Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1855-03-15
Importing q wife.

Waterbury (Conn.,) American the following
incidents:
"In l747, journeyed from New York over
land to Columbia, the capital OF South Caro-.
lima, making en- route through North Caroli-
ma and Virginia-I spei two summers and
three winters among those barbarians, but
never heard the sound Of the lash. On a
certain day was invited to tea party in
Richmond, Va--there were present about
twenty couple Of young men and maidens,
old men and matrons, with small sprink-
ling of bachelors who had doubled their
teens, who from appearance belonged TO the
upper tens Supper being ended, we COM
menced conversing in groups. l was much
amused and edited by the conversation of an
intelligent lady who had seen eighty winters
She remarked that in her girlish days it was
customary for captains Of vessels to bring as
part of their cargo large company of men
and women, who were styled Redemption
lists. who were sold on their arrlvalb by the
captain for men servants and meid-srvants,
to wait on the wives and children of the
planters or merchants. They were otcn
sold to serve two or three years to pay for
their passage. The old lady remelked that
she had heard her parents tell, that in the
early times of the settlement, it sometimes
happened that bochelors and widowes would
seiec. bonDy Scotch or Welsh LADY, buy
their time, and long before the yeas Of pro-
baton expired, they took the m for bdteraLd
Tor worse, for bed and for board, lhusform,ng
a lite co-partnership, which clesed tie con.
cern.
"The old lady related with all the ,pri 1T.
ly humor of a lass in her teens) the iuiiow-
ing amusing incident:
"Says she, my grandfather came from Scot
land when in his twenty y-irst year. He set
tied in Virginia. and become merchfn: and
planter, and grew rich. His agent in
Glasgow was Alexande: McAlpin, to whom
he consigned two or three cargoes of tobac-
CO every year, and received in return cash,
dry goods, hardware, &c. He had flocks and
herds, men servants and maid-servants, hogs,
mules, and doEkeys. But one thing he yet
lacked; he had no pretty little young wife to
sing to him, and beguie the time with her
prattling, lively Yankee tongue. when he
came home al night fatigued with counting
money, and satiated with worldly pelf-for
he had more of that than heart could wish.-
So. after while, he concluded to take a
wife as soon as he could catch one; but there
was the rub; his time was so occupied with
his business that he had no time to court;
and, worse than all, he was a bashful man.
When threading the streets Of Richmond, if
he saw sprightly maiden Of eighteen ad-
vancing in his path, he would cross the
street, and pass away on the other side, fear.
full of being killed by shot fretn her spark.
ling eyes. He had often heard his parents
speak much in praise Of the bonny lassie:
,oha played amang the heather on the hill
tops in Scotland, and bright idea now
struck him. When he was leaving the Office
one day, his clerk was copying duplicate or
der for sundries to be sent as part of the re-
turn cargo. Thinks he to himself, l'll order
young lassie for a wife, as the last item on
! the list. The article was ordered according.
lly. A; the same time he wrote a private
letter of instructions to his agent, Mr.. Nc
Alpin, giving minute description of the ar
ticle wanted, as to age, height, health, &c.
in summing up he added, she mus: be bonny
! Scotch lasse, 10 be sent by the return of his
own ship, her name on the manifest, bill OF
ladng. &c. On her arrival he promised to
have her stored in the house of respectable
widow, whom he named, and il agreeable to
the parties concerned, hepwould make her
his wife in thirty days after her arrival. II
mot, and she wished to return, he would pay
her expenses, loss of time, Sc.
"When Sandy McAlpin had finished read.
/ ing the letter OF instructions, he slowly re.
moved the spectacles from his nose, and lea
ming back in his huge ,ld-fashioned we'll
stuffed arm chair, and fixing his eyes on the
ceiling in his office, he commenced muttering
to himself as follows: The lad (his cores
+ pondent then in his thirteenth year, is daft
or crazy-he tells me to send him wife, as
if she was barrel o. sat herrings-' Good
heens the fash (trouble) was at to get wife
for myself''-but I'll see what the gude wife
says. CA bright idcu.)
"Neyt day Mrs. McAlpin sat in counsel
with Mrs. A. and H. Invitations were sen
to ten matrons, whose daughters were in ant
out of their teens, to assemble at the tea
board Of Mrs. McAlpin on the day following
Each matron was requested tc bring with hel
u diughter who was not DER young to mar
yet. All being present en- hour before tea
Mrs, McAlpin read the letter, and made the
necessary explanations. They sat down te
tea; supper being ended, each lass gave il
her utimatum; three only were wiling to EN-
bark on the voyage Of matrimonial discover,
the three agreed to draw cuts. Mary Rob
inson drew the longest straw, and was hailet
J the Bonnie Bride.
ain ten days thereafter they were breostlns
the waves OF the Atlantic Ocean; they en-
tered the Chesapeake Bay after passage o
twelve weeks, which al that period was term
ed good passage. In two days more the!
were ascending the shores of the James Riv
er, when Mr.. Crawford, (the hero OF our tale,
heard tho ship had arrived. He manned hi
own boat with four stout men servants, ant
started to meet the ship. Mary was standin!
on the quarter deck, adniring natures wild
est grandeur; she had recovered from tn
sea-sicknes, when four rays out; the health
ful breezes o! the Atlantic had imprinted oil
her pretty face beautiful freshness; tAer
sal