Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1898-03-13
BY GAA%s B. LEWIS.

She nurmured that she was agree able, and within a week every farn- house for miles around knew that a marriage was on the tapis. Ezekiel would be twenty-one in February. He at first decided to be married on his birthday and the widow was agree able. Two weeks before that date calamity happened. When Zeke came over one evening as usual he said:
 "Nirandy, we can't git married on my birthday as we planned fur. Our best COW got choBed on turnip this afternoon, and mothers a-cryin' and fathers reading the Bible. 1t will take lem weeks and weeks to get over feelin' bad, and it would be awful fur us to marry when things ar like funeral"
 The widow agreed with him and the marriage was postponed to May. Two months and half would give the old folks time to recover themselves. and all would be we'll The routine went on as before, and there would surely have been a marriage in May had not the creek which ran across Farmer 1 Hopkins land suddenly risen one April night and swept three spotted hogs into eternity. They were hogs worth three dollars apiece, and their squeals of terror as they were borne along on the flood were heard for two miles. It was an event to be talked of all over the township, and to again upset the old farmer and his wife, and Zeke went over to the widows to say:
 "Mirandy, we can't git married in the midst of all this grief and sorrer, and I guess we'd better put it off till after corn-cuttin' next fall"
 | If the widow was disappointed she 1 didn't show it, and there was no change in the routine. When autumn came and the corn crop had been cut and shocked Zeke bought two-dollar watch chain and a red neck-tie and be- gan to think seriously of naming date. Every evening of his life he assured the widow that she was growing dearer to him, and that it would take at least ten yoke of oxen to pull him away from her, and she never doubted his eonstaney or complained of his proeras tination. One day as Zele was work ing about the cider mill he decided to get married in two weeks. Ten min utes after coming to this decision a 1 barrel of cider rolled out of wagon and over his body and he was laid up for month. The widow hastened to his bedside, and as soon as he could get i enough breath he said:
 'Mirandy. that bar'l O cider pressed me out as flat as a pancake, and luck is agin Us about gittin married. guess we'll hey to wait till Christmas"
 In due course of time the pressed" man recovered his normal rotundity, but when Christmas came, or q few days before. he was kicked on the knee by COW. That called for another post ponement, and by and by the couple had been engaged for three years and were not married yet Then Zeke de- cided to get married for sure, and in his determination he bought two white shirts for a dollar apiece, and laid in stock of celluloid collars. It was no use, however. He fell off the straw stack and broke his arm, and the mar riage day was only referred to in a dim and uncertain way for the next two years. One day, after the engage ment had lasted for five years, Zeke and his father were carrying q log be- tween them. Of sudden the old man dropped his end of the log and spat on his hands and looked around and queried:
 ''Zeke, why don't ye git married? 2"
 Zeke dropped his end after awhile and sat down on the log and looked around and answered:
 I'm goin' to-"
 He meant what he said, but when he went to see the widow that evening it somehow slipped his mind. Two years later, however, he said something about getting married on Thanksgiving day, and the widow agreed that it would be right and proper. Zeke didn't make any preparations that time, and it was we'll he didn't. A few days before Thanksgiving two boils put in an ap- pearance on his left leg, and of course that settled that.
 Time ran on and on, and eight years lad finally slipped away. The widow never logged" Zelie's memory OF made | tlluSS ulSdSIeedUie, qua ne HaQ long ceased to trouble himself about dates The corn needed hoeing again, and the young man was plying his hoe and looking out for an old jack-knife lost three years before, when his father came down from the house. After standing around for awhile he said:
 'Zeke, why don't ye git married?"
 "Goin' to-" replied Zelle, as he rested on his hoe.
 "When?''
 "'Bout New Years, guess"
 "Who to?"
 "To the widder, of course.''
 'Bet you ain't," said the father, as he pulled the weeds.
 "'Cause why?" asked Zeke in mild surprise.
 "'Cause she's dead! Died an hour ago of heart disease!"
 Zel1e turned to look at the widows house, half gnile away-then back to his father-then up at the sun. By and