NO. V.

THE DISAPPOINTED BRIDEGROOM.

Three miles below Charleston, on the south side of the Kanawha, lived a respectable farmer, named Michael See. One of his children was a daughter whose Christian name I have forgotten; but this I remember well, that when she grew up she became the belle of the neighborhood, and had a great number of beaux. Some of these only admired her, some also liked her, and some went so far as to love her and make her an offer of marriage. But it takes two to make a bargain, they say; and it so happened that, although she was the belle of the neighborhood, she waited long, and yet no one offered her his hand, whom she was willing to accept. At last she began to be impatient for the consummation which all belles, and many who are not belles, have in view, namely, an acceptable match. For this she had to depend on her personal attractions; her fortune being small, not sufficient to make ugliness, ill-temper and laziness assume a golden hue in the eyes of suitors. Fortunately, therefore, she was a belle of agreeable manners and conversation, with some good housewifely qualities besides.

Of all her beaux, she had in her heart a decided preference for a neighbor youth named William Willson, whose person and manners were quite agreeable, and whose general intelligence and respectability were superior to those of any young man in the neighbourhood.

But Willson, though he liked her, and often paid her such attentions as induced her to expect from him an offer of marriage, never came to the point. To be thus tantalized from month to month, if not from year to year, by the man of her choice, was offensive to her, and not without reason. After giving him ample time to make up his mind, and sufficient encouragement to declare himself, she resolved very properly to look out another among her beaux whom she could fancy, if not as well as the one who dallied with

her, yet well enough to say yes, if he asked her.

She had not to wait long. The belle of a neighborhood seldom has, while she in in bloom. A new suitor, Lewis Thomas, of Coal River, had been lately smitten with her charms, and began to visit her. He was inferior to Willson in education and manners, but fully his equal in some respects, and his superior in others. He could not play the fiddle, nor sing a good song, but then he was sober, industrious, and highly gifted with mechanical genius. Willson's jovial habits led him gradually to intemperate drinking, a vice which seldom fails to grow on a man, and often leads to ruin. Yet this would not have deterred Miss See from accepting him as a husband. If she knew that he was inclined to dissipation, she may have flattered herself that marriage, and her influence as a wife, would correct this inclination. Young women often deceive themselves by this sort of self-flattery, and find too late that they had overestimated the power of the nuptial tie and their personal influence to correct the faults of Time and marriage may young men. check some youthful follies; but there are vices which grow with age, and which nothing but Divine grace will reform. Let young ladies beware of these in their suitors. But a truce to general reflections; let us proceed with the story.

Mr. Thomas was impulsive in his disposition. position. He was seldom long in making up his mind, and when resolved, he was impetuous in acting out his purpose. When he felt the power of Miss See's charms, he was soon in a flame of love, and then he hesitated not, but told her his love, and followed up his declaration with an offer of marriage.

Miss See liked this open and direct way of bringing love-affairs to an issue. Young women generally like it, when their aim is not to flirt, but to marry; and they are right. Since custom debars them from making advances, the conduct of the other sex towards them should not be liable to misconstruction. A young man

may cultivate a young woman's acquaintance from motives of friendship and esteem; but then he should not let her believe that he intends to offer her his hand. He should remember that marriage and a settlement in life are always uppermost in a young lady's thoughts; that she is always watching for suitors, and is prone to construe every token of admiration, or even of special regard, into a design upon her heart and hand. The more careful should young men be, not to let their intentions be misunderstood.

When Mr. Thomas proposed marriage to Miss See, she was pleased, because she liked him very well; but then she liked Mr. Willson better, and had some hope that the danger of losing her, when the ardent Mr. Thomas became a suitor, might pique Mr. Willson to declare himself. But the conduct of the latter was as equivocal as ever. Therefore after some hesitation she accepted the offer of Mr. Thomas, on the principle that if she could not have her first choice, she would take her second, while she could get it; for this impetuous suitor began to grow impatient, and would brook no longer delay.

Some would pronounce it wrong for man or woman to marry one, when another was more beloved. But there is such a thing (pardon me, ye novelists) as loving one person well, and another one better; and if all who are in a condition to marry, may innocently marry, then some must put up with their second choice, and even their third, simply because they can do no better.

