San Andreas independent., 1858-08-07
written for the independently
Marriage and Elopement!
BY MELISSA MARION.

BY MELISSA MARION
Yes, there has been an elopement in
this place, and it may amuse you to hear
of the proceedings, how the fair lady went
off in the night, got married, and then
returned in the morning to make peace
and reconciliation with the old folks and
give them to understand that she could
reside with them no longer, but must for
sake all and cleave to her husband. And
she will doubtless make good wife, not
withstanding her abrupt leave-taking, for
the very next day, she was seen as busy
as bee, making preparation for house
keeping.
My friend, Mrs. S., caught wild
young bird last autumn, and tenderly
reared it, daily supplying its cage with
seeds and the choicest dainties, and from
dear associations and tender recollections,
named her Nelly, and always accompanied
the mention of the name with some term
of endearment. Miss Nelly became a
great favorite, and the chief charm of the
household. Our ears were delighted
every morning with her sweet notes, as
if she appreciated the kindness bestowed
upon her, and would chirp and twitter
out her thanks in song so full of glee,
that we were all made happier by the
presence of the young warbler But as
Nelly grew older, the chirp and twitter of
childhood matured into the full, soft ca
dence of song, breathing a strain which
possessed a charm for other ears than
ours, and though we could not fully COM
prehend or understand its meaning, yet
we learned in time that it was the plain
tive longing of an ardent heart, for its
souls's sweet mate; and when at last it
found echo in an answering breast, neither
the bars of the cage or the fondness of
her keeper, could hinder instructive ma
ture from fulfilling her destined way.
One morning when we awoke, no song
was to be heard, and though the sun rose
fair, and the soft wind famed the rust
ling foliage of the trees into their accus-
toned chorus, the mistress of the melody
was gone. My friend rose, and on going
to the cage found it vacant-Nelly was
not there /! A rent had been made in the
cage, in order to force her egress, and
while my friend was surveying the aper-
ture and mourning over her lost treasure,
fearing some rude cat had taken her for
breakfast, who should make her appear
ance but Nelly herself, with all the pride
and joyousness of new made bride, and
in her most winning manner, seemed to
say: Here | am, and I have returned to
show you my husband! Sure enough,
there, perched upon a post, in the fence
near by, sat the counterpart of herself,
only that he was even more beautiful !!
All! how he watched her with the most
loving eyes, and chirping in tones that
were most obviously the outpourings of
love. She, too, turned her little head SO
bewitchingly fascinating, gazing back into
his own with peculiar sweetness, and then
turning to my friend for approval, as
much as to say: Now, will you not for
give the elopement, when you behold my
beautiful husband? And she was for
given. But she could not be induced to
return to her old home, although the
cage hung in the garden, and the seeds
were there, and the water was there, and
flowers of every hue and fragrance were
there. Not she; there were more impor-
tant duties for her to perform. She must
assist her hearts mate, to make home
for themselves. And so they both went
to work in good earnest to prepare for
housekeeping, and snug little place it
is, too. 1t is located on the branch of a
peach tree in another garden, and one day
peeped In to see how they were getting
on, and there, as true as you live, were
twolittle aedglings, with extended mouths,
to receive the food the parents were in
search of for them. Soon the mother bird
appeared with worm, and after dropping
it into one of the open bills, she poured
forth such volume of music that her
whole heart seemed full of happiness.
Next will come the teaching of the little
ones to fly, and if nothing serious should
call me away, and if l can find out the
time, | shall be there to witness the first
efforts of the little ones in the art of
learning to fly.