Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1852-01-02
A 6 Sp0nky', One.

correspondent of the Charleston News travel
ing on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. gives tho fo.
lowing in one of his letters: ''' '0A
:. we turned aside from our path for a snace. to
visit an object OF some curiosity, which is one of
" the lions" of " the Eastern Shore This Is ~
ancient vault, belonging to member of the g cus'
tis'' family branch Of the same stock With ,rb;cb
Washington intermarried. 1t lies upon a fine old
tarmstead' looking out upon the Bay, and occupies
the centre of a large field, the only nromnent oh
ject; sheltered by some old trees. The yanlt Is IF
white marble, deliberately carved in London in state
OF partial dilapidatiOn The curious feature ahont
it consists in its inscription, which runs thus
" Under this marble tomb lies the body of the
Hon JOHN CUsTIs. ESQ.,
of the city of Williamsburg and parish Of Burton.
formerly of Hungers parish, on tie Eastern Shore
of Virginia, and county of Northampton: aoed II
years, and get hUed but seren gears ultich ras the
space Of time he Kept BACHELORS HOME at Airing
ton. on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
This inscription, are told by another on the
opposite side, - was put on the tomb bv his own DOS
tive order. The gst of it, as our lady readers will
be pleased to perceive, consists in the lines we have
ialcised the force of which will be better felt and
understood from the additional fact, which does not
appear, that the bachelor, who lired only in his
bachelor condition, was actually married three times
His experience, if to believe his epiaph was
greatly adverse to the idea of any happiness in the
marriage state; yet how strange that he should
have ventured three times upon it! The natural
conclusion is that the Hon. John Custis was a sim
guarly just and conscientious man, who unwilling
to do the sex any wrong by a premature Judgment
gave them full and fair trial. at the expense of his
own happiness, and pronounced judgment only after
repeated experiments Tradition has preserved some
anecdotes of the sort of experience which he enjoy
ed in the marriage state, of which will relate
! 1t appears that he was driving out in his ancient
coach with of his wives (and to do him justice
we must assure the reader that he had but one at
a time) and in the neghborhood of the very spot
upon which ourselves standing, Cape Charles.
a matrimonial discussion ensued between the pair
which warmed they proceeded. The lord grew
angry, the lady vociferous. 1t was diamond
said one-and insist quoth the other, ':that it
was club " You will drive mad !" cried John
Custis (" shall call that admirable driving" re-
torted the wife "By -!" he exclaimed if
you say another word | will drive down into the
sea" They were even then upon the beach, An
other word !" screamed the lady 'Drive where
you please" she added" into the sea- can 90 as
deep as you dare go, any day ~ He became furi-
ous took her at her word, and drove the horses and
chariot into the ocean. They began to swim He
held in looked into her face and she laughed in his
Why do you stop she demanded exultingly, not
a whit alarmed. {! You are devil!' be exclaimed
fingng the horses about and making for the shore
with all expedition. 'Pooh! pooh u laughed his
tormenter Learn from this that there is no place
where you dare go, where I dare not accompany
you" g Even to HIP he groaned 'The only
excepton,' she answered. with a chucke-" there
my dear, I leave you" She had conquered. He
, never drove in at Cape Charles again, but groanet
with the recollection of the years bachelor
life Rim