Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1853-10-02

win make up my mind what to do; If I can 10 you
any good, want to do il"
~My friend is at work ne has got . good job
and several hands working for him, and Is making
money, aad wont quit till night. Shall l Gene
this evening" is'e aa b
~Yes,l win stay at home and wait for yogi. -,-
| little expected to see him again, bat about
o'clock. the servant said that that man and his e
with gentleman and lady, were. waiting in the re-
eeption room. | told him to ask the lady and gen.
tleman to walk up 10 the parlor anl sit a memeat.
while L sent the candidates for marriage AWAY.
being determined never to unite another drunken
couple, not dreaming there was any sympathy be-
tween the parties. But they woulj not cQme uP;
they wanted to see that couple married. SO Iwcnt
down and found the sQualidIy wretched pair, in
company with well dressed laboring man, FOR he
wore fine black coat, silk vest, gold watch chain,
clean white shirt and erayat, polished calf-skin
boots; and his wife was jest as neat and tdy dres
sed as any body's wife, and her face beamed with
intelligence, and the way in which she clupg 10 The
arm of her husband, as she seemed TO shrink from
my sight, told that she loving as well as pref
ty wife. >a
"This couple" says the gentleman, @have come
to be married -
'Yes, know it, but have refused. Look at
them; do they look like fit subjects ssr such holy
ordinance? God never intended those whom he
created in his own image, should live in natrimony
like this man and woman. / cannot marry them"
Cannot. Why not? You married US .whenwe
were worse gilmore dirty--wOrse clothed, aud
more intoxicated
The woman shrunk back little more eat Of
sight i saw she tremblod violently and pnt her
clean eambric handkerchief up TO her eyes. -s,
What could it mean? Married them when worse
Off Who were they?
"Have you forgotten us? saidthe woman, taking
my hands in hers and dropping on her knees; shave
you forgotten drunken Tom and Mag? We have
never forgotten YOU but pray for you every day"
"If yOu have forgotten them, you have not for
gotten the two-penny marriage No wonder yeG
did not know us. / told Matilda she need not De
afraid or ashamed if You did know her. But /
knew you would not. How could you? We were
in rags and dirt then. Look at US now. All yonr
work, sir. All the blessing of that pledge and that
marriage. and that good advice you gave Us. Look
at this suit of clothes, and her dressall MatiIdas
work, every stitch Of it. Come and look at our
house as neat as she is. Every thing in 1t tomake
comfortable home; and oh. sir. there Is a cradl
in our bedroom. Five hundred dollars already IN
bank, ant | shall add as much more next Neel~
when finish my job. So much for one year Of a
sober life, and faithful, honest good wife. Now.
this man is as;good workman as am, only he IS
bound down with the CALLING letters OF drunken
ness and living with this woman just as | dill.
Now. he thinks that he can reform Just as well rs
me; but he thinks he must take the pledge OF Tie
same man, and have his first effort sanctiicd with
the same blessing. and then, with good resolution
and Matilda and me to watch over them. l do be-
lieve they viii succeed
So they did. So may Others by the same means.
married them. and as | shook hands with MIR.
Elting at parting, he left two coins in my lanl.
with The simple remark, that there was another
two-penny marriage fee. / was in hopes that II
might have been a couple of dollars this time: J
said nothing, and we parted with a mutuai God
bless you. When went up stairs | tossed the
coins into my wife's lap with the remark, two pep-
MES again, my dear
1.-TWO pennies" Why. husband, they are eagles
real golden eagles. What a deal Of good they
will do.-What blessings have followed that act"
And will follow the present. if the pledge is
faithfully kept. Truly. this is a good result Of a
| Two Penny Marriage.