Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1859-04-12

from my sleepless bed, and wrote To the
pastor, asking his daughfss hand; not
concealing the difficulties "a my position,
but adding that if he would overlook pres
ent and material disadvantt tges he might
trust that no sin of onissionpr commission
on my part should ever caNse him to re-
g9et his having accorded lils sanction to
our marriage, and that 1 feared not but
that with time, patience. anf perseverance,
should be able to secure means OF ex-
istence. AT nineteen it 1850 easy TO dis
pose Of these questions of mers and means;
to obtain everything and tqdispense with
everything. ta,s ta ~
The answer came qulS brought by
tbe pastofsin POI ON. Y
"You are an honest lsd, - he said. '1
will not now enter into the question Of
your youth and of Suzanne--my ehild's
reputation is at stake, and she is deeply
attached to you. That of your prospects
is one we have yet todiscuss; but the first
subject to be entered upon and fully ex-
planned is the one Of your fathers consent
to the marriage. In the first place by the
law of France, which is, 1 believe, differ
ent to thai, of England, no man orwoman,
even if ofage, can marry withopt produ-
cling proof of their parents acqFescenco.
In the second, even were the law other
wise, 1 should hold myself bound for
conscience sake, not to take advantage of
the most desirable proposal if it We're
made against the wishes and without the
sanction Of yours. Are you likely to Oh
tain this" |
Here was difficulty 1 had neither an
ticipated nor provided for. / had throwp
off all authority, deeming my own suttf
cient for my governance, and here, at the
first important crisis of my life, fou1d
its inefficiency to get me through my ear
lest difficulty. Supposing l made up my
mind tacitly to admit my mistake, and ask
my fathers consent to my marriage was
it in the least likely that he would, hnder
all the circumstances. accord IL?
Never mind. must make the attempt.
and SO admitting to the pastor that l had
not as yet provided for such a contin-
gency, he left me to write to my father.
A week of agohizing suspense passed,
during which {, in accordance with a
promise made to Suzanne's father, never
sought to meet her-nay, to avoid shad-
ow OF suspicion, never even went to our
chestnut wood, to get peep of hcr in the
garden.
At last the letter came, and sick with
agitation, tore it open. It was brief,
grave, somewhat stern, but yet not differ
ept- to, what, | deserved, aSa what ex-
pected.
Nv father said he had reflected much
on nv denland-that he saw many rea-
sons why he should refuse it, yet he was
so anxious to meet my wishes when they
pointed to any course thet was not likely
to lead me into moral mischief, and that
afforded me chance of obtauing steadi-
ness of conduct, that if I could provide
him proofs of my intended brides charac-
ter and position being sarh as l repre-
sented them, he would nat withhold his
permission.
- This was easily done; proud and elate.
l boldly presented myself a the presby
terry, and within month " were married,
despite all the delays and difficulties that
the French laws, which seem esPeeifiliy
framed to throw every possible obstacle,
hlndrance, and petty vexaaon in the way
of the impatient lover, ceald find tosc!r-
cumvent us. 4
| look back now on the time, and see
through my speetacles-though a little
dimmed now and then-,lot myself, ano
my Suzanne, the wife of my youth, as
saw her in those days; but boy and gir
| remember to have known then. Ahope
Iul, happy, foolish per; brimtul OF you'll
and life, and love; seeing all things, eacl
other included, quite other than they
were; yet so confident in themselves, IL
their ex pariepce, their ideas, their impres
sions living from day to day, like the
birds on lie branch, as If all the worlt
+ were their storehouse, and no tomorrow
were behind them. Quarrelling and ma
king sweet friends again; fretting about I
look or word jesting at questions lnVoiv
Ing the most important interests; avertet
looks and murmured reproaches over +
flower presented and lost; not a though
or a care for gold squandered.
The place was so endeared to me. ant
Suzanne, and her father felt so geluctan
to part that | resolved--Tny father VIII
made us small, though reasonable allow
auce, not objecting--to settle for time
at all events, in the neighborho"d of l.
Rochelle.
So we took little house in the midst c
a garden, within five minutes walk of tn
presbytery, and there we set up ou
household, served by plump Rochellais
damsel, whose clear starched capot an
gold earrings, heart and cross, were OF
Sundays, the admiration of the place
and a lad emancipated from sabots,
work in the garden, and help Mamie
the rougher occupation of the house. II
f Il in love with her, remember, and b
being some years her Junior, and she bein
rather a belle, and Virtuous withal, 81
was moved, by all these united considers
tons, to box his ears on his attempun
to demonstrate the state of his feeling
by trying TO kiss her when, attired I
above recorded, her Leauty shone forth tC
} resplendent for him to succeed in control