The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-24


OF his faults he looked a man. A chum
of mine who knew the ways of these peo-
pie mad advised me to purchase a horn Of
snuH before being presented to the bride
and bridegroom. and l had acted accord
ingly.
When the ceremony OF introduction was
over and had managed to turn my blush
ing face away from Ma" and the bevy of
daiEsels. as airily clothed as herself | Of
Tered the snuff box to the happy pair. The
groom took a tiny pinch and smiled sadly
as though committing some deadly sin
me bride. however, poured little heap in
the palm of her hand about as big as
hens egg, regardless of her nice white
KID gloves. This she proceeded to snuff
| up her eapacoUs nostris with savage de-
ilght until the tears streamed down her
| cheeks like rain down a coal heap Then
| she drew back her head spread her hands
| out palm downward like ii mammoth duck
| treading water, and sneezed. | never heard
| a human sneeZe like that before: il was
| like the effort of horse after a two-miIe
| saiiop through dust storm. And each
| time she sneezed something connected with
| her gear ripped or gave way. until I be-
gan TO be afraid for her. But the wreck
was not quite so awful as | anticipated
ana when she had done sneezing she |
laughed All the crowd except the groom |
laughed, and the sound of their laughter |
was like the sound of sea on a cliff |
crowned coast.
little later one of the bridesmaids.
whose toilet consisted of a dainty neck |
lace OF beads and a copper ring around |
one ankle, invited me to drink draft of
native beer The beer was in a large !
caiabaBh and | felt constrained to drink
some or 1t. These natives know how to
make love and they know how to make |
war but, as my soul liYeth, they don't !
know how to make beer. The stuff they
gave me to drink was about as thick as
Doarding-hOuse cocoa; in color il was like
unto milk that dirty maid of all work
mad been stirring around in a soiled soup
dish with an unwashed forefnger. 1t had
neither body nor soul in 1t and was in
slpid as a policeman at prayer meeting
some OF the nfggers got glorious merry !
on it and sang songs and danced weird |
unlucky dances under its influence. But
ii did not appeal to me in that way; pos
sibly | was not educated up to its nice
ties.
The wedding joys were of peculiar ma
ture. Bride and bridegroom linked arm
in arm. marched up and down on a pad
about twelve yards in length; a nude min !
strel marched in front and drew unearthly
music from a kind of mouth organ. Girls !
in the dust en- route clapped
heir hands and chanted chorus The v
bridegroom hoped first on one leg and /
hen on the other. and tried to look gor- v
seousiy happy: the bride kicked her satin "
skirts out behind and pranced along the
rack as gracefully as camel; behind the D
principal actors in the drama came regi-
nent of youths and girls and the antics b
hey cut were worthy of the occasion. Now
md again some dusky Don Juan would a
ig his thumbs into the ribs of daughter 2
I Ham, The lady would promptly squeal II
nd try to look coy. 1t is not easy to n
ook coy when you have not got enough H
IOtb m xuh 70 he | "
atch to cover a black eye. but still they n
ried it. for the sex seemed to me to be OF
luch alike on the inside, whether they d.
ress In a coat Of pink or a coat of seal 70
kin. tn
BY and by tie groom took his bride by tn
he arm and made an effort to induce her ed
o leave her maids of honor and trek" lie
Dward the cabin which henceforth was W,
o be her home. The lady pouted and w
hook his hand off of her arm, while the as
laidens laughed and clapped with their tn
ands. dancing in the dust-strewn sun
ght with such high-kicking action as W.
ould win fame for any ballet dancer in be
urope. The young men 1eered the ca
room and melted him to take charge Ec
I his own. He hung down his ebony DO
cad and looked Silly sullen. and the Bl
ride continued to "pout'' Have you of
yer seen a savage wench pout? Verify
is a sight worth travelling far to see. ev
irst OF all she wraps her mouth in OH
inner and her Inns look like n fold in al
badly doubled blanket. Then slowly Gle
q draws the corners toward the centre,
st as the universe will be crumpled up | uta
the day of Judgment. 1t is a beau tur
iul sight, the mouth, which when she era
allied looked like a sword wound on ant
p flank of a horse now, when the ''pout' sui
complete, looks like a crumpled con- g.
rtina. The groom again timidiy ad- T
need his hand toward the satin-cov- var
ed arm OF his spouse. and the 'pout' leg
came more pronounced than ever. owe
The white of one eye was s1yly turned the
ward the bridesmaids. the other rolled 7
th infinite subtlety in the direction of mu
n who was to be her lord and master the
/ the pout grew larger and larger. until pal
'as constrained TO push my way among deb
maids TO get a look behind the bride. sho
/ fancied the back of her neck must the