The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1900-12-05
A GYPSY WEDDING CONTRACT.
agreement Of the Bride and Groom
Filed at the Recorders Office.

As the clock in therocorder Of dccd 5
cfice struck y, a hand Of esp
sizes entered tic room Leading the
procession were ayouth ard mslGen,
fair to lock upon She was dressed IN
ca1dy attire with bangles and tloy bells
jipglipg from her wrists a Hca IN
scarf of bright co!ors vas thrown across
one shoulder. The rem aiEder Of tue
swar,hy company was made up Of at
least twenty men and women, all Gyp,
sizes 1t was evidently the girls parry,
for she took the reins. Ia the purest
Eoelsh she said:
I'VE wish msrriage licensa-Char
lie and l.
Deputy Richard Costello drew thu
marriage license blanks toward him.
She gave her name as Marie Arbar,
aged Il, and the youth his as Charles
S aney, aged 10 years When the time
came for the afhx!ng Of the signature,
the girl called halt.
Il have an agreement here, she
said, that must be signed before we
take out the license ~ She drew a
piece of paper from her pocket and
handed it to the deputy.
''Reai it out loud, she com nanded,
so all can hear.
Mr.. Costello read what follows:
':The girl has three horses, one wag.
on, a tent and little money That they
need to start on, bat the boy has moth
ing but what he has on, and she agrees
to marry him on these conditions: He has
father, mother and two bro .hers, and
in our rule We have to buy women, and
then the boy and girl has to work for
the boys mother and father until they
pay the amount back, whatever it may
be. Now this girl has an aged mother
and her mother doesn't want any mon
ey for her, but she wants some one to
marry her daughter and care for heI
uutu death. AID as noW she has
found this boy and his parents have &c
money to pay for thia girl, for oul
women run up to $500, $500 and 500,
this boys parents and brothers agr;e
to let this boy marry this girl and t1ey
say they will not have anything to dc
with this by afterwards. For the
girl says she will not marry him under
auy consideration and be with his par.
ents. She desires to be with her moth
er. He and his parents and brothers
agree to this and if not there will BE- &c
marriage, and if they marry and after
this the parents and he vary from the
agreement he shall be imprisoned
wherever he may be il the United
States, for she doesn't want any fool
ishpess in her marrying. She means
to marry for life time jourpey."
Now, can get it copied? she ask,
ed, smiling sHeetly at the deputy.
Indeed, you can," answered Mr.
Costello.
II was copied on legal paper. Thi:
done, the girl turned to every one pres
ent and said, as she and Charles sign.
ed the document:
Everybody must sign as witnesses.
But icst, she remarked to MIR. Costel
10, "resd It over again to Charlie. ]
want him to have some sense.
After the second reading for the ben
els of the groom to be all signed, in
cluding several deputies, as witnesses
When the fee Of 81 had been paid and
the gypsies ready TO depart, it was sug
gested that Marie tell Martin Gossett' 5
fortune.
He's the boss" suggested Costello,
and you should do ii for nothing.
is he?" a.ked the girl. We'll,
I'm the boss here, amt l?' pointing
to the bridal party; 1T cost US 81 fol
our license so | think he must pay 81
cents like any one else.
They left the room chatteriDg Joyous
ly, the girl lesding the way.-ksnsa: