Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1891-09-17

house as soon as shey reach the
depot, and when they do 30 it 10
pretty certain that they are bent on
matrimony.
Many such persons come from
Richmond and other places from
where excursion trains usually reach
here in the morning, and the an
nouncement Of such q train on the
road causes the 'snight line" hack
drivers to remain about the depot
and watch for the loving couples,
because some Of the drivers viii not
hesitate to charge several times the
legal fare, and the passengers being
strangers, and in love too, never
stop to dispute the bill.
Some Of the drivers declare that
they can always pick out the lovers
who come on matrimonial errand,
and the first thing they say is:
"Here you are for the court house"
"He's just the man we want, "
they think, and without stopping
to see whether the vehicle looks as
good in the sunlight as it does on q
dark night they enter, and after q
circuitous route is travelled the court
house is reached, aud there the peo-
pie who know nothing but Eve
want to get married" are ushered
into q vacant court room, where an
audience is soon obtained, and there,
in the presence of witnesses, they
are made one.
The hackney drivers tell some
interesting stories Of these couples
as to how they continue their court
ship in the carriage or cab. They
tell how the prospective groom takes
the fair ones hand and squeezes it
tightly until she gives some sign Of
pain.
THAT don't hurt" he has been
heard to ask, and of course her
reply is No, dear
Then their lips meet, and if they
don't meet several dozen times it is
not their fault.
At the end of the journey the
cabby draws on the purse, and he
sometimes gets more money than
the cost Of the ceremony and Ii
cense.
The ministers do not always get
their pay in ready cash for services
rendered, although they get good
promises, and sometimes the amount
of cash is so small that it would not
buy the minister's family q bushel
Of potatoes.
City folks usually give the minis
ter . dollar or two and once in q
long while it 10 increased 10 five,
but this seldom happens, and when
it does the minister has good grounds
for the belief that the bill lie . conn
terfeit.
Charles county people have O
superstition that q apple and 81
cents will bring them good luck and
seldom does their donation go high
and the apple must come from their
own farm. Those who come from
other counties in Maryland give
according to the thickness of their
purse, while the Vrginians vary in
amount, some patterning after
Charles county and some doing
even worse. A great many, how
ever, do considerably better.
The man who came from Green
county did the worst. He COM
pletely fooled the authorized minis
ter of the gotpel who performed
the ceremony, and he SO arranged
it that the latter could not make
the discovery until it was too late
to call attention thereto.
A closely sealed envelope, which
was supposed to contain IS bill,
was handed to the minister when
he had said amen, and, of course,
he felt q delicacy in opening it
before the happy couple, and he
also, no doubt, did not care to have
those present know the exact a
mount he was given.
The size of the envelope was
enough to gladden. the heart of the
minister fur tiav is.ss.-..s, L-.t .-et--
the guests had departed and the
envelope was opened there was an
emptiness about it that made the
minister think that the man from
Green county was not as green as