Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-08-27
miscellaneous.
FROM The Now York TfIbunc
LIFE AT THE FIVE POINTS.
Mr.. Pcase, VIC want to be married.
rnR Two-PENNY MARRIAGE.


have been talkingover the matter to-day and you
'Ycs, yes, see you have been talking over the
matter over the bottle and have ccgue to sort of
drunken conclusion to get married. When you
get sober you will both repcut of it, probably
NO, sir, we are not very drunk now, not so drunk
but what We can think, and we don't think we are
doing right-we are not doing as we were brought
up to do by piOus parents We have been reading
about good things you have done for such poor out
casts Us we are and want you to try and some
thing for u.s.
Read Can you read? Do YOU read the Biblc?
rs w ell not much lately, but read the newspa-
lcrs and sometimes road something good in
them. How cGn read the Bible when we are
drunk2'
DO you think getting married will keep you
from getting drunkP
Yes for going to take the pledge too and
we shall keep it depend upon that
suppose you take the pledge and try that first,
aud II you can keep IL till You wash some Of the
dirt away, and get some clothes on, then will
marry YOU.
NO that won't do. shall get to thinking what
poor dirty, miserable wretch / am, and how
nm living with this woman, who is not bad wo-
man by nature, and then will drink. and then she
will drink-oh cursed rum!-and what is to pre-
vent us? But if we were married, my wife, yes,
Mr. Pcasc, my wife would say, 'Thomas'-she
would not say Tom.-you dirty brute, don't be
temptcd;' aud but we might be somebody yct-I
somebody that our own mothers would not be
ashamed Of
Here the woman, who had been silent and rath-
CIR moody, burst into violent flood of tears, cry
ing Mother, mother know not whether she is a
live or not, and dare not inquire; but if we were
married and reformed, | would make her happy
Uncc more
Il could no longer stand the appeal, said Mr.. p,
and determined to give them trial. | have mar
ried good many poor, wreched-loOking couples, |
but none that looked quite so much this. The |
man was hatless and shoeless, without coat vest
with long hair and beard grimed with dirt. lie /
was by trade brick-ayer, one of the best in the
city. She wore the last remains of q silk bonnet
and something that might pass for shoes and an
old, very old dress, once a rich merno, apparently
without any under garments.
And your name is Thomas--Thomas whaR
'Elting, sir, Thomas Elting, good, true name
and true man, that is, shall be, if you marry us.
We'll, well. [ am agoing to omarry you
Arc your There, Mag, | told you so.'
Don't call me Mag. If am agoing to be mar
ricd, will be called bymy right name, the one my
mother gave me-
Not Mag. Well never new that
Now Thomas hold your tongue, you talk too
much. What is your name?'
Matilda. Must tell the other? Yes will,
and | never will disgrace it. don't think should
ever have been as bad if | had kept it. That bad
woman who first tempted me to ruin, made me take
false name. 1t is bad thing for girl to give
up her name, unless for that of a good husband
Matilda Fraley. Nobody knows me by that name
in this bad city.
er by the right hand, and look at me, for am now
going to unite you in the holy bonds of marriage by
Gods ordinance. Do you think you sufficient
ly sober to comprehend its solemnityF
Marriage being one of Gods holy ordinances,
cannot be kept in sin, misery, filth and drunkenness
Thomas, wifi you take Matilda to be your lawful
true, only, welded wifeP
You promise that you will live with her, in sick
ness as well as health, and nourish, protect and
comfort her as your true and faithful wife; that
you will be to her true and faithful husband; that
You will not get drunk, and will clothe yourself and
keep clean
80 | will"
Never mind answering until get through
You promise to abstain totally from every kind of
drink that intoXcates, and treat this woman kind
ly ahectionately and love her as husband should
loychi welded wife. Now all of this, will you,
here before as the servant of tho Most hgh-herc
in the sight of God in Heaven, most faithfully prom
Use, if give you this woman to be your welded
wifcP
Yes, WILL
And you, Matilda, on your part will you prom
ise the same, and be a true wife to this man!
4 will try sir
But do you promise all this faithfully
YES, sir, ! WILL
Then pronounce YOU man and wife,
Now, Thomas says the new wife, after | had
made out the certificate and given it to her, with
an injunction to keep it saiely-'now pay Mr..
Thomas felt first in the right hand pocket, then
the left then back to the right, then he examined
the watch-fob.
why, where is t?" says she, you had two dol
lars ths morning.
Yes know it. but have only got two cents
this evening" There Mr.. Pease take them, it i
all have got in the world; what more can give!
Sure enough, what could he do moreY' ! tool
them and prayed over them, TINT in parting witt
the last penny this couple might have parted witt
nyice, wicked, foolish practice which had re
duced them to such degree ofpoverty and wretch
cdncss that the monster power OF rum coul'
hardly send its victims lower.
So Tom and Mag were transformed into Mr.. an
Mrs. Filing, and having grown somewhat more st
her while in the house, seemed to fully understan
their position, and all the obligations they ha
taken upon themselves.
For fcw days | thought occasionally of thi
two-penny marriage, and then it became absorbe
with thousand other scenes Of wretchednes
which have witnessed since have lived in thi
centre Of city misery. Time wore on and | MAJ
Iied many other coupes-often those who came il
their carriage and left golden marriage fee
delicate way of giving to the needy-but among al
I had never performed the rite for couple quit
so low as that Of this two-penny fee and resolves
never would again. AT length however, had
call for full match to them, which refused.
why do you come 10 me to be married. m,
friend said 10 the man? You are both too poo
10 live separate, and besides youare both terribl
drmkards, knoy, you are
THAT is Just what we want to get married Tor
and take the pledge
Take that first
NO, we must take all sGggethcr, nothing else wi
cave u.s.
viii thatT
1T did one Of my friends.'
We'll, then, go and bring that friend hore; let N
see and hear how much it saved him, and then
will make up my mind what to do; i'll can do yo
any good want to doit.
.My friend is Mt work-hc has got a good j0ban
several hands working for him and is making mol
ey, and won't quit till night. Shall come tn
evening?
yes, will stay at home and wait for YOU
little expected TO see him again but about .
nIock the aarvant anil TINT man and his girl. vii