Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1877-12-04

Lawtai Wife. u
Mr.. and Mrs. David Mannering, who lived
ut Lorimer and Jackson streets, Williams
burg, New York, have only daughter,
Clara. She is brunette, seventeen years
old, with bright black eyes and dark curling
hair that flows in waves over her slight but
we'll developed figure. She returned but
few weeks ago from Orange county, New
York, where she had been spending the sum-
meT.
About ten days since, Mrs Mannering,
while looking over the cOuteuts of her daugh-
tcr's trunk. which had not yet been unpAcked
discovered scroll of parchment, richly en-
graved and ornamented, and held together
by blue ribbon, tied in a true love knot.
She opened aud read a certificate By the Rev.
William II. Williams, o: Unionvile Orange
county, setting forth that John BruudaSe
and Clura Mannering were married on the
18th of August, 1877 Hardly able to be-
Iievo her eyes, Mrs. Manneriug questioned
her daughter.
With some bushes Clara explained that
when two or three people came together in
the Catsklls the iavorite mode of amusement
is the performance of a mock marriage. On
the evening of the above date she had at
farmer named Brundage. 1t was proposed
that she and the host. in accordance with
the custom of the country. should play a, be-
ing married Accordingly, she stood up
with Mr. Brundage before one of the guests,
who volunteered to play the part Of c!ergy>
man, and tho pair were pronounced by him
man and vile. Hardly had the words,
Whom God hath joined together let no man
put asuOdcr, been pronounced, when Brun>
duge declaring that the marriage real
one and not Il sham, claimed her as his wife
The supposed bogus clergyman, he said, was
minister Of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
and the ceremony he had performed could
not be nul!lhed save by a divorce obtained
by due process of law. All this was done in
joking way, however, aud not even when
she got the certificate Of the ceremony did
Clara realize that the affair was not a hoax
She brought the certificate home with her as
a memorial of the mock marriage, but, so she
said, had forgotten thar there was such
thing in existence when her mother brought
it TO light.
Claras story caused Mrs. Mannering great
perturbation of mind. She thought her
daughters youth had been taken advantage
of and that she was perhaps bound for life
to some undesirable and Ineligible person.
marriage was valid. she consulted last Thurs
day with one of the clerks in the Brn,klyn
City Court. whom she mistook for the Judge,
and was told to her horror that the certif,
cate set forth legal marriage.
When the lady concluded her story Mr..
Snedeker said "Well, madam. SO far as
judge this is legal certificate"
20 my Do you think so 2" replied the
LODI l. ks In -
must live with that long. lean, gswky farmer.
Why, he is six feet two inches it, hegh,
with hnrney hands, and knows nothing but
about pigs, cows .nd milking, while Clara Is
OF petite figure refined in manners and fragile
as delicate flower"
Mr. Suedeker asked whether Mr. Brun-
dage was man Of means.
Mrs. MannPriDg replied: "Oh, yes, sir
he has large farm, and is heir to consider
able property"
Mr. Suedeker then said s: 'If that is the
case. take my advice; let your daughter 90
to her husband, and she will be better of
than if she married city swell who carries
his fortune on his back"
With this the conference ended. Mrs.
Mannering saying that she would invoke the
law to annul the marriage on the ground of
fraud.
She Immediately wrote to Mr. Brundsge,
and received in reply an agreement to aDnul
the marriage if it proved distasteful to her.
He was ready, Mr.. BruDds2e said, to con-
slider the ceremony of the 25th of August
real or sham, as his brides parents deter
mined. He loved Clara, and wanted her TO
live with him as his wife, but would not
take advantage of the supposed joke unless
she wished to hsve it SO All the proceed
ings and expenses necessary to dissolve the
marriage be would take upon himself in case
Clara did not care to continue to be Mrs.
John Brundage. Through inquiry of friends
living in Uuionville. Mrs Mannering learned
tina. Mr.. Brundage was we'll of. possessing a
good farm and being abundautly able to sup
port wife, besides being heir to cou=idera-
BILE property He was, she was Informed,
most desirable match, ard her daughter
might go farther and fare worse:
Such was the story told by Mira Manner
ing to Sun reporter last evening. Clara,
or, to give her right name, Mrs. BruDdage,
sat by and listened.
I'D just as lief it would be real mar
riage," she said. shaking her curls.
Mrs Mannering did not seem to have
formed any plans for the future. Bruudags
had not yet visited tho brido At hsr home,