Windham County Democrat. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1836-1853, 1853-10-12
LIFE AT THE FIVE POINTS.
THE TwO-PENNY MARRIAGE
Mr. Pease, we want to be married.


Want to be married what for?
'Whv YOU see, we don't think it's right for us
to be living together in this way any longer and
have been talking over the matter to-day and you
SEQ
Yes, yes see you have been talking over the
matter over the bottle and have come to sort of
drunken conclusion to get married When you
get sober you will both repent 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 the good things you have done
for just such poor oucasts as we are, and we want
vouK Is Try appa ai DC so something for us.
bleY
We'll, not much lately, but we read the news
papers and sometimes We find something good in
them. How can we read the Bible when
drunk
DO you think getting married will keep you
from getting drunk?
Yes, for we going to take the pledge too,
and we shall keep it depend upon that
Suppose you take the pledge first, and try that
first and if you keep it till you wash off some
of the dirt, and get some clothes on, then | will
marry YOU"
No, that won't do. I shall get to thinking what
poor, dirty, miserable wretch l am, and how l
am living with this woman who is not bad wo-
man by nature, and then | will drink, and then
she will drnk-oh, cursed rum and what is to
prevent us? But if we are married, my wife,
yes, Mr. Pease, my wife would say, Thomas
she would not say 'Tom-you dirty brute don't
be tempted; and who knows but might be
somebody yet-somebody that our own mothers
would not be ashamed Of.
Here the woman, who had been silent and ra-
ther moody, burst into violent food of tears,
crying,
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
once more
i could stand the appeal no longer, said Mr..
p. and determined to give them a trial. | have
married good many poor, wretched couples, but
none that looked quite much this. The
man was haless and shoeess, without coat or vest,
with long hair and beard grmed with dirt. He
was by trade a brickayer one of the best in the
city. She wore the last remains of a silk bonnet,
and something that might pass for Shoes and an
old, very old dress, once rich merino, apparent
ly without any under garments whatever"
And your name is Thomas-Thomas what%
'Elting, sir, Thomas Elting A good and true
name and true man, that is, it shall be if you mar
ry us
"Well, well. am going to marry YOU
EAre you? There, Mag, told you So
Don't call me Mag If am going to be mar
ried it will be by my right name, the one my mo-
ther gave me-
Not Mag. Well, ! never knew that
'Now Thomas, hold your tongue you talk too
much. What is you nameY
Matilda. Must tell the other? Yes, will
and never will disgrace it, don't think l ever
should 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 good
husband. Matilda Fraley. Nobody knows me
by that name in this bad city,
Very well, Matilda and Thomas, take each O.
Their by the right hand, and lcok at me, for l am
now going to unite you in the holy bonds of mar
riage by Gods holy ordinance. Do you think
you are sufficiently sober to comprehend its solem.
nityT Yes, sir
Marriage being one of Gods holy ordinances
cannot be kept in SIM misery, degradation, filth
and drunkenness. Thomas, will you take NATL
da to be your lawful true, only welded wife |?
yes SIR
you promise that You win live with her. in
sickness as well rs health, and nourish protect
and comfort her as your true and faithful wife
that you will be TO her n true and faithful hus
band; that you will not get drunk, and will clothe
yourself and keep clean.
so / win
'Never mind answering until / get through
Hou promise to abstain totally from every kind Of