Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-03-27
HOW CAME TO BE MARRIED.

tive, but for my own part am not sensitive on
this pointat all. L belong to the great majority
who at once admit their mortality and plead
guilty to its weaknesses. Now, chief among
these weaknesses is the disposition to under
value what We POSSESS Ourself. and to over-rate
and cOyet that which is possessed by others. In
my own case, this tendency is very Marked
fact which L incline to attribute in part to my
oyerweening modesty. L an vain neither of
myself nor anything that is mine, and highly
appreciate others and any thing that is theirs
For example, though by no means deformed
person, L have not a limb or n feature with
which L am content; while if by taking thought
Il could add cubit to my stature, should do
20. In this state of mind AN constantly en-
vying their p,rsOHHei: want this mans eve
that man nose, third ones chest and 80 on.
Ii Is notorious that bachelors, like Jews, are
prosecuted race. Their most active persecu-
tors Il speak Of the bacholors-I am persecu-
tor of the jews hyselD are those who are bound
in the bonds Of wcdlock, and who will persist
that everybody shall be ''both almost and alto
gether such as they are, iWciNdins 60 these
bonds" was the victim of this persecution,
for L dare not say how many years, and for a
long time the special care OF a society instituted
In Connecticut (my native State) for the 'con-
version and coupling of single men nd women
ltwss plain from the beginning tbstI should
have to give In. Twas a marked man. Stephen
Pearl Andrews could not have saved me. But
L fought long and manfully against my fate.
and fell at last, under circumstances which ii
WAS impoSsi Cle to resist. Let the reader Judge
During the long period of my single life, my
most Intimate companion was a young man by
the name of briggs, who was one of my class
Hnates in college. Now, if any one of an anti
thetical turn of mind will describe character
the exact opposite of what is called a fast man,
he will describe my friend briggs to the life
lie was the slOwest man in the wOrld-slow in
thought, slow in speech, slow in gait, slow in
everything but eating, drinking, and paying
his scot. But though slow, he was sure. What
ever he undertook he accomplished. You could
no more move him than you could move a
mountain, but he would move you, or anybody
"r anything, at will. How he did il nobody
knows, but thcre was no resisting him. He
asked nothing, and got everything. He came
upon you when he had an object to gain (as he
generally had) unawares and without obserya-
tlcn, ami moved steadily on as though drawn
by million or two snails who couldn't be hur-
RED on any account whatever; but on the other
hand, he couldn't be stopped, and carried eve
rythiDg along with him. One day he resolved
to marry. He went TO a farm house, told the
farmer he wanted his daughter, told the same
thing In the course of his conversation to the
daughter herself, and the next week he came
in a One-h0rse ehaise, took the young woman
to church, and got the minister, after sermon,
to marry him to her, which of course the min
lister did without asking question; he would
n.
As briggs never told his love, or anything
else for that matter, his friends found out that
he was married by reading the announcement
In that beatihc corner of u village newspaper
decorated (yery appropriately with trans
fixed heart. None Of US were surprised, for
nothing that he could have done would have
surprised any body. We all thought we should
like to have seen the courtship. He managed
the matter in his own way. Ho didn't pep
the question like an impulsiye lover, but pro-
pounded it like cool-hesded lawyer; and the
poor girl doubtless said I" Yes because no
mortal could have met that stolid face of his
with d" NO'-sald - Yes, and the one and
half II repudiate the idea of the equality o:
the sexes were forthwith made One-and that
one Joseph briggs.
Now briggs had an affection for me, and a
devotion which nothing could shake-nOt even
sitting up with Inc a fortnight when had the
chills and fever. 1t was his firm belief that l
couldn't take care Of myself, and that he was
my special providence. He was resolved, there
fore, whatever happened, to put me through
no: that he ever used so fast an expression, bu.
that was his idea, to put me through. Being
the exact opposite of himself, be took, or as
Fanny hem0lc would say, eOttO1ed to me. lie
was the best scholar in our class, and helped
me through all my troubles, though in such n
drOll way as to make me half suspect that
was helping him in fact, got the credit Of 80
doing, though l don't remember ever having
sional dinner. And having seen lie safely
through college, he determined to see me
safely through life. Indeed, | found out the
other day, that he had actually secured a
place for me at Greenwood and had composed
my epitaph.
Now, part Of his plan was, il seems. that
should marry, but understanding the weak
point In my character, he knew very well that
should never fall in love with any woman
whom was at all likely to obtain, though he
gave full credit TO my sensitiveness, (anOther
weak point 10 female charms Unfortunately
had always found those women most charm
ing, who were married, or at any rate engaged.
The question was, how TO obyiate this difficulty.
for marry | must, if had to be chlOrotormed
into it. 1t is needless to say that this resou-
tion on the part of my friend was never even
suspected by myself, else he had surely been
fOiled, and Miss - had not now rejOiced in
the name of Mrs. Crswfsh. In fact, though
he was always speaking TO me about my fu-
ture, he had never once alluded to marriage.
l often led him up to the subject, but he did mt
appear to like the looks Of it it was like lead
ing a horse who had just been drinking, to a
spring; he would glance at it, pause for a
nent, and then turn his lond head round at me
very horse-like, that as who should say,
&" How stupid You are ~
Well, about six months after briggs had set
the example he meant 1 should follow, / met
him in Broadway for we both had settled in
New York, with lady on each arm. and
looking for all the world, like n steam-tug
being tOwed down stream in reversal of the
usual order, by two little yachts. yacht
No. l, said L to myself, lis evidently Mrs.
briggs. What a splendid woman she is to be
sure What luck some people have in this
world What could she have seen in briggs"
Yacht No. =, didn't much like. L approved
neither her cut nor rig; she looked too much
like a smack. l had just got the ridiculous
idea of a smack IN my head, when came full
upon the party, and, haiiing briggs, asked
him where he was bound, and how he hap
pened to be under such charming convoy The
result was An immediate introduction all round
one Of the ladies turning out, as | hal sup
posed, 20 be my friends wife, and the other
her sister-Miss ThOrp.
=" Will you join u.s. said briggs, I'VE are
going to take an ice-cream.
Nothing. Of course, would give me greater