The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-03-24
ulaIIied on a SaldbaT.

An ordinary conventional marriage ceremony would have been most un- fitting finale to Browns intermittent courtship of the traders daughter. Anti climax is inartistic, and Fate seemed artistically inclined in this matter. I am inclined to think that Fate generally did use Brown much better than he deserved. His eounte- nance, however, did not indicate any marked sense of gratitude to Fate on the afternoon of the day which had been fixed for his marriage, when he rushed into my presence in state of mental excitement bordering on lu- macy. The tragic gloom of his hand some face was rendered somewhat in- effective by reason of the violent os- cillations of one loose end to an extra ordinarily high shirt collar that had not yet been brought into bondage. "The very devil is to pay" he said, laying an open slip of paper on the desk before which l was sitting, "and it all comes from the remarkable dis organization of this remarkable coun- try"
 Brown was given to generalizations which reflected on the country at large whenever there was hitch in any of his private arrangements. He grappled the shirt collar with both hands, glaring at me sidewise over it's snowy peak, while he told his story in the tumultuous fashion which was characteristic of him in moments of great excitement:
 "You see, it all comes of not having an established local minister. These remarkable people are truly sheep without shepherd. It really in creases the difficulties of living inn mensely, and should certainly think twice about the trouble 1 was likely to give my friends before rashly shuf- fling off this mortal coil. All these considerations were impressed upon me when was an eyewitness of the tremendous exertiOns you underwent in importing minister tor the funeral of the late Major Ransom. On that melancholy occasion l intimated to the officiating gentleman that might shortly require his presence on more cheerful mission, and took down his name and address. really regarded it as quite stroke of business, don't you see?-a judicious taking of time by the forelock."
 "Quite," assented absently. 1 was digesting the contents of the paper before me, while Brown was rattling off his grievances.
 "And when 1 went across the river to secure him for tonight, regarded it as quite another stroke of business that 1 should kill two birds with one stone. No disrespect to the minister or to that in license you have there."
 l looked at Brown aghast. Evi- dently he had barely escaped amathe- matizing his own marriage license.
 "What's the matter with the li- ccnse?" I asked Git looks to me like a good legal document"
 "Matter I" Brown sat down heavily "Halsey, you can be exasperatine when you exercise your talents in that line. Here we are in Mississippi The brides domicile, where the we'd ding feast has been spread, and the wedding guests have been bidden, is in Mississippi, and that license' (banging his fist down on the inno. cent documenD Sis made out for Lou. isiana. How is that for hitch? And here your nearest county clerk on thi. side of the river is fifteen miles of and no time to get there and back unless an aerial voyage could be un. dertaken."
 "Perhaps the officiating clergyman won't notice it," said, offering pusil. luminous consolation.
 "Not notice it! Halsey, you ar, beneath contempt. Do you suppose got that license for the exclusive ben eft of the Rev. Mark Hopkins, or fol my own posterity?"
 "Oh, Pm afraid I wasn't looking st