Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1915-04-07
An Eastern
Marriage Law
1t Is Especially Adapted to
SailOrmen.
By DWIGHT NORWOOD.


fury. He was lovable sort of fellow
with pair of mild blue eyes and an
engaging smile. Moreover, there was
a lot Of strength in his muscles, of the
value of which he was unconscious.
| Such men are attractive to women,
and Jack was especially so.
| One fine morning while his ship, the
! Albania of New York, was at anchor
| in the harbor of Tokyo Haversham set
out from the shore member of lib
erty party. They all made for tea
house where tea is but a small part of
| the entertainment. In these houses are
young girls who have been educated
to dance and sing for the entertain
ment of those who frequent them.
The sailors spent some time in this
manner, finally breaking into small
groups of two or three with view to
| seeing other sights.
Jack Haversham was finally left alone
in the tea house. One of the girls had
noticed the stalwart sailor. and the
sailor had noticed the girl. Words are
not needed to express admiration. In
deed. they are not to be compared for
the purpose to looks. While the geisha
girl was dancing and singing her liquid
eyes were occasionally thrown toward
| Jack, and. as for Jacks eyes. they
never left the geisha girl.
Other persons came and went, but
Jack did not move on. However, his
remaining where he was SO long was
not remarked upon. The place was a
public one, and the more persons and
the longer they stayed the better-that
is, so long as they spent money.
Japan is full of marriage brokers.
who make living by uniting couples.
One of these brokers was in the tea
house and noticed Jacks eyes bent ad-
miringly on the geisha girl. Thinking
there was a chance to make fee, he
approached the sailor. He knew that
Jack was either British or American
and that he would not understand
the Japanese language. But he knew
enough of the English tongue to make
himself understood. He remarked
upon the beauty Of the geisha girl, her
grace, her mellif1uous voice, then be-
: gan to extol her many virtues. Jack
listened to him, wondering what might
her and why he praised her to him.
The reason came out when the broker
, asked Jack if he would like to marry
her.
, While Jack had no intention of mar
rying any one, he was not averse to
pursuing the subject so far as it per-
tanned to the pretty geisha girl He
asked the broker whether he thought
she would like to marry him, to which
the broker responded that he did not
know. but he would undertake for
consideration to discover whether she
would or not.
Jack consented to an introduction to
the girl, whose name translated from
the Japanese was Apple Blossom. So
it was arranged that the sailor, whose
! leave ended that night at o'clock,
/ should remain in Tokyo, taking what
punishment would be meted out to him
when he returned to his ship. The in
PRODUCTION to Apple Blossom took place,
and Jacks return to his ship was de-
! 1ayed so long that she sailed without
I him.
: Whether it was the persuasive elo-
l quence of the broker or the affection
of the young couple, which grew by
: bounds, a contract of marriage was
? drawn up by the broker and signed by
: the sailor and the geisha girl. Then
} Jack was called upon to make pay
! ment When he had come ashore he
had brought all his wages during a
long voyage, expecting to spend them
on the liberty party. But his meeting
with Apple Blossom had turned him
into a different channel from his ship
mates, and he had spent very little
n So he produced the money, consider
0 ing it a marriage portion that would
D remain in the family. So it did-in the
wifes family, for Jack was informed
+. that in the marriage by which he had
e been tied to Apple Blossom a fund was
S required by the groom, which was paid
y to the parents of the bride.
j This was unWelcOme news to Jack,
= who so far as he had looked into the flu
: ture expected that this money would
+ at least last him through the honey
+ moon However. the amount required
q for his father and mother in law was
e not large, and he was assured that he
% would not be expected to take care of
e them any further or be bothered with
y them in any way He had enough mon
>, ey over to last him two weeks. and he
. gave himself up to the sweets of in
J. cipient matrimOny
is When his money was gone, Jack real
: izing that there was no way for him tC
IS make u living in Japan-or on lane
20 anywhere for that matter-was obliged
= to return to the sea-. His bride as wei
q as he bewailed the situation. but there
IS was nothing else to be done. So ht
ID signed with an American ship trading
lie between the east and the west and
n bidding adieu to his Apple Blossom
sailed away to be gone the greater par
y of wear at least and possibly indefi