The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-23
WHEREOLD MAIDS ARE SCARCE
IN THE VIRGINIA MOUNTAINS
All THE GIRLS MARRY.
COiIrtinr Il "Talkin'" There. and the Girls
begin to Taib YounE-She Must Have
Only One Deku Al q Tine--The Cir
Always Run Away" TO Get Married.

Only One Deku Al Tine--The Cir .
Always Run Away" to Get Married.
Unmarried women are scarce In the
Virginia mountains. In a summers So
journ in mountain country OF old Virginia
a tourist made the acquaintance OF fully
seven hundred persons, and found but ono
"old maid" and she was -talkh'" To
talk In mountain vernacular, means
ito pay court or to accept It."
Girls begin to talk" at thirteen-even
twelve, In localities far removed from the
railroads, The little maid leaves of her
red calico Sleeve apron" the head band
that has held back her loose hair, puts
her hair in big knob on the back OF her
head and lets her dress DOWNFALL adver-
tisements of readiness for marriage.
The young mans choice Of a sweetheart
Is more than likely to be his cousin. Kinship
makes no difference to him. for he Is not
usually sufficiently enlightened TO think Of
the effects of such neutrality-suspicious. very
apparent in the great number OF people
in the mountains roll eyed, cross eyed,
big headed, physically delicate, weak Of
mind-the offspring Of cousins, often OF
double first" cousins.
When young man selects girl to whom
to pay court he will brook no other youths
1talkin" to her. He may talk to several
girls, il he likes, In several neighborhoodsI
but he gives himself the right to quarrel
with one II she talks" to another than
himself.
If the Roll Pone Creek girls admire the
Cranes Nest boys above the youth OF their
own neighborhood, or vice versa, there is
fierce enmity between the neighborhoods,
and wo to him who takes away the chosen
girl Of anotherl
The chief counting places are the log
churches, where the elders sit on the rough
benches inside and worship and the young
ones sit under the shade OF the trees out
side and talk" and the evening enter
tainments at the homes-"play parties"
and cake cuttings" which last. with their
dancing Of Boston" and Snap" from
dusk until dawn.
The schoolteacher, usually good man
nered, is popular, especially II he isn't
too stingy, but as it often happens he is
saving his money for college course.
is not Immediately marriagebl and cannot
do any earnest talking"
II sawmil sets up for several months
stay in a big stretch Of timber the girls
OF the neighborhood rejoice over new
batch Of beaus and the women of the
sawmill's boarding house are besieged
with feminine visitors and leased with
requests to have frequent evening gar
ties"
Courtship is conducted in the most open
fashion. Public demonstrations Of affec-
ton are not censured. At the play par
ties and cake cuttings the lovers pay no
attention to any one else. sit with arms
about each other and exchange kisses
and honeyed words.
The engaged girl is very open in ex-
pressing her ownership of a young man.
She pins ribbon on her hair and a button
picture on the ribbon, and let's it hang
over her forehead-she claims" her beau
over any other girl; and if at a dance it
is his turn to swing girl she doesn't S:s like
and pull him out Of the dance.
The male mountaineer is much given to
drink. At the all night entertainments
the young men seek their liquor bottles In
the yard at frequent intervals, continuing
until they drop down to the floor, dead
drunk. This, however does not lower
them in the eyes Of the girls.
Il like, confesses the mountain maid,
ito see a boy have enough liquor in him
The only musical instrument in the back
small part in the courtships. If the lover
has picked up new tune in the outside
world to add to his repertoire Of Ida Red,
Cripple Creek" and "Poor Ellen Smith,
he teaches it to his sweetheart. Ellen
Smith" an old English ditty-almost his
only love song, he sings constantly. It's
story is of girl murdered by her lover
and Of his wretchedness after the deed.
The refrain tells that he Never knew he
loved her until he saw her coffin pass,
and that NOW the Sheriff and bloodhounds
will give him no rest!"
When the wedding day comes, usually
couple slip of at night, and call 1t running
away, seven though they have their parents
consent. Real runaways are but few.
The usual obstacle in the course of trne
love is the enmity of the mother Of the
other girl One mother becomes so angerd
because a young man quits "talkin'" to her
daughter to talk to more attractive girl
that she threatens to reveal the moon
shine business of the youths family to
the "revenuers,' proceeding she knows
The mountain folk seldom remain single
after widowing.. As long as man Is not
confined to his chair by old age he consid--
ers himself plenty young enough to marry.
Nor does he wait very long after the death
dies in April Dick is atalkin' by July and
married by September, and when Marfhys
funeral is preached in October LOUSY. her
successor, prepares the big dinner for the
funeral guests.
Love marriages are the rule in the noun
tains, but the marriage OF convenience
Is not unknown, particularly in the second
marriage. Brandy making (moonshine or
lega) brings it's reward, and the grand
mother, past 90, marries the sickly individ-
ual of 40 because she and her family wish to
secure the "best brandy maker in the coun-
try to themselves.
An aged widower wife seeker hires q
woman to keep house and do his cooking
for few months. "I'll try her, and ef she
Ia ~ any account TO work I'll marry her"
ne announces to his friends, -and ef she
haint, WON'T
Wlnea Of the Ancienta