Middletown transcript., 1886-02-26
CAPE BRETON MARRIAGE.

Courtship is by no means necess
ary preliminary to marriage. To be.
gin at the beginning: When a young
man decides that he will marry, hi
often first builds house and it is M
trivial matter here, where most of The
lumber is sawn by hand in pit. A
man may be said to be in earnes
when he begins his suit with month:
of such hard labor-and that, too
from disinterested motive, not hav
ing the faintest idea, perhaps, as te
who will be the mistress of the house
We saw a number Of such expectant
buildings, in all states and of many
ages /; for some, failing to get at ten.
ant, 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. He had
no particular preference for any one,
but they decided to go first to the
house of Mary, one of the bright
est girls of the parish, whom he had
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 sit
ting-room. The spokesman then de-
livered his speech, in which he praised
the personal qualities, the fortune, the
social position, Of his friend, and ask
the hand of Mary for him. As the
father had no objection to the offer,
he at once consented to leave the mat
ter to his 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 out to
the middle of the floor, and John came
from his corner and took her by the
hand; thus the contract" was ac-
cepted, under the usual penalty Of for
feiting twenty dollars in case the en-
gagement was broken. The evening
was spent in dancing; but if any of
the deacons had had wind Of the affair,
it is probable that they would have
come and changed the festivity into a
prayer-meeting.
The young man afterward engaged
the priest to publish the banns for the
first and last time on the following
Sabbath. But Mary had her own plans
in all this she knew that the affair
would reach the ears Of Sandy
for whom she had strong preference,
and perhaps bring him promptly to
a proposal. Sandy did come, and the
upshot of it was that he and his father
went late on Saturday night, reused
the priest, and had Sandy's name
substited in the banns for that of ap-
plicant number one.
This new shutting of the cards was
enough, 50 that it caused but
a passing smile among the friends of
The PARTIES most interested. But a
certain young man who heard the
banns went home in such depression
that he asked his father for ten dol
ars. When questioned he explained
hat the girl whom he had always in
ended to marry was to become the
bride of Sandy -, and he was GO
ng away to the States. "Well, and
Why don't ye carry her off and marry
Ter yersel, Malcolm? I'll give ye
he upper farm this minute. Go, get
ver brother, see the girl, and bring
Ter home here. Well keep her safe"
Now it happened that Malcolm was
he richest of tbs three applicants, be-
ides being, l will suppose for charity
axe, good fellow. snfflce it to say
hat they brought the girl home bag
md baggage, by stealth, that Sunday
light, and mounted guard that pre-
'ented the success of any stratagem
N either her part or the part of
thers, and they were married on the
blowing Tuesday.
These persons were by no means of
he lower ranks: the girl was describ-
d to me by an old fisherman as a
noble-minded lookin' girl, sir a fine
pecimen of the Highland craft" A
nan is all the more highly esteemed
Or such feat. The rejected fellow
oes not lose heart; he generally keeps
n with his negotiations, day after
ay, house after house, until be finds
partner. An intelligent woman,
1hile admitting the general predom-