The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1848-01-04
Volume XII.
MISCELLANEOUS.
THE SOLDIERS SON-IN-LAW.
A RECENT FACT.

last guinea AS one evening he was returning
home from one of those hauntS of dissipation
which he often frequented, feeble in body as
in mind, and for the first time in his life, cas-
ting firm look upon the ruin of his fortune,
he could not well determine whether he should
end his troubles by drawing the trigger, or by
drowning.
While he thus wavered between the fire and
the water the very profound idea occurred to
him, not to lay violent hands upon himself, but
to allow himself to be conducted out of the
labyrinth of poverty by the fair hand of some
wealthy bride. With this consoling thought
he went to bed, and already III his nocturnal
visions the rapid coursers flew, the fair girls
frisked around him, both which he was think
ing he might maintain on the dowry OF his
wife.
On the following morning he reflected anew
upon the plan, and found it unexceptionable
in every point excepting the very slight cir
cumstances Of not knowing when or where he
was to find the rich heiress he wanted. In Lon
don the world regarded him as aspendthrift,
it was not once to be thought of-he saw that
for the future he must throw his net out else
! where.
After much cogitation and searching, he at
last hit upon rich old colonel, living upon
his own estate, about twenty miles from the
capital, who fortunately had no acquaintance
in London, and was the fatherof an only daugh-
| ter
Into the house of this gentlemen, by means
Of friend TO whom he promised half the boo
! ty, he got himself introduced and received.
| The daughter ofthe colonel was an awkward
country girl, with round chubbed cheeks like
Lubens cherubims and particularly cold in the
hand-me-down attire of her sainted mother,
which did not at all fit her. and was not OF
course of the fashionable cut. Her mind, too,
was rs attractive as her attire, she could only
talk Of hens and geese; and when any other
topic came along, her conversation was limited
10 a yes, yes, or no, no. all beyond this sec
med 10 her to be sinful
This womans puppet was indeed contrast
TO the sprightly, gay and lively nymphs with
whom the Young Briton had, until this period,
been towing; but he carefully confined to the
solitude of his own bosom the disagreeable fee
ling Of his heaven and earth distant difference.
His ilattering tongue calls the girls Stiffness ce-
lestial innocence the red swollen cheeks beli-
kened to the beauty Of the dull brown damask
rose. The end OF the song was, he turned to
the father, and sued warmly for his daughters
hand.
The colonel, during his sixty wears career
through the world, had collected this much
knowledge of mankind, that however slyly the
Young man had masked himself. he could, nev-
crthcless, discover the fortune hunting through
the disguise. At first, therefore, he thought
Of pervmptorily refusing him permission to WOO
bis daughter; but on the other hand, he thought
the youth y fashionable and perhaps may be
doing him ALI injustice; he as vet betrays nc
anxiety shout the portion, and why should the
girl who is manageable, remain longer al
home : Ills request shall be granted-but hi:
| apparent disinterestednesS shall stand dcci
slNe trial"
- The sutton was then informed that the IA
Their had 10 objection to the match, provided
the daughter gave her consent; and she, poor
thing, replied rs in duty bound-"aIy father ;,
will is mine" Indeed could any thing else bt
: expected?
a In the course of few weeks the marriage
= ceremony was performed at the country-hous,
! Of the colonel and he instantly made his por
d ton. thirty thousand dollars The dissemble
acted though he wished to know nothing a
bout the matter, and solemnly avowed that h,
had not as yet thought on such things, but tina
he had regarded only the charming qualtie
!, Of his charming wife, whose pure self wa
!. dearer TO him than all the treasures of tn,
world.
K Upon this they sat down to dinner, and tn,
J. father in law urged and begged that the,
/ would make as much haste as possible. as
: was his intention that the Young married
c people should set off for London that very at
: ternoon, and that he should accompan,
them
= The son-in-law was confounded and began
: to make some excuses about travelling on tn,
C first day Of his happiness; but the soldier main
i tanned they were futile, assuring him that h
e had reasons for proceeding forthwith to TIN
c capital, and that his matrimonial JOYS would b.
e as well realized in London as in the country
Is What was TO be done, why the journey wa
. Immediately undertaken. The old mali secu
>, red in small casket, before the ewes of tn
% the bridegroom, the portion ofthe bride, partl,
l. in gold and partly in band notes, took it un
r der his arm, and placed himself by the side O
e the young people in the carriage.
If The road ran through the forest and scarce
+ ly had they fairly entered it when two horse
n men darted out from the brushwood, witt
. masks ugon their faces, and stopped the car
rage. One Of the persons watched the pos
tilion with presented pistol, while the otheI
approached the coach window and said-"W,
i are adventures; and request YOU to give III
: instantly the portion Of the BRIDE"
S The colonel and his son-in-law swore anC
u ranted, but the robber cody insisted upon hi
demand. After some parleying, however, thu
horseman bent towards the young man, ant
a whispered in his ear,-"That you may see We
5, are most reasonable men, We leave you thu
~ choice of two things-give us either tn,
lie BRIDE or her portion; for certain reasons if i
t. mmaterial to us, and moreover no one shall
y, know your decision
/ The bridegroom did not think long abou
y the matter, for he whispered tn,
l. bride"
In the twinklng of an eye the soldier seiz
r. ed his son-in-law by the neck, shook him VIC
!. lently and exclaimed with laundering voic,
If -''Ha villain so my conjecture was not un
IS founded, that you cared nothing for my daugh
is ter, but merely for her fortune Heaven b,
% praised that my child and my money are no
= irrevoeably in your clutches! know then
= knaye, the man who married you was no cler