Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1897-06-10

fere to break the contract. Colonial
court records, especially those OF Plym-
outh. prove that lovers, in turn, could
sue parents for intermeddling in sane
toned lovemakiug, and breach.of-
promise eases were brought by men
against women.
In some communities, in both Plym-
outh and Boston, a formal betrOthal,
called contraction took place.
This was not held TO h ave q very fav
orablc influence on morals, as colonial
records prove, and. as it furthered
long engagements, was not encourage
ed. Cotton Mather expressed himself
with some force upon the subject.
A certain sordidness and meanness
appear in many OF The accounts of WOO
ings ia colonial times through the eag-
erness of both the father OF the bride
and the groom TO drive as sharp bar
gain over the marriage contract as
possible. The tender passion was
rcckoncd in many cases in pounds,
shiIlings and pence. The pages OF
Judge Sewall's diary give ample proof
of his shrewd calculation in courtships,
both his own and his children. And
the pages also show that he proved Il
very good husband in spite of the
sharpness Of his bargaining. A mar
| ~, = Orf.,r 4
matter in those days. A girl could
get married. of course without a dOwry
but she could not expect TO match with
any one OF very high standing in the
community unless she brought money
in her pocket.
There was some sentiment in love-
making, albeit of rather broadly out
lined kind. A favorite method OF ex-
preston was by a very energetic "love
at first sight" and speedy marriage.
am constrained to note that the hero
of this sort OF romance has been, in
every case which have noted, a wild.
over. No romantic bachelor has ever
fallen in love at sight OF fair maid
who sat milking her fathers cows,
proposed at once and married her as
soon as published. 1t has always been
IA widower who did this, and | am
bound to state, in approval OF his ap-
parently basty choice, that the speed
lily won bride always proved notable
housekeeper. / has never been a
bachelor who had ridden to a mans
door and said, boldly, 81 hear you have
young daughter: should like to see
: her, with a view to marrying her."
and follow this first step by very
speedy march into matrimony. 1t is
always widower who is such hardy
wooer, often (let it not dim the glory
of the romancc) a widower with child
ren, who need immediate care. We
do not, however, find father who will
! make such an offer to entice a favora-
Bile answer, as did the Rev. Micheal
Wigglesworth, the popular poet, the
author OF the terrible ''Day of Doom"
He was widower with several child
rem, and he evidently feared that his
!, sought-for bride would object to SO
many membranes; hence he offers
da rkly to dispose of some OF them.
We are left to surmise the method OF
Q disposal.
: It has seemed to me, in studying
domestic relations in the colonies,
u that widows and widowers we're both
S as much sought for rs marriage part.
e ners, were SO evidently preferred to
= unmarried men and women, that have
wondered how the supply of fret hus-
5 bands and wives held out; how any one
c was willing to be the first partner
g the sacrifice, as it were. Old age did
;, not deter them from marrying, nor
= ruin their opportunities. Marriages
of widows over GO years OF age were
/" frequent, and seemed to have been re.
d garded as not void of interest and even
:, sentiment. The pages of Judge Sew.
, all's diary tell us of his fluctuations, y
o as he termed his various attempts at
n matrimony, in his successive widOwer.
hoods, and show that, while he never
lost sight of the business aspect OF the
# proposed contract, he still could be
:, somewhat mawkish and silly; as mawk'
: ish and silly as could perhaps, be ex.
J pectcd OF wOOer of three-scOre years
IS and ten.
" Many frank and simple customs
:. prevailed. do not know at how early
. date fashion obtained of coming out
l. bride" on Sunday-Jhat is, the public
Q appearance of bride and groom, and
Is sometimes entire bridal party, in wed
: ding array, at church the Sunday after
% the marriage. 1t certainly was com
e mon custom long before revolutionary
y times, both in New England and il
y New York. Mr.. Gabriel Furman. in
:, his manuscript Commonplace Book,
. dated 1910, tells Of one groom whom he
saw who appeared on the first Sunda,
A. after lis marriage attired in white
}, broadclOth; on the second, in brillian
:, blue and gold; on the third, in peach
~ bloom, with pearl buttons. The BRIDE
r, dress, wholly obliterated by all thi
" masculine magnificence, is not evel
named.
Cotton Mather wrote, in 1913, tina
5 he deemed it wise to have the newl,
to married cOuDlo aDDear publicly will