The times., 1898-07-03
WAR wooINGs AND WEDDINGS.
Cupid and Mars Work Together In
These Times

These Times
Romances without number have cuI-
minated in the face of impending orders
10 the front One girl, the daughter Of a
colonel in the regular army. out on the
Pacific coast. married her lieutenant
sweetheart a year ahead Of time. and
three days later sent him away to fight in
the Philippines without saddening him
with one tear God will bring him safe
back to me- she said with an exalted
smile. Then there is the Jersey girl
whose honeymoon lasted just so long as
ii took ferry boat 10 cross the Hudson
River. Her soldier lover could not get
even half days leave. So she pIuckily
got a minister. met him en- route TO the
train that was bearing him southwark.
and married him in midstream.
Weddings at the front or in the camps
have been numerous. In talking them
over the other day two white-haired
Southern gentlewomen became reninis-
cent: That is all very romantic one
Of them said, "stiII il does not match
things 1 remember. Major FaIcOnet OF
the Confederate engineers. married a
cousin Of mine. She lived at Florence.
AID l4e tlEIdA5 were d1tdnGlnE-fE
was in 81, / think. But they had a great
wedding-the bride wore a magnificent
white brOcade. which had been ordered
from Paris, before the war began The
ceremony was just over. and people
crOwding to congratulate the couple.
when trusty negro rushed in with news
that a squad of Federal cavalry was less
than 30 yards away. and coming straight
TO the house.
Major FaIconet's horse stood saddled
in the back yard He caught his bride
in his arms. Ieaped through a window
with her. swung her up behind him re-
gardless OF the fine white frock. and
gallOped off. with bullets singing all
around them He managed TO escape and
reach the Confederate lines in safety.
That was about the suddenest and most
ill-provided wedding tour l ever heard
OF"
Yes the other agreed still. it was
not so strange as Lizzie VS. wedding
Don't you remember her? She was a
sort of freak-didn't Ike men to come
about her. and only accepted the man
she married upon condition that he
should leave for the army the minute
the ceremony was finished. He was rich
and gOod-lOOking. and years younger
than she-nobOdy ever quite understood
what made him 50 crafty in love with
her. He took her upon her own cOndi-
! tiOns-Ieft her right at the altar steps.
and never saw her again until she came
TO nurse him after he was mOTtalIy
wounded. I always did think il a shame
that she got MS fOrtune-he had wiIIed
it TO her, and his mother and brothers
would not contest the will"
Did I ever tell you about how Ned
Cooper was half married." the first
speaker ran on THAT was out in Co.
lumbia. when all Middle Tennessee was
a debatabIe land Ned had sweet
heart there-he had been engaged to
her before the war. While he was IN
there on a cavalry raid he somehow per-
suaded her TO marry him They wer5
out on the floor and Ned had got
through his part Of the ceremeny-had
promised 70 love. cherish, comfort. keep,
, honor and all that. when the Federals
1 most inconsiderateIy swOoped down on
the house OF course. that broke up
the wedding Ned and his best men
he had half a dozan-ran for their
horses and gali0psd away. The oldest
part is that he did not see the girl again
until after peace was nade-and then hs
found her married hard and fast to an
other man. I fancy she is about ne
only woman in the United States with a
marriage ceremony and a half to her
/ credft-with no legal Intervention
The soldiers were great and most fls-
: cinating lovers, the second commented
/ In fact. love making was as natural 70
/ them a. breathing General Quarles' sec
{ ond wife used TO tell with great glee
story of her experience when the general
was Courting her. She was Miss Alice
[ Vivian. one of the richest and most beau
/ tifuI women in the South, cousin or
/ Miss Augusta Evans. the novelist. who.
Z Il was said. made her the heroine OF her
war novel, '-NacCaria-" But that Is nell
5 ther here nor there General Quarfes
was stationed at Mobile for some time,
and while there met Miss Vivian and be-
{ came engaged to her. He was Of the best
{ Virginia blood widower, cOurtly, ele-
CANT. and OF the most infiammable gal-
/ Iantry. When far from the lips he loved
I II was a necessity with him TO make love
! to the lips he was near. At least. you
would think so from Mrs Quarles' story,
/ which ran something in this fashion:
| Not so long after their engagement he
1 was ordered away to join Hood 5 army IN
/ the invasion of Tennessee Word came
| back presently that he was pretty badly
I wounded. Miss Vivian thought 1t right
/ and proper to go and nurse him. She en-
/ barl1ed upon little wheezy steamboat
/ for the first stage of her journey. and
/ found herself the only woman passenger.
]
/ was too anxious to sleep, so sat in the
cabin. wishing the boat had wings At
/ the first stop out another woman came
/ aboard She also came into the cabin
| and sat down, evidently in great distress
| of mind
Other women came aboard and into the
cabin at various landings until there
were seven sitting in melancholy silence.
| now and then wiping away tears. BY
| this time it was close on 10 O'Clock and
the limit OF feminine silence had been
reached. A late conner turned to her
| next neighbor signing. almost sobbing
| out 'T thought the boat never would
come. I am so impatient to reach my
| betrothed husband. who I have just
| heard. is badly wounded
| Why what a coinciIeuceI So IS minet
! am going to nurse him" said the wO-
man addressed The other woman prick
/ ed I'D their ears. and looked sympathetic.
At last the boldest Of them ventured TO
| say: "I am going to do the same thing .
'.And so am I"' And so am L. came
| in chorus from the rest-all except Miss
Vivian. who could not trust herself to
sneak, she was so full OF sympathy with
( the weight of woe At last one OF the
| other women said= 1--WE may as well
tell who our sweethearts are Maybe we
can help each otheri Mine iS-Gen.
Quarles."
Gen Quarles. You must be mistaken,
am engaged to him. came in various
keys from each Miss Vivian still kept
siIence-and thanked her stars sne had
not been expansive like the others. She
| Yaf. hoaf he TauFfuo