The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1870-10-15
Queer Marriages.


Queer Marriages.
The "most married woman of which there il
| any record, was undoubte the Harlem women
spoken of by Evelyn i'll his diary, whose propen.
| sity for re.marrying had finally to be checked
| by law: 'She married her twenty. Fl fth husband.
and being now widow, was prohibited from,
| marrying in future"
Many years ago young man in Hartsyille, n
T., became attached to young and beautiful
| damsel, who died before their Intended marriage
could be consummated. He then married the
| mother of the deceased, who was some twenty
his senior, but with whom he lived quite hap j.
ly until she was eighty, and he sixIy wears Of
age. As the wife had by this time become quite
deCrepit, they adopted maid Of some thirty
summers, who had lived with them u year and
half, when the old lady died. Before the time
appointed for the funeral, the man himself was
taken SICK, on which account the funeral servi.
ces were post poned four weeks. But in less than
two weeks he sent for a ustice of the peace, and
was married to the maid he had adopted The
next day the couple applied to the town for sup.
port, and q week later the man himself died, his
funeral being attended before that of his first
wife, aud the woman he had 40 recently married
being the only mourner. Human folly is vast
and illimitabe.
Among the ancient Germans it was death to
marry before she was twenty years old. By the
laws OF Lycurgns the most special attention was
paid to the phys education, and no delicate
or sickly women were, on any account allowed
to marry.
In the Royal library OF Paris is written con.
tract, drawn up in 1897 between two persons of
noble birth in Armagne. The document bound
the husband and wife to fylthiul wodloak tor
seven years. II stipulated that the parties should
have the right to renew the tie at the end of
that time if they mutually agreed; but, if not,
the children were to be equally divided ; and if
the number should chance not to be even. thew
were to draw lots for the odd one.
The following romantic story is told OF Lord
March grandson of Charles III, who afterward
became the second Duke of Richmond, and vino,
while yet quite young, was eng tged, without be-
ing consulted IN to the choice to q lady still
younger. The bride was Lady, the daughter OF
the Earl of Cadogan, Marlborough's favorire
General. Their union according to Napier's
acceuntl was bargain to cancel gaming debt
between the parents, and the young Lord March
was brought from college, the lady from the nur.
sery, for the ceremony. The bride was amazed
and silent, but the bridegroom exclaimed, "Sure.
" you are not going to marry me TO that dow
dyf Married, he was, however, and his tutor
instantly carried him off to the Continent. A
few years after this event Lord March returned
from his travels a most accomplished gentleman {;
but having such disagreeable recollection of
his wife that he avoided home, and repaired. on
the first night of his arrival, to the theatre.
There he saw a lady of 80 fine an appearance
that he asked for nm introduction, and on being
answered that she was "the reigniny toast, the
beautiful Lady March," he fastened to claim
her, and they lived together so affectionateiy,
that one year only after his decease in 1850, she
died vi grief.
An English marriage party lately had Zine
OF it in London. They went to the church,
found it closed, and after getting the keys had
to torce the vestry door, when they had neither
surplice, books nor register. A sheet was Dor.
rowed in which the minister Was pinned, aud
while waiting for messenger to return with
the register, the party amused themselves By
ringing the three bells Of the church, all OF
which so disgusted the regular vicar, who did
not marry them, that he assigned Il solemn SER
| vice on Friday, March Oath, ITO avert the wrath
| OF Almighty God, and to deprecate His right
eous Judgment in conseq uence of the profanity
of His sanctuary on Monday last. Divine SER
vice will commence at 1880 r. NJ. Ezekiel "
2.-Alfred Powell, vicar
In Borneo, marriage. which generally succeeds
| heightened routine of enigmaticsl courtsuip
peculiar to those people, is celebrated with great
ponp and considerable originality The bride
and bridegroom are conducted from opposite
ends OF the village to the spot where the cere.
mony is performed. They are seated on two
bars OF iron, symbolical of the vigorous and last.
ing blessing in store for them. A cigar and be.
tel leaf, carefully prepared with areca nut, are
put into the hands of each One of the official.
ing priests advances, waves two fowls over the
heads of the bethrothed, and in u long address
to the Supreme Being, and short one TO the
couple, calls down eternal blessings upon them
implores that peace and happiness may attend
the union, and vives some tenn poral advice so,nr
times of character more medical than sanity
The spiritual part being thus concluded, the
material succeeds. The heads Of the ahianced
are knocked together three or four times; then
the bride puts his betsl leaf and cigar into the
mouth of the bride; and thus they are acknowl-
their religion. At q later period, on the nuptial
evening. fowls ars killed, the blood caught in
two cups, and from its color the priest foretells
the future happiness or misery Of the newly
married. The ssremsny Is closed by u feast,