The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1893-09-23

on every hand where marriage fees from
runaway English common folk, gentry
and nobility ranged from tive TO one hum
bred guineas, as they did. with any
amount of the yellow stuff" for hordes
of witnesses" handy-men and satraps
who lived permanently at the inns, tilled
the rude cottages or swarmed like har-
pies about the then Dusy stableyards.
The present hereditary line OF Bishops
of Gretna" was established just before the
death of Joseph Paisley, who, mass of
fat and corruption, "went his ways IN
1914. He was a terrible drinker of cognac,
and his advancing age, with his physical
joys and affections, compelled him to
delegate his office to other and younger
hands i'll the person of one David LANG.
an Ulster Irish paek-peddler His wife
was Paisley's granddaughter, and, be-
sides, he possessed so hard character
and lists that none disputed the legitima-
cy OF the succession. lie died IL 1877.
/ The third Bishop was his son, Simon
Laing, who fattened upon the Increasing
traffic until 1896, when something OF
check was given Gretna Green marriages
by the passage OF the Act before alluded
to, requiring one of the contracting par
ties to have Scottish residence for twenty
one days Immediately preceding mar
riage. This Simon LANG died in 1871.
The fourth and present ''Bishop OF Gret-
{
man at Springfield and GreIna a little
mite OF an old man Il years OF age. weaz-
ened, Shriveled and cauny, unit lg all
the blbuiouS prOWeSs OF his predecessors,
with an appalling cunning OF the lowest
order; Tiny ogre in blue and red when
on his official rounds as postnan; a vici-
Gus and runllnatlVe Grandfather small
weed' when "olliciating'' or numbling
over his oaken chest OF records III his
tiny, tum bledOwn cottage beside the inn
petuOuS S4rk.
The old moss-g rcwn Gretna kirk is still
standing. surrounded by clunbling
headstoues Of Gretna bishops" ana
other worthless, at the northern end OF
the long, dreary street. The Kings Arms
and the Maxwell Arms, midway 10 the
Sark, are ruinOus and decayCd, and re-
main but filthy dens, where drunken
kinds and Drawing tramps hold common
ogy. The Struggling street Is grow I:
! with rank grass and weeds. Old women,
! with bloOdleSs faces and barbarIc BARNS
with dirty faces, leer and boot at yon as
they pass. Down ut the edge OF the brae,
/ forming the last Vestige OF scottish lana
/ beside the Sark, Ia The third cottage from
the stream, live William i.aing aud his
/ half iubecile Old wife, the latter now
deaf tor more than forty Years and with u
! pinched white face, winter than The trC!l-
! ling white lrIlls OF her mulch cap upon
! her poor, palslGd head.
! There Is Just one room III this stone cot
/ tage, and that not twelve feet square.
Tie street door IS at the house 'front.'.
Behind this is a recess and bed. y
! back door opens upon a little walled kali
/ yard. Opposite he bed is ii vide HrG-
! place where food is cooked upon aud
against a peat lire as i'll ancient Times.
/ Opening upon the street is one window,
wide and low. Underneath this stands
III, IL
stout, oaken. Hoh-DOund chest. TINS
/ contains the records OF nearly ten taou-
sand Gretna marriages. lhey are worth
more than their weight in 9Old. The oiu
/ man hugs the ueluSlOn That he VIII some
! time get their weight in gold. lie never
/ permits man or W oman TO set eyes upon
! these records. save toT gold, and then
! only in d fever OF fright lest harm shall
| come 10 these boarded, silent witnesses,
or from suspicion that some plot against
/ him Tor their possession is in progress. /
accomplished my own purpose OF lnSpeC-
tion only after many visits, amer ylelulng
TO his many direct demands Tor drink,
and alter downright bribery. Then, by
impugning his high office, railing ut his
! assumption OF semi prlestly powers, and
contemptuously denying that marriages
were now being performed by him. / so
stung his episcopal dignity that he pro-
Guced the registers OF NE nearly one
| thousand couli les he had himself mar
ried and also exctediy protlered. If there
| was ''Siller ahlnt ii" 10 illustrate the
! ceremonial then ami there. with myself
/ Tor the bridegroom and ms ,erIng, to-
tering old guldwiie, Elizabeth LANG as
! bride.
The old man, half wild with liquor and
indignation, slapped his nbowed
spectacles upon his nose, grasped solid
Bible with one hand from the table, and,
with the other, clutched his poor old
spouse from her chair and whirled her
upon her feet before him.
''Stan' oop! STAN oop tighter" he al
most shouted. clap hands t'gither," was
his next command. We Joined hands
and the little old ogre proceeded.
AR We single mon? Ie ans'er aye,
ye ken"
answered aye.
"Ar' we a single wuman? 'Spak oop,
noop' he yelled at the trem bling yet pitt
| fully smiling Old guidwile beside me.
"Ye ans'er aye?'
She gurgled and cackled assent.
"D'ye ken ony reason why ye shudna
TAX this wumnan = be yer Lawful weeded
wife? Ye gle in Y that, ye ken,' he said
impatiently, and answered, No"
''Dye KEN" this to his wife, "ony rea-
son why ye shudna talk this mon t be yer
Lawful welded mon? Spak oop, moo. We
auld bohol Gle in T. that!'
She gurgled and cackled again.
sly bath gle in T. a. O. that?'
We both assented.
"Then," said the old wretch savagely
and triumphantly, we've bund yerseIs
mon an wife afore thae witnesses an.
he added in an ugly underlone. as he
seated himself from habit at the table to
fill out our certificate of marriage, 9TH
dell tax bath o. yep
This is what L got as evidence of the
grotesque ceremony: