Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1872-10-31
EATON, OHIO, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 81, 1879.

there was no choice in the matter; the
license was there, and the marriage was
performed. A few days afterwards J.
B. said to me: F" had visitor this
morning, sir. You remember that
queer looking affair last week ? She
was the daughter of Mr.. - (naming
gentleman of position who lived near
G. J; he was groom; called himself a
riding-master, at Els riding school.
Mr.. - has just come from Scotland,
and finds his daughter gone he came
to look at the register, and declared he
would never see her again"
Only too many, 1 fear, of the we'd
dings at 9. would, if appearances are to
tory the truth of the saying: Marry
in haste and repent at leisure" 1t was
constant source of wonder to see, as 1
did see, day after day, respectable
young women, apparently of the better
class of domestic servants, giving them
selves for better or for worse to men of
seemingly all but the lowest type of
intelligence. Many of these marriages
were only too plainly matters of less
choice than necessity. Late on one
Sunday evening, a tidy looking girl
came TO my lodgings and asked if she
could be married at o'clock on Mon
was 10, but if 1 could come to the
| church at she would be very grateful.
Ny Sunday work at c., just at that time
especially, was no light matter. Sunday
school at $40, weddings at 9:45, which
| were barely completed at IL o'clock,
the time for morning service; this last
ed till nearly 1. At 3 o'clock came the
afternoon service, with a sermon, and
perhaps fifteen infants to be baptized,
and the necessary registering and
churching afterward. Confirmation
classes followed until 6, when 1 had to
take part in and preach at the evening
service to nearly eight hundred people.
And not unfrequently reached home
| at 7:30 only to find some one waiting
! for me with request to visit at once a
sick or dying person, or with note
| from a medical man that child was
dangerously i'll and should be baptize
Immediately. So that having weddings
| at 10 the next morning, was not over
| willing to shorten my nights rest with
| out some special reason. This rea son
could not get from the girl for some
| time, but at length it came out: "He
| has got the money for the fees, sir and
l know that if he has to keep it after s
you really" 1 asked, "going to tie
| yourself for life to such a man as that?"
" Yes she was, she must" she said
and she did.
l might write much about the anus
ing scenes which the necessary register
ing the welded parties names, etc.,
gave rise to. The bri les, no longer the
men, were the shy ones in the vestry.
"Write your names here, if you
please" Please, sir, L had rather
not" "Can you not write? If you
cannot, make your mark" "To be
sure l can write, sir; and a deal better
than him. Can't I, John7 Why, I've
kept mothers accounts at the shop for
-" "Then write there and be
quick, please" "Td much rather
not do it unless you are unable to
write" "Please, sir, 1 don't like"
"Very well, then, can't give you the
marriage license" This generally over
came the scruples, and the true reason
for the delay came out. The bride did
not know what name to write-ber
maiden name, or that of her husband,
and was too shy to ask.
Then there was the spelling of the
names, at which must confess often
had to guess, finding it impossible to
obtain the necessary information from
the fountain-head. A German, who
spoke English but poorly, had been
married to an English widow. She was
forty five, but far too retiring to answer
questions put to her otherwise than
through her newly-made husband
"Ytur fathers name? ?" 1 asked the
lady. Henri Gohnge," answered he
for the lady. Henry what ?'' said 1
"Gohnge," said he, pronouncing the
second "g" soft. 1 was beat, for the
bride was evidently an English woman
so after one or two additional attempts
[ asked him to write the name down
He did so; and gave me a paper OF
which was inscribed JONES'"
But my ;" experiences" have already
exceeded the originally intended limit
One more in conclusion. A solitary
couple appeared at the usual hour ONT
tuesday morning; nor did expec
that all would not go otherwise thar
: smo oothly, until 1 found that no re
sponse of any kind, either of word O.
look, came to my first question" Will
: thou have this woman to thy welded
wife ?''-except vacant stare to tn
question repeated in louder tone, :"
don't understand what ye mean
, Once more 1 tried but he turned to hi
bride and asked in a hopeless and in
.jured voice: "What does he mean q
She Indignantly replied, with forci
BILE nudge of the elbow "Say it arte
him, can't you ?' Then 1 found tina
he was stone deaf, and that he coul
; not read word. We performed tn
service, and hope duly, at last; bu
how we did it, will-adding that h
did not know the deaf and dumb a
, phabet-leave my readers, lay an
clerical especially, to conjecture.