St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1896-12-19
I've Hearts That Beat - O.e.

What makes me stop and tell you
that? Well, mostly from the fact that
we had one Of the most proper and
loveliest weddin matches you ever
heard tell Of perhaps fixed up in the
settlement this fall, and everything
was comm right on across In nice shape
till old man Dave Bowen took up one
of his fool notions and gummed up the
cards and busted the game.
Az everybody knows. old man Dave
Rowen il one Of the best-hxed men
for miles aud miles around. He lives
en- the old Bowen plantation down
there on Deer Greek, where he was
born and bred and brung up. The old
stock of Bowen people passed away
in the fullness Of time. and then Dawes
brothers and sisters died up one by one
till finally at last he Is the onlyest
one left. Consequentially the whole
plantation and everything on it belongs
to him in his full name. He had went
on for two or three long and weary
years livin there all alone by himself
with no better company than the mig
gers and his mules. And naturally Of
course everybody was glad when he
lit out and put In visitin and courtin
around Miss Mary Willingham-which
] do know she is one of the best and
most smartest women in the round ere
ated world. Miss Mary is Nike old man
Dave in one regards-hcrpeople have all
died up and left her alone in the world.
But they left her without any home
that she can call her own, or lands.
or mules, or cattle, or anything. She
is also way yonder different from old
man Dave in regards to sense. She has
got a gracious plenty Of it, whilst he
is a monstrous poor man in that way.
But anyhow it did look to me like
the very best thing for them to do. un-
der all the surroundin circumference,
was 10 60 and git married. Dave had
the money and the home. whilst Miss
Mary had everything else. He was
some the Oldest, but she had also shed
her colts teeth. as it were, and it would
raley seem like they had been pre-
destinated to marry from the founda-
tions of the world. Everybody in the
settlement thought 20. And at one
time old man Dave and Miss Mary
thought the same way. After q right
smart fumblin and foolin and visitin
and courtin and carryin on, at last they
give out the news and set the day
Friday evenin before the last Third
Sunday.
The Machinery sliPs . Cog.
But in the mainline Aunt Nancy
Newton had heard the news and come
bilin up from Panther Creek to zee
the show. She had been good clost
friends with Miss Mary for years and
years, and the dear, delightful old soul
Jest simply couldn't keep her finger out
Of the weddin pie.
So that Friday mornin Aunt Nancy
and mother they hooked up and driv
cff down to Bunk Weatherf0rd's, where
the weddin was to come on. to git Miss
Mary dressed and ready. On the way
down there Aunt Nancy had to tell
everybody where she was goin and
what she had to do. Whereas, durin
the day old man Dave heard that
mother and Aunt Nancy had went on
down to Bunk Weatherford's to dress
Miss Mary for the weidin.
Well, from then ON the fat was in
the fire and the weddin cake turned
10 dough. That wouldn't make . con.
tinental bit Of difference with me and
you. But old man Dave swore he'll be
doubly dadburned II he would marry
sny woman under the sun that couldn't
dress herself.
'.Somethin * the matter with her II
II takes two women to dress her." says
old man Dave, "and by gollys that lets
me out"
The neighbors soon got wind Of how
the machinery had jumped . cog, and
some of them went over to see old man
Dave to try and talk some sense into his
head. But Il was pluperfect vanity
He wouldn't move . peg. And
he maintains till yet that II he ever
does take unto himself a wife she must
be full grown woman and able to dress
herself.