
ing whiskey began, which was at /
an early period When the party |
were about mile from the place /
Of their destination, two young |
men would single out to run for the |
bottle the worse the path, the more
logs, brush and deep hollows, the |
better, as these obstacles afforded
opportunity for the greater display
of intrepidity and horsemansbip.-
The English fox chase, in point of