"It will never last," they whispered. "Marriages that follow whirlwind courtships never do. Just wait and see!?"

That was the opinion of most, but she knew this was no "whirlwind courtship." It was simply a "different courtship."

She had been accepted to the college of her choice. She thought preparing for that move would be her top priority the summer after her high school graduation.

She was wrong. He had come into her life and immediately time spent with him took priority over all other plans.

She had not had a lot of experience in the courtship department. She was usually a "best friend" rather than a "girl friend" to the boys in her crowd.

But he was older. And he was polite; genuinely polite. He wasn't the first to ever open a car door for her, but he was the first that did it from habit.

She kept waiting for him to slip up. Sooner or later he would call and tell her he wasn't going to make it that night. A few days later she would find out where he had gone and with whom. It was bound to happen, she thought. When one has been hit by that train, one becomes cautious and doesn't stand too close to the tracks.

But he always did what he said he would. Sometimes they had supper at her house. Afterwards they would sit on the porch and talk. He was easy to talk with and easy to listen to.

He told her as a teenager he was baptized in a small pond near the Baptist Church he attended. He said the preacher immersed him in the middle of the pond and two deacons stood guard on the shore to be sure the snakes swimming nearby didn't decide to join in the sacred service.

She told him she was baptized in the Methodist Church when she was 12. Her minister filled his hands with water from a bowl and let it flow over her head (and down her back). "There were no snakes in our baptismal bowl," she quipped.

He told her she was witty. She thanked him and told him it was a family trait. He asked her to marry him and she said yes. But it wouldn't last! Everyone said so. That is, everyone except her family.

Her mother told her she had taught her how to make good decisions. "Ask for God's guidance and go from there," her mother said.

It was a beautiful September wedding: white satin, tulle; white Bible topped by a white orchid surrounded by tube roses; candlelight; chrysanthemums; and all verses of Always. "But it won't last!" they said.

All Ruble and I can say in answer to that is, so far so good. On September 25th we will celebrate 44 years as Mr. and Mrs.

He is scheduled for back surgery on September 23rd. Hopefully the procedure will allow Ruble to continue the active lifestyle he so enjoys.

Please say a prayer for him.

LaVale Mills is publisher of The Red Bay News, P.O. Box 1339, red Bay, AL 35582