The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-06-09
AN D
LOVE. COURTSHIP AND
 MATRIMONY.

Tn view of the fact that the papers have recently revived the rumor of Colonel Donan's marriage, the follow ing article by him, which went the rounds of the press a few years ago, is appropriate. In it, he ut terlv annihilates the rumor that he is to be married to Mexican beauty, heiress, and all that, with one fell swoop, and other things. His de- nial is positive, exhaustive and log
 ical and done in his peculiar style; /; and yet, toward the end, the whole in dignant and deliberate declaration, and proclamation, seems to have a string to it like Mir. Blaine's letter in which he says his name will not be presented as candidate for nomina- tion. Thus gleam of hope is pre- sented that the gallant colonel is not entirely lost to all chances of being matrimonially harnessed.-ED.
 DEAR MISTER EDITOR: In recent number of your usually reliable (beware that the printer does not henceforth put an "e" after the "i'' in that worO-paper find this para graphic startler, condensing whole earthquake in ten or dozen lines:
 "Colonel P. Donan, of Dakota, will pass through here in short time on his way to Mexico. It is reported that he is to be married before long to a young Mexican girl, the daughter of the governor of one of the Mexican states, and the owner of one of the richest and most famous of the old Spanish silver mines-a young girl, beautiful, accomplished, and rich as 8 queen, the only daughter and the only child of one of the richest men in Mexico-speaking three languages flu ently, with voice like nightingale, and singing divinely."
 So, am to be married, am l? You are going to mary me off, are you2 How kind of you to do for me what 1 never could do for myself. I had begun to think, perhaps, it was time. From my reserved seat on top of a barbed-wi fence, have been watch ing the procession a good while. Day after day, and week after week, until the weeks have heightened into months, and the months into years, have looked on at humanity's strange wedding march. It is the old, old story. Leaf by leaf the roses fall. Yelp by yelp young cherubs bawl. One by one ghosts cross the river, two by two are padded OCT, and the white-robed angel boatmen bear them to the blissful shore. The trap springs, and another victim is caught. The ministerial lariat is thrown, and another hapless pumpkin is writhing and dancing on the airy nothingness of honeymoonatic delights-and the honeymoon Is made of greenest green cheese. One by one I have seen my boonest companions pass ever passing, away to that dread bourne whence no voyager re. turns, save through Chicago divorce suit, or the expenses of first. class funeral. At present rates, tho jeremiade of the last dog -fennel bios. som ofsummer will soon be mine: "Al my blooming associates are faded. and gone" to happiness of the oonnubi. alistic type. A few years since 6 noble band of handsome and high. aspiring ffierds stood around me- fresh, bright, verdant young plants The matrimonial simoom has swept over the plain, and where are they nows Smitten, blasted, cut down like the grass of the field, which to-day is, and tomorrow is made into hay to feed a donkey or line goose nests. Faded, withered, dry enough for pea sticks. Alas alas what has got into the youth of the land? Caught by a giggle, see how they wriggle. In vain have I expostulated and warned them.