Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1886-03-04
Cape Breton Marriages.

Courtship is by no means necessary pre-
liminary to marriages. 10 begin at the be-
ginning: When young man decides that
he will marry. be often first builds house /;
and it is no trivial matter here, where most
Of the lumber is sawn BY hand in a pit. A
man may be said to be in earnest wnen he
begins his suit with months of such hard
labor and that, too, from disinterested
motive, no, having the faintest idea, per
haps, as to who will be the mistress of the
house. We saw number Of such expect
ant buildings, in all states and of many
ages for some, failing to get tenant, stood
without windows or doors, the image Of a
desolate and empty heart, John -, a
Young man duly prepared and determined TO
marry, had set out the previous week with
his spokesman to get wife. lie had no
particular preference for any one, but they
decided to 20 first to the house of Mary,
one OF the brightest girls of the parish,
whom be aad often noted but with whom he
had never spoken. When they entered the
house, hint of their object was given TO
Mary, and she retired from the sitting room.
The spokesman then delivered his speech,
in which he praised the personal qualities,
the fortune, the social position. of his friend
and asked the hand OF Mary for him. As
the father had no objection to the offer, he
at once consented to leave the matter TO hI'
daughter. She was called in, and the
spokesman conferred quietly while with
her IN corner, and she consented to the
marriage. The spokesman then led her ont
IL the middle Of the floor, and John came
from his corner and took her by the hand E;
thus the contract" was accepted. under the
usual peralty Of forfeitlng twenty dollars in
ease the engagement was broken. The
evening" sas spent IN dancing but II any
Of the deacons had had wind of the affair, it
is probable that they would have come and
changed the festiylly INTO a prayer meeting
The young man afterwards engaged the
priest to publish the banns for the first and
last tine on the following sabbath. But
Mary had her own plans in all this she
knew that the affair would reach the ears OF
Sand, -, for whom she had strong pref
erence. and perhaps bring him promptly TO
proposal. Sandy did come, aud the upshot
Of it was that he aud his father went late on
Saturday night, reused the priest, and had
Sand>'s name substituted IN the banns for
tha, of applicant number one.
Th.s nrw shufIlng Of the cards was com
mon enough so that 1t caused but passing
smile among the friends of the parties most
interested. Bat o certain Young man who
heard the panrs went home in such de-
preston that he asked his father for ten
dollars. Whcn questioned he explained
that the g.rl whom he had AWAY, intended
to marry was to become the bride of Sandy.
--. aud he Was gong away to the States.
"Wr.l. and Why don't sc carry her off and
marry her yrr,elf Malcolm I'll give ye
the upper farm this minute. Go. get Yer
truihrr, the glfl. aud bring her home
nrrr Wei. keep her safe, Now il hap
peued thn, Malcolm was the richest of the
three applicants besides being, viii sup
pose tor charity, SAKE, good fellow. Sut-
flee il to say that they brought the glrl home
bag and baggage, b, stealth, that SUNDAY
night and mounted guarl that prevented
the success of any stratagem on either her
part OF the part OF others, and thy were
married Oh the following Tuesday.
lhe>e person, were by no means pt The
lower rank, The glrl was described TO M
by an Old fisherman a, undetermined
lookin' sir, SIR fine specimen OF the High
land c,att" 4 man i, all the more hEtI>
esteemed for such 4 feat The rejected ,r,
low does not los, heart; he generally keep
on with hI~ negotiations. day after day
house after house, uu'l! he finds parjnc
An intelligent woman, wGlie admitting the
general preiuminance ot worl !!y interests d.
these matters, and the >udlenrrss VIII
which marriages were very often made. ,aIo
that uuhnpp, families are nevertheless rtr,
L AmADy tllS NppNl.