Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-09-24
HOW MEMPHIANS MARRY.
The Way It is Done and Who
Does IL.

The Way It is Done and Who
Does It.
When two Memphians Of the opposite
sexes become infatuated with each other
and cannot exist apart, the fret step
after the preliminary business of court
ing, paternal consent, etc., is over, is to
obtain license from the County Court
clerk, James Reilly As general rule
some mutual friend visits the clerks
Office and asks for the license, which is
made out instanter upon printed blank
and authorizes John Exquisite and Miss
Amanda Filtration to commit the awful
act of wedlock. But before the license
is issued the prospective bridegroom
has to give bond in the sum of
five hundred dollars made and payable
to the County of Shelby, in order to pro-
tect the said county from an influx Of
paupers, should the said Mr.. Exquisite
be unable to support his wife or family
and should he abandon her or them to
the cold charities of the world when the
honeymoon and the love passion had
pissed away amid the stern realities of
practical life. Many negroes, when OBJ
tanning a marriage license, object most
seriously to paying three dollars for
license, and generally beg the Clerk or
his deputy to try and do it for less.
The bond, however, is merely matter
of form and it never has yet been recor-
ed, where clerk refused to
take any bond offered he
recolecting the great Constitutional
provision announced in the Declaration
of Independence, that every man was
entitled to indulge in the pursuits Of
happiness without fear or hindrance.
The next thing is the wedding cere-
mony, which is performed by either a
preacher, judge of court or magis-
trate of the county As to the price
paid to either Of these worthless it alto
gether depends upon your financial
ability or due appreciation of the bundle
of treasures you are about to secure
from all the world Preachers in Mem
phis receive from five to FIVE hundred
dollars for performing the ceremony, and
magistrates receive from one to five
dollars for doing the same service.
The manner of performing the beautiful
ceremony in churches or by clergymen
is well known to all our readers, so we
will give an example as to how it is done
in other circles. The groom, bride and
friend " or two walk into magis.
trate's office, and the friend takes the
justice aside and whispers in his ear
that he wants him to marry couple
(winkiug and pointing Significantly atthe
unhappy pair who stand not far off, The
justice looks grave, takes the license, and
walking over asks the pair to stand up.
On demand they give their respective
names, go that the justice can compare
such with the names written on the pa
per. The justice tells them to "join
hands" and solemnly says: By virtue
of the authority in me vested as a
magistrate of the State of Tennessee
and the authority granted to me by the
license in this case, pronounceyou man
and wife" The thing is done, and they
who we're single are now double. The
great act of their lives has been accom-
plished, and a sad expression can be
seen floating over the countenances Of
both. The friend " slyly slips the fee
into the palm of the magistrate who steps
forward and, grasping both bride and
groom by the hands, congratulates them
on their happiness, present and prospec-
tive, on being tied with the knot intrinsic
cate, which nothing can sever except
death or divorce. The curtain falls, the
bride, groom and friend leave the Office,
aud the justice takes few loungers out
to neighboring saloon and-well, there
is no necessity for making any other
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