No Sign of a Marriage

Away in the north country there lived a young couple
A man and a maid both gaIlant and gay.
A long time a-courting and no sign of a marriage,
No sign of a marrage to be.

At length this young maid began for to speak:
"Come, come, kind sir, it's what do you mean,
A long time a-courting but no sign of a marriage,
No, no sign of a marriage to be?"

He made her a very unlovingly answer:
"As soon as a man is married his joys are all fled;
He's freed from all liberty, bound down to hard slavery;
So I've a mind to go free-and goodnight."

And while she was sitting lamenting and mourning,
Up steyped a young squire all ready to wed,
Saying, "Here's five hundred pounds if you will marry me."
They quickly agreed to marry with speed.

She sat down and wrote her old lover a letter
To come to her wedding the ninth day of June,
To come as a waiter instead of a better
To wait on the table and on the bridegroom.

And when he did get it he sadly groaned,
Saying, "Have I so foolishly lost her at last?
He bridled and saddled and rode to the station.
Expecting to see her before she was wedded.

Saying, "Get up behind me and leave him alone."
"But don't you remember those words you told me,
As soon as you're married your joys are all fled,
He's freed from all liberty, bound down to hard slavery;
So I've a mind to go free--and goodnight!"

From North Carolina Folklore, Brown
Collected from James York, NC 1939
DT #725
Laws P3
RG
oct96