Smyrna times., 1881-08-10
Married for Worse.

we nave already printed some account
of the matrimonial misfortunes of young
lady in Richmond, Va. The story may be
briefly repeated. This girl, said to be
estimable and respectable, saw in the
an advertisement for govern
ess. She applied by letter for the posi-
tion, when the scampish advertiser ap-
peared in person at Richmond, and was 50
pleased with the young woman that he
married her Immediately, previously set
Ting $4,000 upon her The bridegroom
has turned out to be forger and miscel-
laneous swindler. The bridal tour has |
been suddenly interrupted. The gentle
manly groom has fled to Canada. The |
bride has returned to her old home in |
Richmond. This is the whole story. Is |
it tragedy or comedy? Something, per-
haps, of both. At any rate it is warn |
ing, and as such we trust that all young |
as well as middle-aged women, in danger |
of extemporaneous betrothals, will con-
slider it.
1t seems almost inexpicable that any
woman not an idiot should run the fright |
full risk of marrying man of whom she
could know accurately nothing, and with
whom it was impossible for her TO be suf-
ficently well acquainted to warrant such
venture. Yet, it is a thing which happens
constantly, and lamentable it is to con-
slider its frequency. Certainly i'll so i'm
,NOrtanf ord Hnol a r,,ak4or N Tint rf mo
riage, even though love should be out of
the question, as usually in the nature of
things it must be when the parties have
known each other only for few days,
reasonable degree of prudence would
point to cautious delay. Yet this Rich
mond bride, at the shortest notice, accep-
ted all the statements of a scoundrel re-
garding himself, his antecedents and his
fortune, and now finds herself lamentably
betrayed and deserted. Expecting to be
| rich, she is poorer than ever. Her ''set-
tlement" of $4,000 is mere waste paper.
/ Her husband will be sent to some State
Prison for considerable term of years, if
the law is lucky enough to catch him. If
this is net ruin, it is something very much
like it, for such a marriage hardly saves
social position, while, of course, it pre-
cludes, on the side Of its victim, almost all
hope of another and more fortunate union.
We do not like to speak harshly of one
who has been so cruelty misused; but
what shall we say Of her "family and
friends" who are said to have sanctioned
by their approval this ill-omened mar
riage? Really, they have no occasion to
congratulate themselves upon the sagacity
which they have exhibited any more than
the bride herself. Where was their wis
dom, their sound and their sense Of de
cency, when they permitted a kinswoman
to join herself to entire stranger? Did
they never hear of adventures? Had
they never read in the newspapers oi
forged letters of introduction? If the
women concerned, the bride and her poor
mother, knew nothing of the wickedness
Of this world, were the male xinsfolk Of
the girl just as ignorantly verdant ? Mr.
Thomas Marvin, the felonious adventtrer
with his clumsy forgeries, with his vulgar
swindling expedients and cheap crimina
methods, ought to have been able to de
ceive nobody in that intelligent city an(
yet lie was sharp enough to, take in tn,
widow and her daughter, and all tn,
daughters uncles and aunts, and finall!
the officers Of the First National Bank o
Richmond No wonder the rogues multi
ply when dupes are made with sucl
facility. "'''- '''.'''''' ''''' ''' . 20 - -
Answering advertisements is a very ma
tural thing, yet it requires caution, espe
cially when the advertisements are of
particular class. Women, especially, can
not be too much upon the alert, for tn
first expedient Of a knave with design
upon them is to advertise. So he play
upon their poverty, their credulity, thei
honest desire for employment. He thu
manages to make their acquaintance, an
then proceeds to further iniquities
great deal Of bigamy, crime becornin
altogether too common, is forwarded
this way, to say nothing of other scoul
drelisms, the perpetrators of which richl
deserve hanging If anybody does, Thel
is "a social sensation. there are par
graphs In the newspapersy it is not f
want Of exposure that these knaveries al
repeated; yet scandalously frequent the
continue 10 be. They will be less so,
women win be little more cautious, al
will remember that there may be wor
things than q life Of single difficulties al
.,,.;1.,d at,,o,erttyIaa lll MY gk.;b,,as of