The age-herald., 1897-11-07
A PARTY IN THE LAND WHERE MARRIAGE
 IS NOT A FAILURE.
Given in Honor of the Bride and For the Function---scenes on the Eventful Evening Bidding the Guests - Where Bashful
 Boys and Pretty Girls Abound


 Did you ever go to an infare? In cer- tain districts down south, when the son of well-to-do parents gets him a wife the function held in honor of the event is termed an infare It might be called reception in fashionable circles, or 1t might be called an lat home," but it is an infare, more comprehensive and cor dial than either of the other functions.
 There would be no trouble about the invitation if you happened to be staying in the nsighborhood, but few people ever happen to be in that nelghborhood. They are either born there or they go there deliberately. The neighborhood is hard to get at. It is miles away from everywhere and there is not a hotel or a house where you can stop for money within leagues. To get there you would have to get off the train at a little sta- tion where it stops so seldom that in- tending passengers have to flag 1t down, and then you would have to drive away out into the heart of the country. When you got to the point where the people said that they had just as lief haul their cotton to one town as the other because both were so far off, you would be in the infare country, and if you were a worldling or Gothamite you would be "born again. so to speak, and breathe in the pristine virtues with the resinous scent of the pines.
 Marriage is not failure in that coun- try; at least if it is the people don't know it or think about it. Matrimony is regarded as a sort of joint stock con- cern, in which if either party fails in his obligations the other must needs wait and give him credit until he catch es up; not shut things down with a bang the moment there is delinquency If the delinquent never catches up- well, it is something to be borne as best it may. The original compact holds good in any case. But to get back to the infare.
 Nat Carson's second boy, Wes, is goin' to marry over in Barnwen next week." the word goes out
 'When's the infare to be?"
 "Two days after the wedding. sup pose the girls folks want to see some thing of her. Besides, it's a good trip from there to Carson's. Old Carson's pretty we'll fixed. A bale to the acre is what he gets off most of his land. They like this match. I reckon therell be big blowout"
 prince with the honors and without the responsibilities of royalty is happy; a lover in the first consciousness that he is beloved treads on air; but neither is as burstingly blissful as the negro boy intrusted with the bidding of the in- fare guests.
 "Take Black Moll and go to all the places on this side of the creek today" he is told, "and tomorrow you can go out on the Bull Swamp road"
 Halcyon moment! Tony can hardly contain himself. He rubs up Black Moll unMl he can almost see his face in her sides, sticks a sprig of holly into her bridle, and then, tying her to the poison- berry tree, retires to make his own to- let. When he appears, half hour later, wearing boots with a spur attached whole hat, paper collar, and other ir- regular accessories he Is very lively looking courier, indeed. HIS brooches may be faded and summery, his coat a size too large, his neckcloth inclined to ride up. but nothing can overcome the enthusiasm of h,s shining face and the important atr with which he Hicks his whip and spurs Moll close up to the piazza sttpS, to await orders. The mule, accustomed only to the prompting of bare heels, resents the innovation, and so affords fresh opportunity for the rider to display his powers
 "Do you think he had better go by the Goldings?'' the mistress asks her hus- band as the courier waits without. T thought I would ask Sophie Cold.ng. I adnt taken the sacrament comfortable since we fell out about them knives at the church supper"
 Her lord looks thoughtful.
 ''Well. reckon he better had" he says at length i"Let bygoncs be bygones. It's better to let the young people start out fresh, with nobody feelin' hard against them."
 That's what I thought" agrees his wife, though l did say more than once that never calculated to ask a Golding to pull her hat inside my door again. And--the Dunkins? Must he go there? It's quite a piece out of his course, and they never seem to notice any of our church people. I don't believe they'd know Wesley if they were to meet him in the road, since he's got to be so tall and grown up.'
 q know, 'Piscopal.an people is gener- ally uppish, but I wouldn't disrsmember the Dunkins,'' says her counselor promptly. "A Carson and 0 Dunl1ins come to this country the same time, long years ago, when there was nothn' here, and ithe general never falls to give ms the time of day when I meet him in town. It's How are you Carson? hope they're all well at home, and a shake of the hand. no matter how many people he's talking to. Let him go by Dunlins, by all means. If they come, all well and good If they don't, we've passed the compliment, and there won't be no great harm done.
 "Weil! Hhere you are. Tony," calls the