, 1873-01-05
A Smash Up \
An EIpGCtant Bridegroom BilkGd !
A Reform which WAS not all a Reform
A WEDDING DINNER SPOILED.


About four months ago there came to
our Utopian city fair one who it was
said had been somewhat fr.lil but upon
her banner she had written the word
''REFORM," and on the principle that
there is more joy in heaven over the
saving of one sinner than of dozen
angels, some of our good people re-
ceived this innovation with open arms,
introduced her into the social dances Of
the city club, and in various other ways
sought to raise this fallen star to her
primitive constellation, bright with
virtue and truth.
In the mean time there came along
one whose hair had been silvcred some
what, and who had trOd the world for
well nigh half century. This man
was lonely in the world, for thus far he
had not found bosom upon which he
might lay his weary head. He found
our lady honestly and honoarably earn
ing her substance in the kitchen of an
hotel in this place, and observing her
sylphide form and the poetry that
seemed to grace her every motion, an
idea struck him, and a very striking
idea, too, as 1t ultimately proved to be.
Our masculine friend sought the ac-
quaintance of his enamorata, who
smiled upon him (he told us cOnfiden-
tally that she knowshOw to smile upon
q fellow, and in a little while he pro-
posed marriage. The proposition was
accepted by the reformed party, but, as
she informed the ''lord OF her hear, " a
certain incumbrance stood in the way
divorce was IpecesSary before their
desires could be accomplished.
Well, he ''gave her all, " and in fact
more than he had, he took her out OF
the kitchen and fitted up respectable
establishment for her to live in, and
with the explicit understanding that
they were to bemarried ON New Years
Day, provided the necessary divorce
could be obtained in the District Court,
our happy lover hied away to his dis
tant pest Of duty. 6 "a. ~,.,f
Marx the change. No longer the
busy kitchen maid, our ascending star
has more time to answer the invitations
of her anxious friends to visit them,
and as a consequence she was more
thickly introduced but to some who
were not included in the circle of this
'vrem de Ia crem" of our city, the
whole affair looked very thin.
The divorce was obtained in the Dis
trict Court, In November, but the Judge
ordered the Clerk not to enter the
decree upon the records until the costs,
amounting to some sixty odd dollars
had been paid.
A day or two before the appointed
time our bridegroom elect arrived in
town; /; of course, we will suppose he
was duly welcomed by his promised
bride. The necessity of clearing up the
Gusts of the court and obtaining the
decree of divorce was suggested by the
woman, and the money was paid, the
divorce was entered in the record, and
a COPY bought for the DeauteOus one.
Then other bills came In, and a certain
house in town, we believe, now holds
the note OF the sheared for fifty or a
hundred dollars, besides an extensive
book account against him, which he de-
clares he did not authorize. The next
step on the hymenial path was to pur-
chase the wedding dinner and invite
the guests. This part w;S duly attend
ed to.
On New Years Day, the preparations
being complete, the bridegroom re-
Daired to his dOmicile where lodged his
promised bride, and, presto! A Doc
tor Before he could recover from his
surprise, the doctor, in placid tone in
formed him that if he married the wO-
man then her life would be endangered !;
but probably in eight or ten days the
marriage might be cOnsunmated!
A very large mice commenced to in
trude itself before the startled vision OF
the feeced lover, and in his extreme
anguish he exclaimed Now or
never "
It soon transpired that snow" nor
anv other time would witness the mar
rage; it appeared to be the thing
arthest from the wOman's mind. She