The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1877-01-25

statuquo both parties unLiIl t1e IepoA 10
of the Congressional committees are
received, is plainly visible to-day. All
danger Of collision is regarded as past
for the present at least.
An Auction Scene in Merrle England.
ola traditions linger in country
olaces long after they have perlshed
| in great towns. Were thu English
provinces to be CROPPED for modern an
| tiouities. and the sum total presented,
the general reader would be amazed
at the mass of ancient superstition I'M
gering in modern England. In the
north the nummers at Christmas, OF
All DAYS. dance a sword dance which
belongs to the worship of scandlna.
Wan God in Northumberland, ana
parts of ireland, the young folks VIII
make little bonfres and leap through
them on q certain day. though The
practice is forbidden in the Old Tesla
ment as ali denomination, for this
is no other thing than 'sgoing
through the fire to Baal, and is one
Of the many signs that we Celts are al
Oriental tribe. Any novice wishing
to strike this vein of lore without
much trouble has only TO read the ex-
cellent book of Mr.. Henderson, and
grope the index to "Notes and
| Queries" I strongly recommend the
latter course.
For index reading turns no student pale,
Yet takes the eel OF science by the tall.
NV own reading in such matters has
, l m
tradition whenever | encounter any
strange practice down II the country
Why. even rustic Misrepresentation Is
often a relic, where it passes tor an er
ror. Rusticus calls q Coroner inquest
sscrowrer' s quest and the education
al smile superior. But Rusticus Is no
, wrong; lie is only In arrear. ''Crown
, er's quest is the true medieval form
and was once universal. Every Eng
4 lish peasant calls theater a theater
: and young gentlemen sheer. Yetthea
!. ter is the true pronunciation; ana MI.
r years before Shakespeare nobody, hlgl
or low, mispronounced the word int
. the-a-ter, as he does and we do.
TO the tenacity Of old tradition ! as
. cribe prevalent notion, In rude part
: Of this country, that an Englshma
and his wife can divorce themselye
under conditions. First, the partie
!. must consent; second, there must be
I public auction; third, the lady must b
q sold with q halter round her necf
i That our rural population ever invent
:. ed this law is improbable IN itself an
p against evidence; there are example
* of the practice as old as any chronlcl
J. 1--we have, ana ] really suspect that
g some barbar0us age--later, perhap
i than cur serious worship of baai, bi
= anterior to our earliest Saxon laws
this rude divorce by consent was Il
!. unwritten law Of Britain.
ls My note. book contains numerous e.
ID amples. | select one with bit I
n color. which was published at the dat
:, when itoccurred:
he Joseph Thompson rented farm
50 forty acres III q village three mil
he from Carlisle. In 1899 he married
1T spruce, lively girl twenty-five years
>, = age. They had many disputes and
he children. 80 after three years tht
agreed to part. The bell-man was Sc
Il around the village to announce tn
81 Joseph THOMPSON would sell Ma
-, Ann Thompson by auction on APP
r. 9Th. 1882, at noon precisely. At {
Ia appointed hour Joseph Thomps
stood Oh Il table, and his wife i lit
W. below him on an oak chair, with
40 halter Of straw around her neck.
ID put her up for sale in terms that b
nc stander thought it worth while to ii
i down on the spot:
rs .sGentlemen. | have To offer TO 70
notice my wife, Mary Ann Thompst
"a otherwise Williamson. Il is her VI
s sn~ as well a. mine TO part forever, q
r a will be sold without reserve 10
ere highest bidder. Gentlemen. the
vas now offered for competition has be
'as to me a bosom serpent. | took II
hat nv comfort and the good OF my hou
ell but it became my tormentor, dom
ioh tic curse, night invasion. The Ii
&c deliver us from termagant wives
,sr- troublesome widows Gentlem
de- avoid them as YOU would mad-dog
aa2- roaring lion. loaded pistol, chol
oil morhus, o. any other pesulent1al
MS nomenon--
red Here it seems to have occurred
ted, Joseph Thompson that he was not
ton ing the way to sell his LOT at high
peg ure SO he tried to be more the
~. tioneer and less the husband.
However, he said. ssnow | b
Jew told her little defects. / will pre-:
i: the bright and sunny size Of her
g4en can read novels. milk cows, and Lar
/ the and weep with the same ease that
par could toss off glass of ale. What
: a. poet says OF woman in general IS
ices to hair of this one: