Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-09
DIVORCE UNKNOWN.
Regarded With Horror by the People
of Middle GeOrRia.

Regarded With Horror by the People
Of Middle Georgia.
In a government pamphlet on EARLY
Educational Life in Middle Georgia." Rich
| ard Malcolm Johnston gives this picture of
| courtship and marriage among that people,
Among a people whose educational OPP
| portunities and the periods of using them
| were within such narrow limitations, early
marriages must prevail. Two or three
years schooling, strung along as IL usually
| was In several installments through five
, and six, was. in general. the limit. After
| this boys of seventeen and eighteen and
girls of fourteen and fifteen went to steady
| work on their several lines. By the time
the former reached legal majority they
were married or. as was generally decided
| they ought to be before very long. BY this
time. often two or three years before that
matter, provided parents assented, had
been settled. Indeed, silent understandings
10 mate were often had during school time
between lads of fifteen and lasses a little
| younger Every boy and girl within a mar
| row circle knew every girl and boy therein
and none besides and SO their mating. like
| birds in the wood. began with attainment
| OF puberty, and all, of whatever property
condition, must have public solemnizdtion.
None other than runaway matches took
place at other hour than candlelight. Cards
OF invitation were never or rarely ever is
sued. When the date was agreed upon Cal-
most always Tuesday a Thursday il
| became known to everybody in the neigh
| boThood in a day two, and the brides
| rather or mother, on occasions of meeting
Such OF their acquaintance as they wished
to attend. gave verbal invitations that Of
| ten included the whole family. From The
date of the engagement to this the interval
was brief. The universal sentiment of the
community favored this. If you are ). ping
| to marry, marry, We're the words of
friends and relations, even parents, with
| additions such these: Don't be dangling
| along until people get tired of talking
about you, and you get tired Of talking
| about yourselves and each other The
| bridegroom was always for an carly day
To the bride it often seemed more dalicat tie
| to have to be persuaded. With all of the
romance, all, Old and young, recogniZed- he
seriousness of the business part for the
couple. no matter in what condition born
and reared. We're expected after ,hirty-siX
| hours to go to work like other people.
Before sunset guests commenced TO as
semble- Ladies after alighting went into
the house, and some busted themselves
with assisting the bride TO robe and the
mother In preparing the supper table. The
men, after tying their horses to horsashpes
swinging limbs of trees and fence corners
assembled in the front yard and discussed
neighborhood topics and tine prospects Of
the couple Lighting of candles was the
signal that the great evcntful moment Was
approaching. Outsiders hurried IN without
delay, each with aim to get Us nigh the
couple as possible. with special intent to
SSC hO" Inc DT1Ue was StllC1ng The rack
ct. or course, they were sure the bride
groom was all right. and, as they often eN-
pressed 1t. bold as a Sheep The first TO
enter were two little girls bearing candles
IN candlestieks FURNISHED TO al possible
brightness. These were for the preacher
10 READ clearly the license authorizing his
part of the business. AS they approached
they separated, turned. and he arose ard
stood between them. The ceremony WAS
brief in the midst of solemni.y as profound
as that at funeral. At the close the
preacher bestowed few words of counsel
generally. IL he were not wholly without
humor, ending about thus: There are two
times when a married woman ough. ID stay
at home-one is when her husband IS away
from home Waiting a moment or so for
ner to take this all In, he added: The ether
is When her husband is at hoh.e.' Then
rose laughter from all mouths Cor the ieu
d esprit, although old as the Oldest wis
ever new for the :nany things II was meant
TO let go. All, Oldest and youngest highest
ana humblest, shook hands aud spoke hear
ty congratulations. When these, over AMI
over again repeated. were passed. then the
supper. From houses miles aud niles
around had been borrowed knives and
FORKS, glasses and croc Kerry, chairs and syl-
labub stands. II tables could Sroan, as
some poet imagined, ihe grief If those he
meath old-time wedding suppers must have
been wholly disconsolate what time they
were made to stand and endure. The
strongest Indeed, III it could be called
strong) drink was syllabuh, Il froth made
of sweet wine and whipped white of eggs.
With those experienced in grog and sweet
ened dram. 1t required tumblers on tumblers
to help down the quantities on quantities
of good eatables. At furthcst. by I'D o',.sck
guests were departed and In 4 few minutes
longer the family, with dts new sddition,
retired.
''Yet in all this gay assemblase Of cuur-
try folk usually. at least quite often there
was one whose feeling it was touching to
note; one who not always, indeed, who
rather seldom, appeared elsewhere than in
the dining room, and not always there un-
less there were not another on whom with
entire trust she could devolye superint, nd
ence. To her the loud. merry chattings and
laughter impaired sadness whose relief was
silent prayer AMI tears. Consent to the
match, however unreserved hopes for the
bride, however Astounding. her prospects.
however bright in the seeming. the addition
OF the bridegroom, however welcome. were
not enough for the mother in the beginning
of that period of change and separation.
1t was inevitable, yet upon the goer and
her new guide 1t was a benediction.
Next day came the infare. dining Of not
at convenient distances apart of both
families together at the house Of the bride
groom's parents. 1t was pleasant to note
the ideas Of the complete coaiescence Of the
two young persons united in one according
to the laws of the Creator and the state
That the union was to continue throughout
their joint life none ever had a doubt for
this was regarded as one life. ever INSOFAR
able except by the hand of Him VINO Rad
ratified and consecrafed II. There is vet
here and there living man or woman v no |
remembers the first libel Gas the suit was
ramed in the laws) for divorce In the state. |
and the sentiment of awe and repugnance
with which its publication was met by all /
classes. 1t was brought In another portion
OF the state, and even to this date has had /
few successors In middle Georgia
AFTER the infare the newly married cou-
pie were expected to repair 20 the home
provided for them Henceforth the wife
wore upon her head a white cap. both
abroad and at home. Almost without vprfa-
ton her domestic work was fnaugurated by
cutting and making, without assistance
from any other, q shirt for her husband. L
Any bride, however young. would have felt
ashamed OF Incompetence for this task
preliminary to the others to come In mar
fie6 Aviafsnca~