The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1889-01-04
AN 0LD-TIlIE WEDDING.

Colonel Williams was q genial soul,
full of wit, but something had evidently
crossed him, for he was not in the pleas
ATTEST mode possible.
.sI'm sick and tired of the artificial way
of doing things-the way they do them
%nowadays!' lie exclaimed.
"What's the trouble, colonel?o
"Why there isan eternal sighttoo much
red tape about everything that is going
on hereabouts. | was at Il wedding last
night. There was so much fuss n pa
rade about it that | was perfectly dis
gusted.
81 couldn't help comparing the pro-
ceedings where n couple were married in
Fairfax many years ago, when Indiana
formed part OF the great Northwestern
Territory.
cat that time the settlements of the inn
migrants were mostly confined to the rich
bottom lands of the water courses. Fair
fax was then II small village Of n few log
cabins. My father was acting magistrate
for the district and promptly attended to
all the various duties of that office, in
addition to which he was in the habit of
doing considerable manual labor on his
own hook"
hsO htto "iiShi ~ ''N~' 1- ,HO'SA
to do much, colonel"
Gust so. | was Il t~ow-headed brat OF
some nine or ten years when the incident
am about to relate occurred; but I re-
member all the particulars as well as if
1t occurred yesterday.
at was about dinner time one day in
the fall of the year. wien the old man be-
ing engaged in laying ia a supply of wood
nth, ,.;ato, ~ ~, 49,, liz ~. to,,, Will,
Il pretty good stock of fuel.
Just then n young couple entered the
village hand i'll hand, inquired for the
squire, and were duly directed to the
house.
"The youth was barefooted, and wore a
coarse but clean linen shirt and trousers,
and rough straw hat of home manufact-
ure. His fair companion was dressed in
q blue calico frock, pink cotton apron.
we'll starched bonnet and coarse brogan
shoes, without stockings.
COVE came to get married. said tho
young man to the cid lady, my mother,
who was busyamoag the pots sand kettles.
"'That's very coed business said she,
smiling g~raciously, though you appear
to look very young; but there's the squire
just drove up. He'll splice you in no
time
$50 out she boited, to give father duo
notice of the business on hand.
"'Tell them to come oGt here, said the
old man. 1 can't stop until [ unload this
wood
"Out they came. The old man was on
top of the wagon, and every time he
threw off a stick he asked q question.
1.-The young man gave simple and salts.
factory answers to all the questions pro-
pounded.
sIn the meantime the old lady had sent
ding was coming off at the farmhouse;
n by the time the wood was unloaded
quite number OF them had collected to
witness the ceremony.
1.-The old man having pitched out tho
last stick and picked up his long goad,
stood up in the cart and commenced the
performance.
"tJest jine hands,' said he to the young
people. 1t was doae accordingly.
al am satisfied with both OF you,' con
tinued he. You have Il perfect right to
get married, and he then united them in
short order.
"'As the rafters of the house are joined
together, 50 | join you. You are man and
wife. Salute your bride. don't charge
ANYTHING for the performance. Whoa!
ha, Bill! Get along, jim and with q
flourish of his long stick he started for
another load of wood, leaving the newly
welded couple kissing each other with
resonant evidence of great satisfaction.
s'That was wedding as was u wedding.
I knew the couple afterward, and know
Gus, and L know their children, too, and
mighty fine children they are, and one OF
them is at this time the largest property
holder La this big town OF ours"