Tombstone epitaph., 1891-02-01
A DOUBLE WEDDING.

ttlS lace IS long, Ike that or horse, and he has black hair, streaked with gray, on his head, with tuft of the same on his chin. Old man String:ellow wears neither mustache nor whiskers, being very par. ticular to shave himself at least twice a week, undergoing some pain, and twist ing his long face into all manner of con. tortions-which 6 circus clown would give $1, 900 to be able to imitate-during the operation, owing to the stiff nature of the crop, he is reaping and the dullncss of the instrument with which he works. He seldom wears a coat, going in his shirt sleeves summer and winter, only chang ing the garment of hickory for the gar. ment of wool as the seasons vary-his jean pantaloons being hoisted up with suspe.Iers-galluses he calls them-al. most to his armpits, making him look at little distance like some queer animal with very long legs.
 He lives in log cabin of one room, with shed attachment, and has wife and six children, equally divided as to sex. In the room, which is roomy enough, ho and Mrs. Stringfellow occupy one bed, and the three girls-Nancy, Gin, for Jane, and Merier-another, and here all the cooking is done in the wide clay fireplace of the stick and mud chimney. The shed attachment accommodates the boys, Bill, Ben and Jim.
 Occasionally belated traveller will stop at the Stringfcllow mansion and ask for 3 nights lodging. Heswill be invited to "'light an come in," and when he has done 50 will be treated with primitive hospitality.
 These people are poor and uneducated, but there is spirit of independence about them that nothing can conquer, and so long as their potato banks hold out and their razor backs come home, to pick up pick up @ little fat in the field after the crop is garnered, and then pay tribute to the larder, they care not for king nor kaiser. They never treat anybody, no matter who he may be, as anything more than an equal, and would show no diff ference to the czar of all the Rus sias should he chance to travel their way, with all his cor;egc. Should he stop he would be invited to "'light," and the boys would ask about the price of potatoes in town, the old woman inquire as to market value of eggs, while the girls stood by and giggled, and the old man put in request for 
 mistake the whole affair for circus as, like as not, they would. They had walked fifteen miles once to see a circus-all ex cept the old woman, who rode shaggy pony about as big as yearling calf, and with more hair on his hide than flesh uh- der it.
 happened to be guest of the String fellow family once. Finding myself near their residence one night. when it was so dark that that could see nothing but the Elimmer of the light in their cabin, rode for it through brush and brier, and when 1 reached it halloed in the usual country style. Immediately the light, which came from the open door, was shut off by two human forms, and was bid to "'light an come in"
 Tine family was just preparing to eat supper, and a savory mess of pork and potatoes was being dshed up. was in. vitcd to join them i.i their meal, during which I was pumped pretty dry of all knew about the affairs of the town, which was too far off to be visited by any of them very often. But to this I did not object, knowing that such information as I could impart was alI would have to pay for the entertainment of myself and beast-which had been led off by one of the boys to share the stable of the shaggy pony-so let the ripple of my talk flow In continuous current, turning on my inventive valve at the same time, to give sparkle to plain facts indispensable to make them enjoyable.
 During the evening gathered from the whispering and giggling going on among the young folk that there was some mystery afloat-something in which they all seemed more or less interested-and when they had gone to bed (the old wo- man had retired immediately after sup per, getting into one of the beds without my knowing anything about it until I heard her snoring) old man Striugfellow enlightened me after a rather peculiar fashion of his own.
 "Well, stranger, he said, 'I disre- member yer name. reckon you'll stay"
 had already told him my name half dozen times, and he had as often disre. membered it, so I did not repeat it, but told him proposed to stay-a fact which I supposed he was already cognizant of.
 "Yes," he said, rubbing his long jaw bone thoughtfully, q lowed yer w'uld, an I'm glad nv it; yes, am; fur the mo- the better on sich 'cashin. Ye'rll be welcome, stranger, an a hon. ored gues'."
 I was a little puzzled, and began to think the old man was not exactly in his right mind, but said nothing, and he went on.
 You see," he said, looking at the fire, while he talked, "gals en' boys will git married sooner CT later, an thar ain't no use a throwin' obstickles in thar way, ,an' so when Merier, thet's the younges', an Nanc', she's the oldes', come an tole me thet they lowed to take unto tharse'ves which waz Dick Dander an Pete Pringle, why, says I, 'all right; jes' go ahead an fix it to suit yerse'ves;' fur though nyther one uv them boys comes nv es good stock as the Stringfellers, reckin' | they's bout es good es yer'll pick up here. abouts' So they done like I said, an ter the time it's to be-"
 "Ah," said, ''so there's to be wed ding"
 "Yes," he replied, still looking mus. ngly at the fire; "the marrige giarments heye been prepared an the gues's hevc beon bidden, an' though you wuzn't lid den, yit, es said afore. you'll be welcome An' honored guss'."
 As I was in no particular hurry I con.