The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1897-04-22
WEDDING BELLS.
Ee4@arriages Take Place Without No
VrY.2r.

ties and Without Ceremony.
| sTAsre are few places and few
grades of life in either the rural or
the urban world where. the word
wedding is not asynonym for joy
and festiyity. Only the cynic or the
nisanthrope protests against, the
wedding celebration. We wear out
most customs. but the wedding feast
remains. While very likely not
the only place in the world, the
only place in my experience where
there is any general concealment of
proposed connubiality and nuptial
intent is in the mountains of the
south. Itmay be generally known
that Zeb is keeping regular COM
pany' with Lie. Suddenly the
town will be apprised of the fact
that Zeb and Lie done got married
last night" This constitutes what
might be called an anticipated sur
prise.
Sometimes in the large settle
ments due notice will be given, and
the wedding takes place in the little
church or in the building used in
common for all public purposes-re-
liglous. services, school, political
gatherings and itinerant shows.
That practice is, however, generally
confined to the elite of the commu-
nifty. In one place in my experience
the popular resort for the perform
ance of the ceremony was the broad
platform in the rear of a local saw
mill. i could discover no ground
for the populardty of this spot
Sometimes a few intimate friends
would be invited to attend. Some
times there were no observers save
the casual passersby. More frequent
III tAbr6 were no witnesses save the
sun AbboNe and the lumber piles
pnafning that spot local mag
hats els an amusing story. A
tain man had been unfortunate
III the longevity of his selections,
had been twice married and twice
bereaved. He called upon the mag
|istrate to officiate at third ceremo-
~. AS the happy pair took their
zes f4sfore him upon the mill
platform to pledge their faith and
owe he said to the groom: Move a
title farther over this way, John.
be up to that line. That is where
bu've always stood before - And
There was no proceeding until John
had "tOed up
A man who was doing some work
for me came to me one day at noon
and asked permission to be absent
until "quartering time"-half past
3 o'clock. He said nothing to me OF
to his associates of his purpose. He
returned promptly on time, to an
nounce in a casual and Indifferent
manner that during his absence he
had been married and, with the lit
tie furniture possessed by the pair,
had settled in cabin of his own.
Again and again have 1 seen the
same plan followed in other cases.
The ground for so general observ-
ance of secrecy could not discover.
1t holds with both the intention of
marriage and the precise time of the
consummation. l think it is due in
considerable measure to fear of that
narrowing performance known as
the charivari-in the idiom, "shiv-
aree." To those unfamiliar with
that entertainment l can only de-
scribe it as most excruciating pan
demonium, effected by combinations
of pots and pans, horns and howl
ing. 1t takes the form of an even
ing serenade to the newly welded
pair. The officiating musicians com
prise all the young men and boys
for miles around. I have been the
unfortunate auditor of one or two
such performances, and if I knew
that one were to take place around
the walls of my dwelling if I mar.
ried / should choose to Give bach
elor." I blame no man for retaining
his secret to avoid the experience
Black Mountain IN. Co. Letter in
New York Post.