Wedding Bells

When Sissy was thinking marriage, her husband-to-be was brave for Sissy was about 19. So he came riding over on his beautiful horse, all shined up. I remember how he and my pappa sat together on the swing in the breezeway, and he asked my pappa for Sissy in marriage. After a little "pep talk" to him, my pappa said they could marry with his blessing.

Well, my mamma and Sissy sewed a lot in the next weeks. I remember her dress, a blue Georgette with pointed scallops around the skirt. Short dresses were in fashion, along with long torso waistlines, flapper hats, hair cuts, and long, big beads.

Sissy got all dressed up and Hester came in a buggy. They rode over the county line to the Justice of the Peace - no church weddings. My pappa thought Hester's behavior was the act of a real gentleman. Sissy was counted the best-looking girl around PZ Ridge.

A short time later Sadie decided to get married, but my pappa was not pleased with her choice, Erie. She was forbidden to see him. This decision was made in love and for her best interest, so my pappa thought. But like girls did then, she had friends to help her elope. One Sunday afternoon when we were at Sunday School, as was our practice, she and a girlfriend went to the spring to fetch water and never returned. Erie and his friend met them and they eloped.

Needless to say what happened then, even though she was 17. My pappa was again very upset and hurt that a daughter would marry without his permission. I suppose she never disobeyed him before or after that.

In the next few years the young pair worked hard to bear, feed, and clothe three babies. Sadie was a spotless housekeeper. She came home to visit almost every day, and she always looked my pappa up in the fields or wherever he was at work. And he helped them all he could when things were going bad.

Times were hard then - no one had much money. But we shared whatever we had.