The Lincoln County herald., 1869-07-15
Married n Church |.

MSFHI0O u CuufCus
About forty years have elapsed since
Nasix cad myself Wers harnsssed. D. I,
. I refer 10 that event nov because times
have 90 chasged this DO present genera.
tion will bs interested 10 know how mar.
rage csromosiss were performed IN the
olden timo. ,,'...;f.n. =. .,..oy .r.1. ...
Wives we're got differently in, those
days; eoustipg, vas altogether different;
matrimony was another thing entirely,
not being strictly matter Of money.
I eouf,ea my wife, generally speaking,
ia . church pow, over the rough edge Of
40 old singing book. From where she
sst I could now and then catch her eye,
- squinted over the top Of the book,
and, though / am in principle opposed
to conrtiug 10 church, couldn't very we'll
help il then. What courting was done at
her house was mostly in the presence Of
the rest Of the family. Once in, I while,
Ih01ever, got the best Of the old gentle.
man and hts wife, and had 4 surprise
party with the girl In the front room.
Those isolated cases. were interesting. I
suppose there has bses no change since
that day in the general aspect Of front
room courtship. The beauty OF the thing
wasn't % much in what We said as in
what We didn't say. lhsve heard good
deal Of conversation about popping the
question, as II Il was q sort Of crisis 10
matrimonial work to be dreaded where
timid man had no business but my
experience never revealed anything seri.
Gus in that direction. If there was any
popping done, It went of gradually, aud
I was engaged to marry the girl before I
knew il. I don't have any recollection
Of squaring myself for speech to the
young woman on that particular topic.
All I know about it is, that both of Us,
without any dramatic effect came to the
understanding that the thing was 6xej.
I say, therefore, that the dividing line
between waiting on q girl and being en-.
gagged to her, 10 as difficult to 6ud "a it
Is to discover where a lamb ceases to be o
lamb and becomes sheep. stop the
comparison right hero, because have
known men who were engaged to be mar.
ried to sweet little lambs, who not only
after marriage got to be sheep, but were
6rst class mules in the bargain. 10 be q
lamb courtcr 10 one thing; o wife Hammer
10 another. .-,
Well, as I am bound to remark, ry
engagement being fixed fact, Mario/and
myself decided to be married in church.
Tho bans we're published accordingly, and
thatw very good arrangement, which,
l am almost sorry to see, has gone out Of
fashion. But I suppose it saves confr.
sion in these days for many times, as tho
world s~.. nov, l. ~o~id.'t :, s.fs to
announce . marriage q week ahead, lest
there should be some mistake about It.
Then again, there are so many murried
folks nowadays, who don't know that
they are going to be until somebody tells
them Of il, that upon the whole, perhaps,
it is tho best that tho advertising business
should be dropped. -. .-.
To be married in church forty years
ago was nm event not to be passed by
without special notice. BY the way, I
take to myself the credit Of being the first
mau married in the sanctuary 10 Conncc
ticut. Certainly, the thing had never
boon done IN my town up to the date Of
my FIRST appearance. OF course the affair
was noised al o,er town for fortnight
before the ceremony took place, and the
attendance was immense. The editor oi
the Eagle, local paper Of tho place, sal
upon the gate post outside, and jotted
down in bis note. book the styles as they
swept by. He, I am happy to say, was
tho 6rst newspaper man 10 this state who
90 thoroughly oomprshended the dutie.
Of his position % to make srecislity oi
styles. He has often told me that bis en-
torprise 10 that direction increased the
sale of his paper . dozen copies some
weeks. When I passed 10 and saw him
sitting on the gate post I little though,
that he would one day be the author oi
these touching lines: .tn,sl.t nan
So. "I'm seated on style, Mary"
He was the identical chap, though
Az his report Of the stfair 10 probably ID.
Genesis of the whole business OF isatti-
mouial reporting, IL will delight, I an
sure, the whole community, .. this time
to have the privilege Of reading what b.
said. 1 quote hs entire article: a....i
y 7.r-' ~. .-a.lo" "a BIG THING soerrae1-
"On Thursday evening last the meeting
house Was crowded with people to Wit
ness tho 6rst public marriage which ha,
taken plscs in this town. The bride VA
Maria johnson, square shouldersd, rec
haired girl, daughter of Old JOHNSON, tht
soap maker; the groom, Mark Marks
Twin brother Of Luke Marks, tho eros,
leyed chap wAo ran away with Squir,
Dobson's youngest daughter, Sal, sbou
three months ago. Marx, % hs ,wslket
up The broad aisle, trottsd along % If b,
VA stsppipg on eggs; but Maria strucl
: bold gait, and was the admiration Of Al
lspeotator.. Altogether, the march NJ
the aisle Vas success. joe Croker, soi
lof the candy psddlcr, Ind John Simp
lsou, known % The gay boy With glas,