The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1880-11-06
a Nsrsh CareII..a sEarrIa.e.

Doom hitef tne close pi tne luSt wa
Captain x, was appointed. a Justice o
the Peace in a country place not ia
from Raleigh, North Garnlina. Hi
father had beena planter in q rathe
small why. and his son The Captain liat
acquired considerable experience il
the business Of managing real estate
drawing up deeds, etc., during ths
fathers lifetime, and then in settling
the estate after his decease. Further
than this he bad no legal knowledge,
and, indeed, his entire stock of \ book.
learning was small and poorly select.
cd. but any lack in general inforna.
tion was fully made up. for his uses,
| by iself-assertion. Late one afternoon
as he was riding home from Raleigh.
he met young woman and two men,
| who hailed him and inquired II he was
Captain x,
| The Young woman and one of the
men wished to married at once. The
other had cotnes as witness, They
had procured the necessary license,
but an irate father was on their path,
md swore that they should never be
married. 1T was considered on nIall ac-
counts safest to have the ceremony
performed without delay, and try
pacihcation afterwards, Il
| Now the captain hai never witnessed
q marriage, and naturally liad no very
clear idea Of what was usual in such
cases. He remembered having seen q
book abont the house years before with
a form formarriage in ii, but what the
book was and where II was he could
not remember. 8 8,s s,s; sia yilla4
| a.5 Why" said he, when he told the
story afterward, II knew the 'Postles
Creed and Commandments, and st
hrst I thought I'll nse'em to begin on,
but then reckoned, on'the whole,
they was too darned solemn '3 III
He asked the couple to come 70 his
house, secretly hoping tliat he could
find that book; but they declined, for
the reason that the matter admitted OF
no delay st l@.glab HI lgiifs n
A less assured man wonld have been
sorely perplexed, bnt not he. Ha lost
no time in removing his hat. and re-
marked, "Hats off ip the presence Of
. 80 > y 81 =
the court" All being uncovered, lie
said, "I'll swear you III fust. Hold
up yer right handsH' 9sa9n8 sai
N Me too2p asked the friend Of the
groom. l Rfls3k qN gA
"of course.'' said the captain, all
witnesses must be sworn. You and
each Of You solemnly swear that the
evidence yop shall give in this case
shall be the truth, tn, ole truth, an
nothin' Int the truth, s'elp you God.
Yon, John Marvin, do solemniy swear |
that to the best Of yol,r knowledge an
belief yop take this yer woman ter
have an ter ho d for yerself, yer heirs,
exekyerters, administrators, and as
signs, for your nm their use an behoof
forever" % stl
I" ! do," answered the groom,
q You, Alice Ever, take this yer man
for yer husband, ter liey au' ter no d |
forever; aud youEdo further swear that
yon are lawfully seized in fee-siinple, i
are free from oil incumbrancs, and hev
good right TO sell, bargain, and convey
to the said grantee yerself. yer heirs,
administrators. and assigns?"
~ do said the bride, rather doubt
fully. blagiaf ht F
s'Well, john said the captain,
rthat'll be abont dollarn' fftyf
cents" t s.a bse.sa agt,
Are We married?' asked the other
"Not BY a dnrned sight ya ain't,p
quoth the captain, with emphasis !;
"bnt the fee comes in here. After
some fnmbling II was produced and
handed to- the "Court" who examined
il to make snre that it was al right,
and then poekered it, and continued
KNOW all men by these presents,
that /, Captain X, Of Raleigh, North
Carolina, being III good health and Of
sound and disposin mind, IN consiaern.
tion Of u doilarsns ffty.cents to me in
hand paid, the receipt whereof is here
by acknowledged, do and by .thesa
have declared yon man and
wife daring good behayior, and until
otherwise ordered by the court 7 4
Tho men put on their hats again,
the yonng couple after shaking their
benefactor's hand, went on TO meet |
their destiny and the irate father while
the captain rode home richer in ex- /
perience. Editors Drawer, in Har-
per's Magazine for November. i
= @------ h, sa;s.
BRILLIANT nut UNHAPPY, Readers \
j