Year: 1871

Inc most married woman of
which there is any record. was un-
doubtedly the Harlem woman spol-
en- of by Evelyn in his diary. whose
propensity for marrying had finally
to be checked by law. She married
her twenty-hfth husband, and being
now widow was prohibited to mar
~ in the future.


Many years ago, man in Harts-
vile, New York, became attached TO
Il young and beautiful damsel, who
died before her intended marriage
could he consummated. He then
married the mother Of the deceased.
who was some twenty years his
senior. but with hom he lived hap
py until she was eighty and he sixty
years of age. As the wife had by
this time become quite decrepit,
they adopted maid of some thirty
Summers, who had lived with them
year and a half when the old lady
died. Before the time appointed for
the funeral, the man himself was
then sick, on which account the
funeral services were postponed four
weeks. But IN less than two weeks
he sent for n Justice Of the Peace
and was married 70 the maid he had
adopted. The next day the couple
applied to the town for support. and
a week later the man himself died.
his funeral being attended before
that of his first wife. and the woman
he had SO recently married being the
only mourner. Human folly is vast
aud illimitable."


When Socrates was asked whether
it were better for a man to get mar
ried or live single. he replied: Let
him do either and he will repent it. s.


With due respect to Socrates. we
must object to the above. We once
knew n fortune-hunting young man
who married a maiden lady on the
wintry side Of fifty. She was worth
about 800 ,00G and died in less than
a month after the celebration Of the
nuptial ceremonies. He inherited
her property, and he never repented
his marriage.


Among the ancient Germans it
was death for any woman to marry
before she was twenty years old. BY
the laws of Lycurgus the most spe-
cial attention was paid To the physi-
cal education. and no delicate or sick
women were allowed to marry.


In the Royal Library of Paris is a
written contract. drawn up in 1897,
between two persons OF noble birth
in ArmagnH. The document bound
husband and wife to faithful we'd
lock for seven years. 1t stipulated
that the parties should have the
right To renew the tie at that time II
mutually agreed, bu.- if not. the
children should lie equally divided: if
the number shoriu chance not to he
even, they were to draw lots for the
odd one.


In Bornco. marriages which gen
orally succeed n heightened routine
of euigmatical courtship peculiar to
these people, are celebrated with
great ponp and considerable origi-
nality. The bride and bridegroom
are conducted from the opposite ends
Of the village to the spot where the
ceremony is performed. They are
seated on two bars of iron. symbolic
of the vigorous and lasting blessings
in store for them. 4 cigar and a
betel leaf, carefully prepared with
areca nut, are put into the hands of
each. One of the officiating priests
advances. waves two fowls over the
heads of the betrothed and in long
address to the Supreme Being, and a
short one to the couple, calls down
eternal blessings ON them, implores
that peace and happiness attend the
union, and gives some temporal adj
vice. sometimes of a character more
medical than sanity. The spiritual
part being thus concluded the mate
rial succeeds. The heads of the
affirmed are knocked together four
times: then the bridegroom puts his
betel leaf and cigar into the mouth
OF the bride, and thus they are an ac-
knowledged couple, with the sane
ton of their religion. At a later
period on the nuptial evening. fowls
are killed, the blood caught in two
cups, and from Its color the priest
foretells the happiness or misery of
the married couple. The ceremony
IS closed bya feast, much dancing