The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-17
Hester Prynne of THE Leer'-From painting by
Frank II. Tompkins

ITO the Ladies. Any young Lady
between the Age of Eighteen and
twenty three of n Midling Stature:
brown Hair, regular Features and a
Lively Brisk Eye: OF Good Morals K
not Tinctured with anything that may
Sully so Distinguishable n Form
possessed OF 3 or 40OE entirely at her
own Disposal and where there will be
no necessity of going Through the tire
some Talk of addressing Parents or
Guardians for their consent: Such
one, by leaving a Line directed for \.
w. at the British Coffee House in King
Street appointing where an Interview
may be had will meet with a Person
who flatters himself he shall not be
thought Disagreeable by any Lady an
swering the above description. n. b.
Profound Secrecy will be observ'd. No
Trifing Answers will be regarded"
Evidently this advertiser had ante
nuptial debts of which he wished to he
free. Debts which woman brought
with her from a previous alliance were
sloughed off. in old New England. by
the very curious custom known az
smock-marriages, or shift-marriages.
1t was thought that IL bride were
married "in her shift on the kings
highway" no creditor could pursue her
further, ana accordingly many 1.
woman was so married to a second
husband. Usually. for modestys sake.
this ceremony took place in the even
ing. Later the bride was permitted on
these trying occasions to take her
stand in closet.
One of these closet marriages-that
Of Major Moses JOY to Widow Hannah
Ward, which occurred i'm Newfane. Vt,
In February 17S9-is graphically de-
scribed by w c. Prime in his enter
tanning book. along New England
Roads" The bride in this instance
stood, with no clothing on. within n
closet and held out her hand to the
major through a diamond shaped hole
in the door. When the two had been
pronounced man and wife. she came
forth from the closet gorgeously at
tired in wedding garments. which had
been thoughtfully placed there for her
use. The story of n marriage in which
the bride, entirely unclad, left her room
by window at night and donned her
wedding garments standing on the top
round of high ladder Is also related
by Mr., Prime. Halls History of East
ern Vermont" tells of marriage i'm
Westminster of that State in which the
Widow Lovejoy. while nude and hidden
in chimney recess behind n curtain.
took one Asa Averll to be her spouse.
Smock-marriages on the public high
way We're occurring in York. Me- as
late as 1774, II we may trust the His
tory of Wells and Kennebunkport"
Widow Mary Bradley who, clad only in
her shift, underwent this ordeal on a
bitter February day, excited such pity
in the officiating minister that he
threw his coat over her. A curious
variation of this smock marriage GUS
tom is recorded in the life of GUS
tavus Vasa." the case being that of a
man who had been condemned to death
on the gallows but was liberated be-
cause woman, clad only in her shift.
came forward and married him Just as
he was about to undergo execution.
As soon as young man had won
from the girl of his choice her promise
to be his wife he set himself to the
task of building "a nest for his bird"
Second only to the wedding itself in
hilarity was the raising" in which all
of his neighbors and friends assisted.
and of which games and feasting played
an important part. A very old custom
was for the bride elect to drive one of
the pins in the frame OF her future
homo. Thus, in a peculiar sense, tho
house was hers as well as her hus-
bands. 1t is related of a Windsor
Conn, bride that though she broke her
engagement because her affianced par
took of more liquor than he could well
manage on the day OF their raising"
she made all quite right by marrying
n young man of the same name who
purchased from her former lover tho
house in which she had driven a pin,
Another curious old custom con-
nected with getting married was that
of stealing the bride Those of a
couples acquaintance who were not in
vited to the wedding would sometimes
combine, go stealthily to the house
where the ceremony was being per-
formed, and watching for a favorable
opportunity would rush in, seize the
bride, carry her out, place her on n
horse behind one of the party, and race
OF with her to a nelghborlng tavern,
where music, supper, and so on, had
previously been bespoken. II the cap
ture and flight were successful and the
captors succeeded in reaching their rem
devious at the tavern without being
overtakcn by the wedding party the
night was spent in dancing and FEAST
ing at the expense Of the bridegroom