The Arizona sentinel., 1888-02-11
A FRONTIER WEDDING,
A Justices First Attempt at Per-
 forming the Ceremony.

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 It was a pleasant sunny morning in early autumn, when a group of
 four persons stood earnestly talking
 in a small frontier dwelling in South
 ern Kansas. These four persons were
 an old bachelor bearing the title of Myers Horn, a young girl, perhaps
 sixteen years of age, Ella Freeman by
 name, my husband and myself
 Every face wore look of intense
 interest, and greatly interested we
 were, for we were going to have a
 wedding; the first ceremony of that
 kind ever performed in the county.
 Myers Horn had come to Kansas the previous winter My husband first met him in Wichita, and learning that he was in Kansas parlance,
 ''hunting a claim," and being on the
 same business himself, he proposed
 that they should proceed together
 They accordingly did so and settled
 upon adjoining claims some twenty miles farther southwest that any other settler. Wewcre not long alone. how ever. By the time speak of at the com mcncement of this story, there were some dozen families, and about forty bachelors near us. These latter gen. tlemen particularly prided themselves on their state of single blessedness, declaring that they were confirmed" adding, in their jovial way, that they had givan ample proof of their de- termination to remain so, as they had located wheEethere was but one mar riageable lady.
 The lady referred to was bright eyed, rosy-cheeked Hoosier lassie, whose parents located near us. Mr. Horn, who was either greater admirer of the fair sex than his brother bach elors, or felt the need of some one to cook his bacon and coffee, tidy his ''dugout" and welcome him home from his buffalo hunts. more keenly than they, soon began to make him. self as agreeable as possible to the Indiana girl At first she seemed dis posed to look favorably upon his ad- vances, but what girlish love could withstand ridicule. Mrs. Day, her mother would languishingly say: 'Pm willin' for the match, for Moll will have horn of her own to blow" And the whole family united in teas ing her. therefore, she turned her back upon him and his unfortunate name, and he must perforce remain for awhile | longer in the ranks of the single ones.
 But he was not long contented, and | one day he left us for the os stensible | purpose of working on the railroad, | but in reality to hunt wife. At any | rate, after an absence of several 1 months, he appeared in our midst ac- companied by young lady and in- formed us that they were to be mar ried one week from the time of their | arrival
 My husband, who was always alive to any thing like fun. began by much | talking and many gestures to per- suade them to marry at once. H. told him very solemnly that delays | were dangerous, pointed out to him. the fact that there were many other bachelors in the settlement, many of | whom were younger and better-look- ing than himself; and he argued, might. she not become acquainted | with them and pephaps change ther mind and affections, leaving him Still | in disconsolate' singleness. "Woman's fickleness, =. said he, ''is proverbial. It is better 10 have, it over with at once, and be out of danger"
 This argument at length prevailed, and leaving the burden of minor ar- engagements to myself they Rastened 1 10 the residence of Ellis Mason, the justice of the peace, the first loy. the way in the township as it was but recently organized. They bade him prepare for business, and to bring his wife to see it well done. Then after short pteparations they started for hutchinson to procure a lisense.
 How 1 slaughtered chickens, baked and boiledtand made ready for front fer supper was a caution. How l alternately coaxed and scolded the bride-expectant Co make ready for the momentous event. But the excite ment. was too much for her nerves. She informed me at least fifty times during the day that she was afraid they would "belr' them, and if they diI she would have fit; she never did have a fit but she knew she would, and assured me that if I did not watch her she would run away. Then she told me confidentially that Myers was going to bring home some camphor for fear she should faint under the trying ordeal. Evening came and with it ihe squire aud his wife, a laughter-loving couple, the gentleman looking as much like boy 1 out on frolie as staid exponent of