The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1876-11-30
NUMBER 81
An Auction Scene in Merrie England.

Charles Reade In Harper.l
Old traditions linger in country places
long after they have perished in great
towns. Were the English provinces to
be groped for modern antiquities, and
the sum total prepared, the general
reader would be amazed at the mass OF
ancient superstition lingering in modern
England. Not only do popish practices,
popish legends and charms, flourish in
our most puritanical counties, but even
pagan rites and ceremonies. In the
north the mummers at Christmas, of all
days. dance swOrd-dance which belongs
to the worship of Scandinavian god (;
in Northumberland, and partso of Ireland,
the Young folk still make little bonfires
and leap through them on a certain day,
though the practice is forbidden in the
Old Testament as an abomination. Tor
this is no other thing than "golng
through the fire to Baal," and is one OF
the many signs that we Celts were an
Oriental tribte. Any novice wishing to
strike this vein of lore without much
trouble has only to read theexcellent book
of Mr.. Henderson, and grope the index
to "Notes and Queries" strongly
recommend the latter course.
For index-reading turns no student pale,
Yet takes the eel Of science by the tail.
My own reading in such matters has
taught me one thing-to respect old
tradition whenever l encounter any
strange practice down in the country.
Why, even rustic Misrepresentation is
often relic, where it passes for an error.
Rusticus calls coroner's inquest
crowner's quest" and the educated
smile superior. But Rusticus is not
wrong he is only in arrear. "Crowner's
quest" is the true medieval form, and
was once universal. Every English
peasant calls theater theater, and
Young gentlemen sneer. Yet thedter il
the true pronunciation, and fifty years
before Shakespeare nobody, high or low
mispronounced the word into theater, al
he does and we do.
To the tenacity of old tradition ]
ascribe prevalent notion, in rude part.
of this country, that an Englishman anc
his wife can divorce themselves under
certain conditions. First, the partie!
must consent; second, there must be {
public auction third, the lady must b'
sold with halter round her neck. Tha
our rural population ever invented thi
law is improbable in itself and agains
evidence; there are examples OF TIT
practice as old as any chronicle we have
and I really suspect that in some bar
barous age-later, perhaps, than ou
serious worship of Baal, but anterior t.
our earliest Saxon lawsuits rude di
vorce by consent was the unwritten Law
of Britain.
The thing has been done in my da.
many times, and related in the journals
and l observe that it is always don
with similar ceremonies, and that tn
lower order of people, though they jeel
are not shocked at it, nor does 1t seem I
strike them as utterly and prOfoundl
illegal. 1t dates, l apprehend, from
time when marriage was a partnershi
at will, and the Roman theory tha
marriage is q sacrament, and the Englis
theory that marriage is not sacramen
were alike unknown to primitiv
people.
NV notebook contains numerous e,
amples. / select one with bit of colo
which was published at the date when
occurred.
Joseph Thompson rented farm
forty acres in q village three miles frol
Carlisle. In 1929 he married spruc
lively girl, twenty-five. years OF age,
They had many disputes, and \
children. So after three years the
agreed to part. =,
The bell-man was sent around tt
village to announce that Joseph Thom
son would sell Mary Ann Thompson t
, auction on April 8, 1882, at noon pr
cisely.
At the appointed hour Joseph Thorn
! son stood on a table, and his wife litt
t below him on an oak chair, with halt
| of straw around her neck. He put h
Q up for sale in terms that by-stand
Q thought it worth while to take down
Q the spot.
9 "Gentlemen, have to offer to yo'
t notice my wife, Mary Ann Thompso
q otherwise Williamson. 1t is her wish
= we'll as mine to part forever, and will
q sold without reserve to the hight
r bidder. Gentlemen, the lot now offer
8 for competition has been to me bose
g serpent. / took it for my comic
e and the good of my house; but it
n came nv tormentOr, a domestic curse
II night invasion, and daily devil. L
It Lord deliver us from termagant wiz
d and troublesome widows! Gentlemt
n avoid them as you would a mad-dog,
rs roaring lion, loaded pistol, chols
morbus, or any other pestllentlai pi
= nomenon-"
I, Here it seems to have occurred
:. Joseph Thom pson that he was not goi
= the way to sell his lot at high fgul
- 30 he tried to be more the auctioneer a
y :. less the husband.
70 However" said he, "nowI have Il
70 YOU her little defects, will present
" bright and sunny side of her. She
- - read novels, milk COWS, and laugh a
- weep with the same ease that you col
~ toss of q glass of ale. What the p
20 y saws of women in general is true t
se hair of this one:
90 Heaven gave to women the peculiar grace
er To laugh, TO weep, and cheat the human rae
,h She can make butter and scold
II, maid she can sing Moore's Melodi
g. and pleat her own frills and caps.
IL cannot make rum, nor gin, nor whis
"a but she is a good judge of ali three II
n long experience in tasting them. w
se shall we say for her, with all her ]
ro- fections and imperfections fifty ST
ar ings to begin9
ry There was a dead silence. He
ilk better have employed George Robins,
l." "Cuillbet in sua arte credendu
on There was no bidding at all. Then
re- auctioneer was angry and threatene
nts take the lot home.
Try The company in general sustained
red threat with composure; but one Nj
conceived hopes, and asked mode
whether an exchange could not be m
ON @I have here" said he, ga Newton
ton land dog-a beauty. He can fetch
of carry; and If you fall in the va
ton drunk or sober, he'll pull you out"
'ho Thompson approved the dog, but
lch iected to give a Christian in ever
tes, change for a quadruped. Each spt