In those days-that is, near the beginning of the present century-Kanawha county, though as extensive as the State of Connecticut, contained but four or five thousand inhabitants, sparsely strung along the rivers, with here and there a solitary hunter in the mountains. Mr. Johnson, the only preacher resident within thirty miles of Charleston, had left the country. Mr. Lee, a very illiterate man, but naturally eloquent, then felt a call to preach to his Baptist brethren. He and two or three magistrates were authorized to celebrate the rites of matrimony when Miss See's wedding day came round. The

parties preferred to unite the religious with the civil obligation, when they were bound together; therefore they invited Mr. Lee, who lived twelve or fifteen miles off, to officiate on the occasion.

The marriage was to be celebrated in the evening at the house of the bride's father, according to custom. The bridegroom called at the house about noon on his way to the clerk's office in Charleston, where he must get the license. Owing to the great extent of the county, it was often very inconvenient for the bridegroom to go to Charleston to obtain marriage license. To some it would be a journey of forty or fifty miles. Hence arose the illegal custom of issuing blank licenses which were put into the hands of those authorized to celebrate the rites of matrimony in the more distant parts of the country. They could then fill them up with the names of parties as occasion required. But as this marriage was to take place only three miles below Charleston, and Mr. Thomas did not know whether Mr. Lee had any blanks, he very prudently resolved to get his license from the clerk of the county.

Having but a short distance to go, he lingered at Mr. See's, talking with his bride, until a rather late hour in the afternoon. But still he could return in very good time, unless some accidental delay should occur. And such a delay did occur. The clerk, not having business enough to fill up his time, was away from home, and the office was shut. Mr. Thomas had to wait until an hour or more after dark, before he could get the paper necessary to legalize his nuptials. Then some farther delay occurred at the ferry below the town, where he had to cross the river. Yet he would be in time to get married, and he was not uneasy. Perhaps he was rather pleased to think how his bride would be troubled for his safety, if not for his fidelity; and how joyfully she would spring to meet him, when at last she saw him enter the door. Ah! how little did he dream of what was going on in his absence.

About sunset the wedding guests began to arrive. Among the first was William Willson, the half lover and whole belov

ed of the bride. He had heard, a week or two before, that Miss See was to be married. Though he could never resolve to marry her himself, yet now, when he was about to lose the opportunity, he felt uneasy and envied Mr. Thomas. He was also rather displeased with the bride, because she did not wait, like a ripe apple on the bough, until he should choose whether he would pluck her, or let her fall to the ground and rot. Therefore, by way of showing his displeasure, or, as he would have it understood, his indifference, he never visited her, nor spoke to her until the evening of her intended marriage.

Now when he entered the house, about sunset, and found her adorned for her nuptials, and momentarily expecting her bridegroom and the minister to make her a wife, he was so charmed with her looks and the blushing embarrassment with which she received him, that he took a seat by her side, and began a conversation with her, first on indifferent subjects, then, when others left the room, on the subject of her marriage. This interesting subject, once broached, led to certain expressions from Willson, uttered confidentially, which agitated the bride in such a manner, as gave Mr. Willson an insight into the state of her affections. Before long, when others of the company and the Rev. Mr. Lee arrived, the conversation of these parties became more confidential, and was uttered in whispers. They seemed both to be so much interested in what they said, as to have forgotten the absent bridegroom, though some of the company wondered what could detain him so long. They soon began to wonder no less why the bride appeared so unconcerned at his prolonged absence. The company were all present, and so was the clergyman; the usual hour for the nuptial ceremony was come; nothing was wanting but the bridegroom, who might have been expected more than an hour earlier. Another hour passed away; and some of the company grew uneasy, fearing some bad accident had occurred to detain Mr. Thomas. Yet all the while the bride was so absorbed by her private conversation with Mr. Willson, that she seemed to have forgotten the man whose

VOL. XXIII.-4

wife she would have been by that time, had he not so unaccountably delayed his arrival.

But the wonder of the company was raised to the highest pitch when Mr. Willson rose from the side of Miss See, and crossing the room to the clergyman, asked him if he had with him any blank marriage licenses. Being answered in the affirmative, he said: “That is a lucky circumstance; please hand me one, perhaps it may be wanted."

Mr. Lee and the company were somewhat amazed; but supposed the license to be called for, because Mr. Thomas's delay indicated some difficulty about obtaining one at the clerk's office; and that the lucky circumstance was that if he failed there, the wedding might still proceed when he returned.

