"Th' prayers f'r th' occasion, printed on negotyable paper, is
disthributed among th' guests. Th' bride was delayed be th' crowd
outside. Women screamed an' waved their handkerchefs, sthrong men
cheered an' wept; an' 'twas not until th' polis had clubbed tin hardy
pathrites to death that th' lady cud enther th' house where her fate
was to be sealed. But fin'lly she med it; an' th' two happy, happy
childher, whose sunshiny youth riprisinted five thousan' miles iv
thrack, eight goold mines, wan hundherd millyion dollars' worth iv
rollin' stock, an' a majority intherest in th' Chicago stock yards,
was r-ready f'r th' nicissary thransfers that wud establish th'
combination.
"Th' ceremony was brief, but intherestin'. Th' happy father foorced
his way through dimon' stomachers; an' they was tears in his eyes as
he handed th' clargyman, whose name was Murphy,--but he carried
himsilf as well as if he was used to it,--handed him a check f'r tin
millyion dollars. I don't blame him. Divvle th' bit! Me own hear-rt is
har-rd an' me eyes ar-re dhry, but I'd break down if I had to hand
anny wan that much. 'I suppose th' check is good,' says th' clargyman,
''Tis certified,' says th' weepin' father. 'Do ye take this check,'
says th' clargyman, 'to have an' to hold, until some wan parts ye fr'm
it?' he says. 'I do,' says th' young man. 'Thin,' says th' clargyman,
'I see no reason why ye shudden't be marrid an' live comfortable,' he
says. An' marrid they were, in th' same ol' foolish way that people's
been marrid in f'r cinchries. 'Tis a wondher to me th' ceremony ain't
changed. Th' time is comin', Hinnissy, whin millyionaires 'll not be
marrid be Father Murphy, but be th' gov'nors iv th' stock exchange.
They'll be put through th' clearin' house, me faith, an' securities
'll be issued be th' combination. Twinty-year, goold-secured, four
per cint bonds iv mathrimony! Aha, 'tis a joke that Chansy Depoo
might 've med!
"Th' crowd outside waited, cheerin' an' fightin' th' polis. In this
here land iv liberty an' akequality, Hinnissy, ivry man is as good as
ivry other man, except a polisman. An' it showed how thrue th' people
in New York is to th' thraditions iv Jefferson that divvle a wan iv
thim 'd move away till th' check 'd been passed fr'm father to son, an'
th' important part iv th' sacred ceremony was over. Thin a few iv thim
wint home to cook dinner f'r their husbands, who was previnted be
their jooties at th' gas-house fr'm attindin' th' function. Th' rest
raymained an' see th' two gr-reat fortunes get into their carredge,
pursued be th' guests to th' amount iv five hundherd millyions,
peltin' thim with seed pearls."
"Sure," said Mr. Hennessy, "mebbe 'twasn't as bad as th' pa-apers let
on. Ye can't always thrust thim."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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