The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-05-08
Jeremiah's Wedding.

ana the frogs are crOaklng hOarSely dlonS
the slough by the willows. But from the
moment that Jerry came in TO bring an
armful OF wood one night last winter
and fingered to announce, with an express
sion of preternatural solemnity. that he
''wuz gwine ter get married ter Miss Sally
Williams l determined TO attend his we'd
ding even If l had to foot il all the way,
and that it should be a success II one
weak woman's will could make it so. For
Jerry was more 10 me than the ordinary
plantation niger" who ''toted' in wood.
Jerry had told US that he was TO be
married by ''early eandlelight," 50 we hur-
ried great deal, and consequently arrived
at the church unfashionably early and
had to wait a long while before the rest
of the congregation came struggling in.
A shiny black man with a pleasant ex-
preston. tattered about the legs but with
a festive air about his coat. which was
black and shiny like his face, lit one or
two lamps which shed q fitful radiance
over the scene. But no one seemed much
interested in the proceedings until tall
negro, who sat on the singers bench,
rolled up his eyes so that only the whites
were visible, and began to chant in
kind of dull monotone which rose higher
as he proceeded, until from every part
of Sweet Bethel church shrill trebles and
deep rich bassos Joined in. Ever and anon
the melody would die away until only
one dusky brother would be making
droning noise, like some great lazy bum
ble-bee on a sultry summer afternoon, as
he sat with rolling eyes. and then it would
swell again into a perfect volume of
sound.
1 was so interested in the music that l
almost forgot / was at a wedding. until
suddenly the singers burst with great vim
into
LET yer lamps be trimmed an burnin,
When Their bridegroom comes;
'Let yer lamps be trimmed an burnin',
When she comes"
An air which does duty for a wedding
march. turned my head to see the bridal
party advancing up the aisle. OF course
there was great futtering and turning
of heads, and the tall gentleman with the
black coat cried: order; let there be
order in the houser And two or three
sisters rushed from their places in the
congregation and assisted the bridal par
ty to arrange themselves on the wooden
bench facing US, and carefully pulled down
the ladies' dresses until not even the tips
of their toes were visible. The bride was
all in pale blue and white muslin and
lace, and an illusion veil hid her bushes.
Flowers were twined in her dusky locks
and hung so far down over her nose that
she had to hold up her head like bel
ligerent young heifer ready to hook. 10
keep them out of her eyes. The brides
maid, who wore a yellow dress and veil,
too, had much the same aspect. But I
have never seen such a picture of dire
misery as poor Jerry presented in this
hour he had looked forward TO so long.
zN,s,- /, It.
tie and his white gloved hands resting
on his knees while the singers sang on Ius-
tily:
AN five o. them wuz foolish
When the bridegroom come"
His mouth hung open and his small
bloodshot eyes were fixed on vacancy. /
tried to catch his eye and smile encourage
ingly, but it was in vain; for he seemed
blind and deaf to all earthly things.
When the ceremony began and he re-
peated Il, Mr.. jeremiah Taylor, take this
Miss Sally Williams" after the minister.
who was so elegant and impressive that
he quite overawed me, Jerry's voice
sounded hoarse with despair.
Alter they had been pronounced man
and wife and Jerry. after great deal
of hesitation, had saluted his bride, a |
few of the sisters rushed up and kissed the |
bride and groom and groomsman and !
bridesmaid, and we shook hands with |
them. But the rest of the congregation |
eyed them from afar. as if they had been !
party of lepers. and their expressions
of tense rigidity never relaxed.
And then we sat down and one of the
brothers politely and kindly handed us
was forgotten or neglected. The smallest !
little African there had a hunk OF cake.
and 1 could not but compare the perfect
order that reigned with the confusion I |
have seen in some fashionable churches, |
where ladies stood on benches and jost- |
led and pushed each other, apparently !
forgetful that they were in the house Of |
God
The bridal party refused all refresh
ments with an air of frigid gentility, and !
as they sat upright on the hard bench |
facing the congregation l. was not easy !
to realize that they ever had been, or ever |
would be again, happy. careless negroes. |
working in the cotton and corn, on terms |
of intimacy with their fellow-beings. AZ |
ter all the cake and wine had been served |
the singers sang another hymn commend |
ing with chant and ending with a wild I
refrain, in which they Joined with sway |
ing bodies and dark. flashing eyes.
spring night we turned our faces home
ward, leaving Jerry with the look OF awful /
desolation still imprinted on his miserable /
black face by the side OF his dusky bride, /
who sat with nose high in air II was a /
relief 10 my feelings when he came in next /
morning, as sinking as usual with moth 1
ing out Of the common run about him 4
except his Sunday pants" and assured /
me with look OF rapt ecstacy that every
body said ii was er fine weddin and that
he'd had one good time il be never had
another. A statement which goes 10
prove the wise old saying that appearances
are deceitful. That evening the deep beat
OF drum broke upon the sweet-scented
stiffness as the bridal party, with drum
rner at their head, Justify marched out 70
view the oountry-a time hoRored custom
with the negroes here, which answers in
lieu OF honeymoon trip. and always fol-
lows a fashionable wedding. just as the
begging basket and the written invita-
ton always precede X The two customs
are adopted from those OF their white
friends Only the negroes are little more
honest about soliciting bridal presents
than re are.
I can s.iU see Sally sweeping her gallery /
Win q new broom when I look down the
road these bright spring mornings. and
Jerry informs me daily that me sad
Sally Amt quarreied UT" 50 I guess that
20 far al has been smooth saiiing-New
Orleans Times Democrat
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Il e said that che Of the most eItyaor-