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Show 84 TALES OF THE COLORADO PIONEERS. " Apart from an occasional fright," said Mrs. G, "we had much to amuse and interest us. Among other things was a wedding. 'It is not meet for man to live alone,' is a great law of nature, the force of which is experienced as well in the fort as in the city. We had everything needed, young girls, widowers and a 'Justice of the Peace;' no licenses, but they were not necessary. When single people are thrown together in that idle sort of way, they will fall in love, and love leads to matrimony. So an old widower and a young girl concluded to be made one. It was soon noised from one to the other and we all went to work with a hearty good will to adorn the bride. Every lady who had anything suitable gave it. We were much perplexed to find a pair of stockings that would fit, but the bride said not to bother about that, as she would have to change at once to go and cut their grain. "It was the first time the Justice had been called upon to perform the marriage ceremony, and he was badly scared. He took two chairs back of the fort and joined and rejoined them in ' holy wedlock,' until he though he was safe. When he came to- perform the ceremony he forgot to tell the contracting parties to rise to their feet. One after another nudged him until he stopped abruptly in the middle of a sentence, and said, ' Let us all stand up'.' After the ceremony the happy couple climbed to the front seat of a big wagon and drove to their home fearless of Indians." |
