New-York tribune., 1900-05-06
THE UNROMANTIc MARRIAGE.

DO you suppose" she said. looking up from &
newspaper she was reading that the marriage ad-
vertisements genuine. and that re-
spectacle people have recourse TO such methods to
obtain partners for life?"
ITO be sure, they do" answered her companion,
who a Long Island woman 1T is not so
common among people as It was formerly.
but when I WAS a child living at the end of
the island. I remember there were several we'd
dings which the outcome of advertisements
and they turned out remarkably well, too.
My father owned at that time large farm near
Easthampton where we went for our summers
Nothing could have been moro primitive than the
little community that surrounded in those days
a visit to York they called New-York. was
the event OF lifetime to any of the inhabi
tants, and there were many grown sup men and
women that had never even railroad
locomotive. 20 say nothing Of having journeyed
on one
1T probably the isolation of these peoples
lives which rendered them artless. and when
they wanted thing they took the most direct
method that offered itself in obtaining il So when
Farmer Jones. who had charge of our place, wished
TO replace his wife, who had been dead year. he
did what he would have done for any other
Quirement of the farm-he advertised for a suita-
bic article.
had been put bed, by the whisperings and gig
gngs of my nurse and OF her village friends
who had paid her n visit. They were discussing
this latest piece of gossip.
90 1T IS because he can't get any of us to take
him. said the buXom country girl, with toss Of
her head. But Farmer Jones may have thought
that none of them came up to his requirements,
for to the great amusement of my mother, ne
brought her the published advertisement to read
the next morning, which called for comey wom-
an. under forty, who had good disposition thrifty
habits and was a good housekeeper and
For explained Farmer Jones. this will
probably outliye me. and l might well provide
for my last sickness
80. In due time several answers arrived, and these.
roo. he carried 10 my mother to get her opinion
their comparative merits. Despite her disapproval
OF the proceeding she became greatly interested
in spite OF herself and after having disclaimed
responsibility in the matter she examined the let
ters carefully and finally selected that seemed
promising whereupon the farmer proceeded to ar
range all preliminaries by correspondence saying
that one trip West was enough. and that would
be for the wedding.
There great excitement in the community
when after three days absence he returned with
his bride. who proved to be a capable woman
anG made MIN capital wife. fulfilling his prediction
a number OF years afterward by nursing him de-
votedly through long illness, to which ne finally
sucCumbed.
Il know of country dressmaker too who OBJ
was master carpenter. and to great comfort
came and settled in our neighb0rhood. They
also happy. and more useful pair of people
community where they lived it would be hard to
find
This does not mean to say that I would recon-
rimony." added the Long Island woman laughing
~, but only say that they often written and
accepted in good faith and the results better
than would imagine"