Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1898-08-11
A Frontier Wedding.
By Lou v. Chaplin.

THERE amt no accountin' fei
tastes" said Silas, thoughtfully
specially when it comes to marry
in"
Silas had been Eliminating for an
i hour or more in perfect silence, chew
ing a straw, and sitting with his back
against a stump. his legs stretched out
on the grass. his hat tilted over his
eyes. and look of contentment upon
his visage. He selected another straw
with great care. and as he cleaned the
stem of his short, black pipe with IL,
looked sagely at his crony, Bill, who re-
clined in the shadow of the great oak
tree, his arms crossed under his frowsy
head. and his gaze directed upward
through the Pickering leaves to the
lazy clouds floating in the blue sky.
Bill turned upon his side and looked at
Silas. who settled himself back for
his smoke, and continued:
Now there's Mary and me. There
amt one person in thousand who'd
n thought it a good match, and when 1
popped the question Mary tor me her
self, pint blank, that it want. You're
as shif'less as shif'less can be- Mary
said. an I'm a fool, Silas Martin, to
lis'en to you minute Mary didn't I'M
derstan' me very well then, you know,
an fer fact, don't yit, fer she some
times thinks I'm idlin' when I'm work
in my min at perfectly exhaustin'
rate"
Bill disguised a grin by prodigious
yawn. and Silas meandered on. "Well,
as was sayin', Mary said: You're shift
less. but I'm forehanded myself, an IL
you go an marry some woman that's
JUS as sffif'less as you are, mischiefs
boun' to come of 1t. You'll be sure TO
do JUS that, IL don't have you; it's my
plain duty to take you. and she did, fer
Mary amt one to shirk duty.
"You see in the five years I'd been
courtin' of her she had come TO believe
that il was chance whether knowed
how to look after myself or not, an had
got used TO bossin' me. Now my gram
dad. the one that rode from virginny to
Illinoy horseback through the Injun
country, way back in the thirties, he
didn't believe in courtin'."
"Didn't?" drawled Bill. with Just the
proper show of interest.
No." Silas replied. drawing his legs
up and clasping his knees for greater
comfort in leaning against the stump,
"an' gran'dad lowed that courtin' was
gainst nature and bad fer character"
Bill stared at the speaker in some sur
prise, and encouraged by this sign Silas
explained. HE looked on it just as
honest folks looks on lawn and lowed
that lovers is Just like lawyers. They
CANT be homes and win their case.
they JUS bring forward all the facts
and arguments that are in their favor.
and keep back all that amt, even if they
don't lie right out. and most of them
does"
That's human natur, anyhow" pro-
tested Bill, land so your gran'dad was
wrong"
"Yes, maybe, but he lowed that court
In was investin' lot of time and some
times money and gamblin' on the out
come. He used to say there wuzn't any
more reason why a Ran and woman
shouldn't make a match of it without
any nonsense than that birds should fool
around half the season and lose their
rest at night singin' an twitterin' afore
they mated and built their nests. The
best way, he thought. was to mate first
and get in the habit of courtin' after
ward. II makes marryin' more salts |
fyin' ifitwas understood that the court |
in'was to last a life time. and no gam
bin on the result of the sparl<in'. lido |
Just believe there would be fewer I'M
and breakin' away from the
traces IT there wuz more court
n aftervard and less before. Now.
5ran'tlad had experience. and expert
nee counts for something. don't it2"
Never been married myself" grunt-
u Bill. so cant saw"
''Gran'dad was a great believer in first
BE said that folks has a
lind OF instinct. like cattle and horses.
and It guides Us best in first impress
sious. and II we'd only remember that
here would be fewer mistakes In mar
YIN. Now. when be was maxim that
idc from virginny 70 IIlinoy he fell
with circuit rider. camped with him