The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1851-11-15
THE WEDDING KNELL.
nr NArnAMEl nAwrnonNE, Esa.

NJ NATHANIEL HAWTuONNEt Eh9f
There Is certain Church in the city Of
New York, which have always regarded
with q poculiAr interest, on account Of a mar
riAge there solemBiEed under singular cir
eums1Anees, in my grandmother's girlhood.--
That venerable lady chnnced 10 be ,spccta-
tor Of the scene, and ever after made il hor
fayorite narrative. Whether tha edi6ee now
standing on the same site be- the identical one
to;rhieh she referred, AM not antiquarian
enough 90 knows nor would Il be worth while
10 correet mySolG perhaps, of an agreeable
error by reading the date, of its erection on
the tablet over the door II is suitely Church
sprroppded by an enclosure Of the loyeiiest
Erseho within which appear moss pillars, o.
hsiisks, and other forms of monumental mar
aie, the monuments OF private affection, or
more splendid memorials Of historic dust =
With such place, though tho tumult Of the
city rolls beneath its towcr,ono would be will
ing to couoeet lcgcndery interest
The marriage might be considered as the
bad result Of an early engagement, though
there be two intermediate weddings on the
lady's part, and forty years Of cclibacy on
that Of the gentleman. At siSty-fve, Mr. FL
lepwood was shy, but not quite secluded
-man---sci6sh, like all men who brood over
.rtfrrir own hrUrty, yet uaufrytiug ON r7Tvu- uc-
.casions, a vein OF generous sentiment;
scholar throughout life, though always an in
.slolent one, because his studies had no def
nitc object, either Of public advantage or per
sonal ambition; a gentleman, hgh-bred and
fastidioaAly delicate, yet sometimes requiring
a considerable relaxation, in his behalf Of
the common rules Of society. In truth there
were 10 InEIry zuuznaiir- IN -i= -lir-a-+er and
though shrinking with diseased sensibility
from public notice, il had been his fatality so
of,cn to become the topic OF the day by some
wild ecccntricity of conducti that people
searched his lineage for an hereditary tant
OF insanity But there was no need Of this.
His caprices had their origin in n mind that
lacked the support Of an engrossng purpose,
want OF other food, If he wore mad, it was
the consequence and not the cause, Of an aim
less aud abortive fife. -
The widow was as complete a contrast to
her third bridegroom, in everything but age,
as can we'll be conceived. Compelled TO re-
lnquish her first engagement, she had been
united to n man Of twice her age. TO whom
she had been an exemplary wife, and by
whose death she was lcft in possession of a
splsnaid fortune. A Southern gentleman,
-cunsirierably younger than herself succeeded
to her hand, and carried her to Charleston,
where, after many uncomfortable years she
H
found herself RgAin widow. 1t would have
been singular, il an uncommon delicacy Of
feeling had survived through such life as
Mrs Dabney's; il could not be crushed and
killed by an early disappointment, the cold
duty of her first marriage, the disloeation Of
her hearts principles, consequent on a second
union, and the unkindness of her Southern
husband, which bad inevitably driven her to
connect the idea OF his death TO that Of new
comfort. To be brief, she was the wisest, but
unlovliest variety of women, philosopher,
bearing all troubles Of the heart with equan-
unity, dispensing with all that should have
been happiness, aud makipg the best of what
Remained. Sage in most matters the widow
was perhaps the more Smiable, for the one
frsilty that made her ridiculous. Being child
ish, she could not remain beautiful by proxy,
. in ti,c person of daughter; she therefore re-
fused to grow ugly, on any consideration; she
struggled with time, and held fast her roses
in spite of him, till the venerable thief ap-
pesred 70 have relinquished the spoil, as not
4. worth the trouble Of acquiring 1t.
.se Tho approaching marriage Of this woman
of the world with such an unworldly man as
. Mr. Ellenwood, was announced very soon az
a. ter Mrs Dabney's return 10 her native city,
super6oial observers, and deeper ones, seem
ed to concur in supposing that the lady must
have borne an inactive part in arranging the
affair; there were considerations of e%pedien-
oy, which she would have been far more like
~ to appreciate than MIR Fleetwood; and
there was just the spacious phantom of scnti-
mcnt and romance, in this lato uhion of carly
lovers, which sometimes makes a fool OF a
woman, who has lost her true feelings among
tbs aseidepts ef life. All tho wondnr-w was,
bow tle gentleman with his lack Of worldly;
wisdom, and agopizjng consciousness of rldi-
euls, could ifSvs been induced to take a meas
orc at once so ihprudent and so laughablc.-