The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1865-08-24
A Rich Marriage Ceremony.


The following description of marriage
in Illinois, by newly appointed Justic,
of the Peace, who is something of wag
is taken (says the Jersey City Times,
} verbatim from letter written to frienC
in this city. He says:
Having been appointed to the desir
able "posish" of Justice of the Peace,
was accosted on the 5th day of July, BY
sleek-looking young maj, and in sill
very tones, requested to proceed to a
neighboring hotel, as he wished to enter
into the holy bonds of matrimony. Here
was "squelcher." l had never done
anything of the kind, had no books or
forms yet was determined to do things
up strong, and in legal manner, so /
proceeded to the hotel, bearing in my
arms one copy of the Revised Statutes,
one ditto Webster's Unabridged Dicton-
airy, one copy large size Bible, small
copy of the creed and articles of Faith of
the Congregational Church, one copy of
Pope's Essay on Man, and sectional
part of the map where the victim lived.
Having placeda table in the middle of the
room, and seated myself behind it, I, in
trumpet tones, called the case. With
that the young man and woman, with
great alacity, stepped up before me Hav-
ing sworn them on the dictionary to ans
wer well and truly all the questions was
about to ask, l proceeded. told the
young man that, being an entire stranger,
T should haua 70 ooL bi,,, 10 rx;uo bo;I Co.
the costs. Having heard this so tre-
quently in Court, l thought it indispens-
able. He answered if meant the fee
for performing the ceremony, he would
deposit it then and there. AS did not
know exactly what did mean, l mag
unanimously waived that portion of the
ceremony. [ then told him it would be
necessary to give bail to keep the peace.
This he said he was willing to do when
he arrived at home, and l then waived
that point also.
Having established to my satisfaction
that they wanted to get married, and that
they were old enough to enter into that
blessed state, proceeded to tic the knot.
[ asked him if he was willing to take
that woman to be his wife. He said he
was. | told him that did not require
haste in the answer, that he might reflect
for few minutes if he wished. / told
him she looked like girl, and 1 had no
doubt she was, but if the sequel proved
that he had been taken in, l did not want
to be held responsible. 1 said he must
love, honor and obey her as long as he
lived. He must not be "snappy" around
the house, nor spit tobacco juice on the
floor, all of which he promised faithfully
to heed
"Now," said I, "Georgiana," Cher name
was Georgiana,) "you hear what Humph-
rey says. Do you accept the invitation
to become his wife i; will you be lenient
towards his faults, and cherish his virtue;
will you never be guilty of throwing
furniture at his head for slight offences,
and will you get three meals day with
out grumbling?" She said she would
l asked them if they believed in the
commandments, and they said they did.
Having read the creed and articles Of
faith, as aforesaid, l exclaimed, "Hum-
phrey, take her, she is yours cannot
Withhold my consent" "Georgiana, when
safe in the the arms of your Humphrey,
you can defy the SCOTS and jeers of the
world"
then read little from the "Essay
on Man." including that passage, "Man
wants but little here below, but wants
that little long" As finale to the
scene, l delivered the following exorium;
$50 in peace, sin no more"
The generous Humphrey having placed
a fifty cent check in my unwilling palm,
l babe the happy pair final adieu.