Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1914-03-26
COUNTRY CEREMONY
Young AstOr Not in Best of Health,
 Having Suffered from Pneumonia and Bronchitis.

New York, March 25-On the last day of April a most notable society event will take place up the Hudson, the marriage of the head of one of the greatest American houses, Vincent Astor, and Helen Dinsmore Hunting ton, daughter of another line which has long been prominent in American affairs.
 The recent arrival from Europe of the mother of the bride-groom-to-be Mrs. Ava Willing Astor, the refitting of the famous yacht Noma, and an- nouncement of the wedding so shortly before the date set today are concen- trating the attention of society folk upon the young couple.
 Through the winter there was much mystery about their plans. Many hint ed at a secret wedding. It was thought that the Noma was to be used for mysterious purpose.
 This idea was fostered largely by the simple tastes of the young couple. The Sbrideto-be has extracted from her betrothed promise that they will spend most of their lives on the beau- tiful banks of the Hudson where she was brought up and where Astor's 5,0O0-acre Ferncliffe estate lies. She is not unsOciable, nor at all ignorant of bathrooms, theaters and "doings," but she cares not whit for the for mai side of society.
 The wedding will be country cere- mony, either at Hopeland House, the mansion on the Huntington estate, or in the little country church nearby.
 Young Astor has not been very well this winter, too. He has suffered from pneumonia and bronchitis. It will be remembered that his mother almost despaired of his life at the age of eight, when she hurried him off to St. Moritz.
 From the life Miss Huntington has , led so far it is to be expected that she and her husband will spend much time in the open. The tall, blonde girl of 20 was brought up almost entirely on the big Huntington and Dinsmore places along the Hudson which were once held by her grandfather, William B. DinsmOre, late president of the Adams Express Company. She went to school in Dobbs Ferry, which isn't a great distance from her home and she has spent some winters in New York City.
 l, Her first quarrel with Vincent came at the age of nine-he being then>eleven. She had planted an oak tree when three years old with the aid of her grandparents, MT. and Mrs. Robert P Huntington. The tree had grown for six years and she proudly took her little visitor from "up the road" out to look at it. Astor remark ed with a critical eye it would take some years for the tree to be big ,I enough to climb in. The visit ended abruptly right there, but the next day Vincent sought and obtained pardon over the telephone.
 sl At the time the State Island Ship building Company began to rip out the fittings of the Noma, it was naturally l Icurp,iCod 10 no tn hn tho honeymoon ship" Then it was under stood that the swift little craft was to make pre-nuptial cruise across ! the Atlantic, through the Mediterran- can and up the Nile with the young couple and their mothers. This would Il have been following the course taken by the late Colonel John Jacob Astor on his honeymoon trip which ended with the sinking of the ill-fated Iii tanic. But young Astor said "No" to both these reports and set the gos- sips still further speculating.
 I If Astor does not use the Noma he has many other means of slipping out | Of the country. There are, first, ms numerous high-powered automobiles. Then he has a crack hydroplane that does thirty-five miles an hour, and if| he carries out his plans will soon own a hydro-aeroplane. Being an expert mechanic, he usually spurns the as sistance of a professional chauffeur.
 But the Noma's engines have been prepared for long cruise. Entirely new boilers have been installed. Cap tain Dangan of the ~NOma has been in- | structed by Mir. Astor to fly no pen nants when the yacht leaves the ship yards and steals up the Hudson tol Rhinecliff.
 The landing is only few miles dis tant from Fefncliffe and from Hope land HOuke the craceful and stately