Mr. Willson, when he got the blank license, took the parents of the bride into another room, and after fifteen minutes absence, returned and presented the license to Mr. Lee, saying to the astonishment of all present, "Mr. Lee, I have filled the blanks in this license with my own name and the bride's. All is arranged for our marriage; you will please therefore to proceed immediately with the ceremony. We wish to have it over as soon as possible." He then went and took his former seat by the bride, and with her hand clasped in his, waited for Mr. Lee to rise and signify his readiness to begin. The good clergyman hesitated a minute or two; but finding no sign of dissent in the bride or her parents to this sudden change of bridegroom, he slowly rose and was about to begin, when the trampling of horse's feet was heard before the door. Mr. Thomas had arrived in haste with his friend the groomsman; and being eager to explain the cause of his late arrival to his uneasy and, as he supposed, almost despairing bride, he dismounted instantly, and giving his horse's bridle-reins to his friend, he opened the door, and with his usual impetuosity rushed into the room, and seeing where his bride sat, he hurried towards her and began to apologize for his delay. But hardly had he uttered a sentence, before he was struck with the remarkable pos

ture of affairs; Mr. Willson and his own bride were closely seated hand in hand, with confusion marked on their faces; Mr. Lee on the floor before them, evidently embarrassed, and every face in the company betraying agitated feelings. He looked at this scene with astonishment, seeing that something was wrong; yet he could not conceive what it was. The idea that Mr. Willson was on the point of be ing married to his bride did not enter his mind, though he saw the intimacy of their position. He looked at her and waited a moment for an explanation. Some one else ought to have met him as soon as he appeared and to have taken him aside to communicate the sad intelligence of what had happened. But no one had the presence of mind to do it. The bride herself was the first to regain self-possession enough to know what ought to be done. She looked up and with a trembling voice said, "Mr. Thomas, since you went away Mr. Willson has offered to marry me and I have concluded to take him."

The reader may imagine the effect of this announcement upon Mr. Thomas's feelings. It stunned him like a thunderstroke. He drew back, crossed his arms on his breast, and stood silent and motionless, looking on the floor. Now Mr. Willson rose with the bride and requested Mr. Lee to proceed with the ceremony. Mr. Lee did so with a stammering voice, being evidently much affected by the painful circumstances of the scene.

Poor Thomas looked on with stupid amazement. Not until he heard the words pronouncing his bride-his until thento be his rival's wife, did he seem to realize what had so suddenly come upon him. When the interpolated bridegroom kissed his bride and led her back to her seat, Thomas frenzied by a sense of his immeasurable disappointment and mortification, rushed out of the house, called his friend, the groomsman, and rode away with him to his father's, about 12 miles distant, not knowing where else to hide his disgrace and pour forth his indignant feelings. What should he do? What could he do? No human power, no wizard's spell could restore to him his lost,

his treacherous bride. Ardently as he had loved her, his manly indignation would then have spurned so false a heart and hand as hers. Certainly he had reason to detest a woman who could thus coolly, at the last moment, with every circumstance of aggravation, inflict upon the man whom she was about to marry, the most heart-rendering mortification and disgrace.

Mr. Thomas acted rightly in not taking personal revenge on the parties, as passion, and what the world calls honor, would have prompted him to do. He judged correctly, that all the dishonor in the case attached to the parties, who without just cause, so treacherously and painfully disappointed him. He took the best course to heal his wounded feelings. He looked around for another bride. He soon found one whose personal beauty was less renowned than Miss See's, but whose moral and domestic qualities were highly estimable. During two weeks he cultivated her acquaintance, and then offered her marriage. She knowing his worth, accepted his offer, and a week afterwards they were married; and so far as I know, never regretted the event which led to their union. Willson became more intemperate after his sudden marriage; but except this circumstance, the consequences of which may be conjectured, I am not aware that any domestic unhappiness arose from this singular sort of alliance.

TWO MORALS OF THIS STORY.

1. If you would make sure of your bride, you must be ready when the marriage hour arrives-lest you find another man in your place.

2. It is sometimes best to be rather late in attending your own wedding; for then you may chance to find out what you had not discovered before.

NO. VI.

A SCREECH.

Amongst the earliest settlers in the Kanawha valley was George Alderson,