The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-04-05
A SOCIETY EVENT.
The Fashionable Marriage of the Sea.
sou at Big Scanty.
From the Nashvine American.

|
| sou at Big Scanty.
From the Nashville Aincrtear.
| BIG ScANrY. Tenn, March 2s.-The So
cial event of the season in Big Scanty soci-
ETY. was the marriage of Arch Billings, the
ninth son of Squire Josiah Billings by his
second wife, TO Rowena Shoulders, the ED
est daughter of the late Jeems Shoulders,
whose untimely death few weeks ago was
caused by tho recent lamented remarking
that Tony Hughes didn't know good liquor
| from swamp water. Tony was tried BY a.
| jury of his peers Tony is a free man. The
peers did not leave their seats, Ye corre-
| spondent was the foreman.
The marriage was announced to occur at
| the Black Jack Westinghouse at 3 o'clock
p. m. last Wednesday. and long before the
appointed hour every seat in the spacious
edifice was filled to OVERLOOKING: women
| occupied the windows and backs of the
benches, and men and boys straddled the
| 1olsts and spit amber around promiscu-
| ousiy, much to the annoyance of the vast
throng below, and especially to We cora
| spondent, whose left ocular, even at this
writing, is considerably swollen, which
| necessitates the wearing of an onion and
raw Irish potato poultice.
| Despite the rain, which poured down I'm
| torrents, Rowena was half an hour ahead
| of time She walked slowly up the aisle,
and as she neared the pulpit Mort Braddock,
| the musician for the occasion, slowly placed
the big end of his fiddle TO the small end Of
! his face and beautifully rendered. ssSher-
mans March Through Georgia"
Rowena girl-like, blushed perceptibly,
but instantly regaining her composure she
| borrowed a chew of tobacco from Bin
| Thomas, blushed again, and then slowly
divesting herself of her wrappiugs pro-
ceeded to wiring the water out of them.
Watt Jenkins and Ike Thompson fell out
| about a knife-Swap, and for while the
music could not be- heard above the din aud
confusion. Watt will be buried tomorrow
afternoon. It's feared that Ike's left side is
permanently paralyZed.
The preacher arrived on tune, but at the
appointed hour the bridegroon-elect had
not been heard OF. The crowd grew i'm
patient and tho rain continued Go pour.
jeff Davis Dlckins, the fitified son of Aunt
| Mandy Davis, had a spell In the pulpit. 4
| dog howled in the back part of the audi
ence. A screech owl. aroused from his hidiug
| place under the rafters, uttered u cold
unmusical laugh, flew down the aisle
and went out into the storm. The rain
| continued to pour and Buck Williams
offered TO bot SIX bits TO n barlow knife that
there wouldn't be a wedding. With true
4 lovers royalty kowena took the bet and
knocked Williams down with stove leg.
| Old man Tim jackson slowly carved his
initials on the pulpit. a wet dog shook him
self III the amen corner and the rain con-
tnued TO pour. The impotence of the coz
gregation was gro wing more per-
ceptibe and trouble was brewing
| III this back part of the house.
| Further bloodshed was averted.
| however, by the timely arrival of Glenn
| Patterson, sArch's hest man." who an
uounceI that Big Scanty was out Of her
| banks and that Arch Billings, in attempting
| 70 cross the foot log, had been washed down
stream There was a grand rush for Biz
| Scanty, and only rev minutes Tins suf-
| feed to bring the excited crowd to the edge
of the turbulent waters. Some distance out
in the angry food lodged against friendly
| sycamore was the fated foot log and stand
| ing theron was the manly but water-bound
form OF Arch Billings.
Marry us. parson," demanded Rowena.
"Can'C do it according to law replied
the preacher. "You are too far apart to
| join hands"
Come ashore, Archibald cried the
| frantic Rowena.
''Can't swim a lick, and reckon we will
have to put the wedding off, suggested
| poor Billings.
well, can't swim lick, either. but I'll
be snatched il l amt going to have we'd
| ding" was Rowena's resolute answer. A
| few women gathered around her. heard
her say; ''snl, hold my store hair. Jane,
/ ttifNc S1tIS VI my SuO6s ttHu Shawl.
Then there was splash In the rising
water, girlish form swayed with the surg
ing current. She grabbed for a friendly
log that fioated hard by. She grabbed not
in vain. Mort Braddock played Pull for
the Shore, Sailor" and mid the shouts of
| the multitude she guided the log safely to
her boom. She crawled on TO the foot
log as easy and natural as a rnuskrat
| sliding over the mud-sill of a water
mill.
Are we close enough, now" she
shouted, as she threw both arms around
1 Arch.
Plenty, plenty" replied the preacher,
and the ceremony commenced. And when
he said, ''Do you take this man to be your
| lawfully welded husbandf' she shook her
fist at the preacher and yelled, "You old
fool, do you suppose 1 swan OUT here Just
co kiss him.n The waters gradually re-
coded, the rain ceesed pouring, the bridal
party was rescued and Buck Williams
than whom there is no more honorable
citizen in our midst--paid the happy Rowena
the six bis. Watt and Ike, more dead than
alive, were placed in wagon, and Mort
Braddock, with a inasteriy touch, PLAYED
that universal fayorite, 'sThe Devils
nras