The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-11-21

QUEER MARRIAGEs.-The "most mar
ried" woman Of which there is any record
was undoubtedlytheH Harlem woman spoken
| of by Evelyn in bis dairy, whose propensity
flor remarying had finally to be checked by
law. She married her twenty-ffth husband,
and being now widow, was prohibited to
marry in future.
Many years ago q man in Hartsville, n.
Y, became attached to young and beau
tifu damsel, who died before their intended
iTarriag6 cbIa6 nstnamated. He then
married the mother of the deceased, who
was some twentyyears his senior, but with
whom he lived quite happy until she was
eighty and he sixty years of age. AS the
wife bad by this time become quite de-
crepit, they. adopted.a a maid of some thirty
summers, who had lived with them year
and half when the old lady died.
/ Before the time8Spo pointed for the funeral,
| the man himselfsWas taken sick, on which
account the funeral services were post
poned four weeks. But in less than two
weeks he sent for justice of the peace,
and. was married to the maid he had adopt
led. The next day the couple applied to
the town for support, and week later the
man himself died, his funeral being attended
before that Of his first wife, and the woman
he bad so recently married being the only
mourner. Human folly-is "vast and illim.
| iitable.''
| When Socrates was asked whether it were
| better for man to get married or live sin-
gle, he replied g Let him do either and he
will repent it."
| With due respect to Socrates, we must
object to the above. We once knew a for
tune-hunting young man who married Q
maiden lady on the wintry side of fifty
EShe was worth about 100000, and died in
less than month after the celebration ol
the nuptial ceremonies. He inherited her
property, and he never repented his mar.
riage. .s 'r
| Among the ancient Germans it was death
for any woman to marry before she was &c
years old. BY the laws of Lycurgus, the
most special attention was paid to the ply
sical education, aud no delicate or sick
women were allowed 10 marry.
In the Royal Library Of Paris is writ
ten contract, drawn up in 1897, between
| two persons of noble birth in Armaena
The document bound husband and wife tc
faithful wedlock for seven years. It stipu
lated that the parties should have the right
to renew the tie at that time if they mutu
ally agreed but if not, the children were
to be equally divided. If the number
should chance not to be even, they were tt
draw lots for the odd one.
| In Borneo, marriages, which generally
succeed heightened routine of enigmati
cal courtship peculiar to these people, are
celebrated with great pomp and eonsidera
bic originality. The bride and bridegroom
are conducted from the opposite ends O
the village to the spot where the. ceremony
is performed. They are seated on two bar
Of iron, symbolical Of the vigorous ant
lasting blessings in store for them. A cigal
and betel leaf, carefully prepared witt
areca nut, are put into the hands of each
One Of the officiating priests nd
vanccs, waves two fowls over the head
of the betrothed, and in a long address
to the. Supreme Being, and short ont
to the couple, calls down eternal bless
ings on them, implores that peace and hap
pikesS attend the union, and gives some
temporal advice, sometimes of character
more medical than sanity. The spiritua
part being thus concluded the materia
succeeds. The heads of the affirmed arr
knocked together four times; then thu
bridegroom puts his betal leaf and cigar
into the mouth of the bride and thus they
are acknowledged welded couple, witt
the sanction Of their religion. at a latel
period on the nuptial evening fowls art
killed, the blood caught in two cups, ant
from its color the priest foretels the happi
ness or misery OF the newly married. The
ceremony is closed by q feast, much dan
ciDg, and noisy music.