Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1913-09-17
A Real Lottery
Of Marriage
By MARY T. BRYCE

ed for me, as marriages are made in
foreign countries, especially among
princes. If, however, | had left the
matter to my parents both of them
would have died leaving me an old
maid.
And being an old maid was a horror
to me, l wished TO be a wife. the moth
er of children, the feminine head of
home My trouble was to make a Sc
lection of the man to be the masculine
head. This may sound amiss. but the
truth is there were several men who
had proposed to me. They were all
good men, but / dared not risk matri-
mony with any Of them.
~ know what's the matter with you,"
said my friend, Mrs. Seamon. you
have never met man of your own
caliber-one who, the moment you saw
him. you would wish to possess"
1T wouldn't make any difference"
replied. 81 would not marry him. The
only way for me to marry Is not to
know who the bridegroom is to be and
be married In the dark. Once tied
would have to get used to 1t, / sup.
pose"
Il am not sure but you are right.
know such man as / have described
to you. You might be married to him,
just as you say, in the dark without
ever having seen him. He has never
seen you and was only yesterday max
ing the same plant you have made"
To make long story short, | be-
came engaged to John Chesborough,
knowing only his name and what Mrs
Seamon had said about him. We were
to be married In a dark room with not
a ray of light in it As soon as the
knot was tied the lights (electric) were
to be all turned on at once, and after
few moments conversation we and a
few relatives who would be present
were to adjourn to another room and
partake of a wedding breakfast. Then
we We're to part, not to come together
again until mutually agreed. 1t might
be a month, year or never.
Had l been about to marry man l
knew and was to live with him from
the day of our marriage / should have
tLC ShShSGa4iSAL btSh va bAS
border of nervous collapse, especially
on standing up to be married. AS 1t
was, 1t seemed to me that | was wait
ing to make a trip or sign deed to
a piece of property or something like
that. And when l went into that dark
room and my father led me to the spot
where I was to be married | was per
60 no
about to do.
Perhaps this does not correctly ex-
press my feelings. l felt a pleasure
akin to gambling. was like one who
expects to draw prize or a blank.
How | did hope l would draw a prize!
And, if should draw blank, what
then? Simply this: If I didn't fancy
him | would not live with him. The
advantage In the plan was that there
was something strong enough to bind
| us together till we might begin weld
ing process.
! Having been put in position. the cler-
! gyman began the services. At that
| part where he placed my hand in that
| of the groom knew that | should like
| him. How? There is something in the
| clasp of a hand that draws us to an
other or repels us. felt that the hand
| clasping mine was a hand of vigor and
tenderness combined, and the moment
l clasped 1t | felt q current passing
through it and up my arm, distributing
itself through my being.
From that moment l was so absorb
ed that forgot to make the responses,
! and the clergyman was obliged to wait
| till | had done so before proceeding.
| When the end came and l heard the
| words, IMAM and wife" pronounced
was in a dellrium of anxiety. For the
first time 1 dreaded disappointment,
but | had no time to indulge my emo
| lions. In an instant every light was
turned on at once. / turned and look
| ed up into a handsome, manly, kindly
| face that looked down upon mine with
! an encouraging smile A clapping of
hands sounded in my ears, but since
my whole being was engrosSed in what
| | believed TO be a prize l had drawn
, in the lottery of marriage it seemed to
me in some faraway theater.
My husband offered me ms arm, ana
we led the little procession of attend
ants to the adjoining room, where the
breakfast WAS served. 1t had been
! agreed that there should be no con
| CALCULATIONS, since they might be pain
| full. But we were no sooner seated at
the table than some one proposed a
toast to the first and second prize,
the former drawn by the groom, the
! latter by the bride" l tried not to
show my relief and happiness, but in
spite of all my efforts a continual
smile lowered on my lips and blush
burned in my cheek at every happy
4 word spoken to me.
Our breakfast lasted till early after
noon, when one by one the others
yv{thdrayv and t1raSantlv we fOuud olIr-