The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1882-02-11
ElOpement and Marriage Of Boy and
Girl,

tits not often the usually quiet village of
Mallory has sensation, and when anything
out of the usual does occur it puts the place in
a flutter of excitement. Mallory is in this last
named state at present. and the cause may DO
briefly set forth as follows: For long time
past it has been observed by the friends of
both parties that Louie Badgley and Josephine
Howard, aged respectively fifteen and fourteen
years, have been what may be termed
"spoony" That is to say, they had all the
symptoms that are common to people in love-
So apparent and deep did the attachment APP
pear that the parents separated the youthful
lovers. Whether spanking or solitary con-
finement on bread and water was tried as q
remedy is not known but it does appear that
their love was of the kind that "laughs at
locksmiths" and ''hard hearted" parents, and
that they oft contrived to meet and COM
mune. The result of this entirely reprehen-
sible but general practice In cases Of the kind
was the formation of plan to elope. There
are no garden walls in Mallory for young
lover to scale, nor are there balconies from
which the swain can seize his promised bride
and away with her on a feet charger to place
of safety, there to be wed and remain until
the wrath of the 'cruel parent" shall have con-
gealed sufficiently to admit of his son-in-law
coming back to live on him.
The conventional stone wall is the nearest
approach to the garden Enclosure, the wood
shed roof to the balcony, and the feet charger
is at present engaged in wrestling a precarious
subsistence from the succulent cornstalk. The
lovers hadn't even recourse to that dubious We
hicle, the hack to aid them in their flight, so
they concluded to walk. Under the pretense
of visiting neighbor, the pair took their way
to the residence of Mr.. Sidney Roberts, who
lent friendly ear to their schemes. Mr..
Roberts son Charles was let into the affair
and dispatched three miles for a neighboring
clergyman to perform the ceremony. The
minister was found and was soon on his way
to make two hearts happy, and get his well
come fee. On arriving at the place the youth
of the candidates took even the dominic back.
The qualms of conscience were soon quoted,
however by the prospective "sugar," and
the children were in the most approved form
made man and wife. After the ceremony was
performed the bridegroom went down into his
pinafore for the needful, and produced
punched trade dollar, which he rendered to
:" his reverence" This was not a munifcent
remuneration for six-mle ride on a cold win
ter's night and the dominic made no bones of
saying so. A call of the house was rewarded
by the production of another fifty cents, and
with this fee the minister departed.
The funny part of the proceeding ends
here. The absence of the girl from home oc-
casioned her parents uneasiness, and Mr..
Howard instituted search which led to the
discovery of his daughter. He was informed
that it was ''all ovef;" that his little girl was
a wife. His grief may be imagined when the
terrible news was broken to him. What
course he will take is not known at present.
If the courts can help him, he will probably
resort to them 1t is a great pity, though,
that the law does not place some restraint in
matters of this kind on the men upon whom
it has conferred the power to make people
very miserable or very happy Any clergyman
who will unite in marriage two people who
are manifesty too young to understand the
solemnity Of the obligations they assume
should be deposed from his office, not only by
the law of the church, but by the statutes of
the State of New York. Universal sympathy
is felt for the parents and just Indignation
toward the minister who performed, the cere
mony.-OslOego az ~ Times.