"After an hour or two, she was purchased by Henry Mears, a pensioner, for the sum of 20_s._ and a Newfoundland dog. The happy people immediately left town together, amidst the shouts and huzzas of the multitude, in which they were joined by Thompson, who, with the greatest good humour imaginable, proceeded to put the halter which his wife had taken off round the neck of his Newfoundland dog, and then proceeded to the first public-house, where he spent the remainder of the day." In the _Times_ of March 25, 1833, is the following:-- "A grinder, named Calton, sold his wife publicly in the market place, Stockport, last Monday week. She was purchased by a shopmate of her husband for a gallon of beer! The fair one, who had a halter round her neck, seemed quite agreeable.--_Blackburn Gazette._" The _Times_ of May 24th, 1834, quoting the _Paisley Advertiser_, says-- "SALE OF A WIFE. "Monday night a party of doughty neighbours met in a house in New Sneddon to enjoy a tankard or two of reaming swats, and to decide by which of the rival 'best possible instructors' they were, henceforth, to be enlightened. In the course of the discussion, one of them announced his intention of setting up a dram shop, and stated that there was only one article wanting. 'What was that?' 'A wife!' 'A wife!' exclaimed the host--whose name is as the name of the upper part of the garment in which the humble daughters of St. Mirren delight to conceal their beauties--'I will sell you mine for twenty pounds Scots.' Some higgling took place, in the course of which the virtues of the wife shone out with such conspicuous lustre that her price was raised to twenty pounds sterling. This sum the purchaser agreed to pay, a contract was drawn out, and signed by three witnesses, the conditions of sale being that the money was to be tabled, and the transfer completed by next day, at noon. "Next day came, and found the seller, the purchaser, and their witnesses once more assembled, discussing at once the terms of agreement and a can of grog. Some of the witnesses seemed to think that the joke was carried far enough, and proposed that the whole proceedings should be nullified on the host forfeiting £1, to be 'melted,' in the house; but the host was too well up to trap to be wheedled out of his £20, and saddled with his wife to boot; he therefore persisted in the fulfilment of the contract, and, as the purchaser was equally averse to a rue bargain, arrangements were put in operation to complete the transaction.