Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1858-05-28
A "spUNKEYn ONE.


A correspondent of the Charleston
EUening NssOs. travelling on the Eastern
shore of Virginia, gives the following in
one OF his letters:
We turned aside from our path for a
space, to visit an object of some curiosity
which is one of the '.lions" of the Eastern
shore. This is an ancient vault, belong
ing to a member Of the "Custis" family.
a branch of the same stock. with which
Washington intermarried. Il lies upon
fine old farmstead, looking out upon "The
Bay" and occupies the centre OF a large
field. the only prominent object. sheltered
by some old trees. The vault is Of white
marble. elaborately carved in London, in
state of partial dilapidation. The Gu
rious feature about it consists in its in1
scription, which runs thus:
.'Under this marble tomb lies the body
Hon. JOHN CusrIs. ESQ.
Of the city Of Williamsburg aud parish Of
Brulon; formerly of Hunger's parish on
the Eastern shore Of Virginia. and county
Of Northampton; aged II years. and gel
lived but seVen years which tOas tie Zine he
kept Bachelors Home at Arlington, on
the Eastern Shore OF Virginia"
The inscription we are told by another.
on the opposite side, was put on the tomb
by his own positive order The gist Of il,
as our lady, readers will be pleased to
rerceiye, consists in the lines we haveital.
icised; the force of which will be better
felt and understood from the additional
fact which does not appear, that this
bachelor, who lived only in his bachelor
condition, was actually married three
times. His experience. il We are to be.
Ieve his epitaph. was greatly adverse to
the idea of any happiness in the marriage
state; yet how strange that he should have
ventured thrice upon it
| The natural conclusion is that the Hon.
John Custis was a singularly just and
conscientious man. who. unwilling to do
the sex any wrong by a premature judg-
ment. gave them full and fair trial. al
the expense of his own happiness. and
pronounced judgment only after repea-
ted experiments. Tradition has preser.
we'd some anecdotes Of the sort of expert
ence which he enjoyed 10 the marriage
state. one Of which will relate. Is ap.
pears that he was driving out in his an
cient coach with one Of his wives. and
to do him justice, we must assure the rea-
der that he had but one at time. )and in
the neighborhood OF the very spot upon
which we ourselves are standing. Cape
Charles, a matrimonial discussion ensued
between the pair, which warmed as they
proceeded. The lord grew angry. the
!, lady rociierated
1T was diamond" said one.
! "And insist" quoth the other. "tha
it vas club"
Gusts.
81 should call thi. admirable driving T.
ire,orted the wife.
u "By-l" he exclaimed elf you So.
another word 1 will drive down into th
sea -
They were even then upon the beach
r "Another word !" screamed the lady
, "Drve where you please" she added
, "into the sea. l can go as deep as 20
F, dare go. any de- J"
ii He became furious. took her at he
word, and drove the horses aud charic
8 into the ocean. They began TO SWIM
j, He held in. looked into her face and sh
i laughed in his.
"Why do you stop?" she demaude
: exul,ingly. not whit alarmed.
: You are devil ]" he exclaimed. fling
. ing the horses about. aud making for u
]. shore, with all expedition.
IT "Pooh pooh l'' laughed his tormentc
d "Lssrn from this that there II no plal