South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1875-06-25
The TwoPenny Marriage.
mr.. Pease. We want to be married

"Ycs, yes, see you have been talk.
ing over the matter over the bottle and
have come TO n sort of drunken conclu.
sion to get married. When you get So
Der you will both repent fit, probably"
NO. Sir, we are not very drunk now,
not SO drunk but what we can think, and
we don't think We are doing right-we
are not doing as we were brought up to
do by pious parents. We have been
reading about the good things you have
done for just such poor outcasts as we
are. aud we want you to try and do some.
thing for u.s."
Read! Can you reads Do you read
the Bible2"
well not much lately, but we read
the newspapers and sometimes we read
something good i'm them. How can we
read the Bible whom we are drunk?''
"Do you think getting married will
keep you from getting drunk"
Yes, for we are going TO take the
pledge too and we shall keep it depend
upon that"
Suppose you take the pledge and
try that first. and if you can keep it till
you can wash some of the dirt away, and
-
you"
No: that won't do. shall get to
thinking what poor, dirty, miserable
wretch am and how am living with
this woman, who is not bad woman by
nature, and then / will drink, and then
she will dr;nk-oh, cursed rum and
what is to prevent usp But il we were
married, nay wife, yes. Mr.. Pease, my
wife would say, Thomas she would
not say 'rom--you dirty brute, don't be
tempted;' and Who knows but we might
be somebody yet-somebody that our
own mothers would not be ashamed of"
Here the woman, who had been silent
and rather moody, burst into violent
flood oftears, crying Mother, mother,
know not whether she is alive or not,
and dare not inquire; but if we were
married and reformed would make her
happy once more"
II could no longer stand the appeal"
said Mr.. T., land determined to give
them a trial. l have married good
many poor, wretched-loof couples,
but none that looked quite SO much so
as this, The man was hatless and shoe
less, without coat or vest, with long hair
and beard grimed with dirt, He was by
trade bricklayer. one of the best in the
city, She wore the last remains OF Il
silk bonnet, and something that might
pass for shoes, and an old, very old dress,
once rich merino, apparently without
any under garments"
And your name is Thomas-Thomas
what?"
"Elting, Sir. Thomas Elting, good
true name and true man, that is, Shall
be if you marry u.s."
Well, WE'LL L am going to marry
you"
"Are you' There, Mag, told you So"
Don't call me Mag, II am going
to be married, will be called by my
right name, the one my mother gave me-"
Not Mag. Well, L never knew that"
Now Thomas. hold your tongue, you
talk too much. What is your name?"
Matilda. Must tell the other?-
Yes, 1 will, and L never will disgrace it,
/ don't think l should ever have been as
bad if ] had kept it. That bad woman
who first tempted me to ruin made me
take false name. 1t is bad thing
for n girl to give up her name, unless
FOR that OF good husband Matilda
Fraley Nobody knows me by that
name in this bad city"
Very we'll, Matilda and Thomas,
take each other by the right hand, and
look at me, for l am now going to unite
you in the holy bands Of marriage by
God sordinance. DO you think you are
sufficiently sober to comprehend its So
lemnity?
"Ies, Sir"
Marriage being one Of Gods holy
ordinances cannot be kept in sin, misc
nv, filth and drunkenness. Thomas. will
you take Matildato be your lawful, true,
only, welded wife"
Yes sir"
You promise that you will live with
her in sickness as we'll as health, and
nourish, protect and comfort her as your
true and faithful wife; that you will be
to her true and faithful husband that
you will not get drunk, and will clothe
yourself and keep clean
nSo / will"
Never mind answering until 7 get
through. You promise to abstain total
" from every kind Of drink that intoxi-
Gates, and treat this woman kindly, If.
fectionately, and love her as husband
should love his welded wife Now all
OF this, will Won, here before me az the
servant Of the Most High--Here in the
sight OF GoG IA Heaven, most faithfully
promise, If ! give you this woman to be
your welded wife2"
yes will"
And you, Matilda, on your part, will
you promise the same and be n true wife
to this man?"
Il will try, sir"
"But do you promise all this faith
fully?"
Yes, sir / will"
Then pronounce you man and wife"
Now, Thomas" says the new wife,
after ! had made out the certificate and
given it 20 her, with an injunction to keep
il safely--'now pay Mr.. Pease, and let
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