The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1863-03-17
BY YANKEE WIFE.

heard that / have had the temerity 10
take unto myself a wife, and you wAal
70 know :" all the ins and outs of the
matter" Well, / suppose yon must
be gratided, though ! have strong
suspicion, that you are disposed 70
make use Of me as q sort Of "feeler, 7"
for your own private and personal
ends.
DO You remember, when We we're
boys together, living at your uncle
Georges, among the rice swainpA and
alligators, "away down upon the SUI
vance river" how you always manag-
ed to get me To 60 into the water to
balbe firsf, 50 that ] might make Q re-
port Of the state and condition Of
things before you ventured to trust
your dainty person TO the waves and
eurrentsg Remember it? To be
sure you do. And think you have
little Of that same old leaven in you
yet, prompting you TO cajole me into
giving you an account OF my plunge
into the waters OF matrimony, before
making the same experiment yourself
BE that as il may, | will not refuse to
give you the benefitof my experience,
whatever use you may design 10 make
Of it.
! have not only had the courage to
marry woman, but a Yankee wo-
man and not only a Yankee woman,
but Yankee teaching woman, a
" school-marm," as some Of her north
ern friends would call her. You know,
that when go to Savannah, | gene
rally make il point to spend day or
TWO with our old schoolfellow, Joe
Compton, Of Bryan. 1t was on beau
tiful auiumnal evening" last year, that
riding slowly up The avenue through
old Colonel Compton's lawn, | first
saw Pauline Smith, and then and there
was so efectualIy smilten, that in
fifteen minutes had made up IN,
mind to induce that young lady, If pos.
sible, TO change her ubiquitous sur
name for one not quite so common
The first sentence she uttered con-
tanned The word SIR, and very well
knew that the , with which she ter
minated it could come only from
northern tongue. Two minutes aiterr
wards, she told rue that she was
teacher IN Colonci Compion's family
Thus, on the very threshold OF our
acquaintance. she had two Of my pet
prejudices up in arms against her
but there was a fascination about her
which neutralized ia NJ both before /
WAS quite conscious of their existence.
This time, my visit was somehow
heightened out TO weeks instead Of
days, and before ! left the hospiIable
domain Of" Midway Bank" wa' be-
trothed TO Pauline. | made but little
inquiry about her family. She gave
me TO understand, however, that her
father WAS a plain farmer in the State
OF Connecticut, with more sons and
daughters than he knew well what TO
do with. Being very much in love, |
paid but attle attention to what | re-
garded as extraneous matters, and
hurried on the wedding with all pos
possible expedition. Having neither
father nor mother, nor, in fact, any
near relative 10 consult, the prelimi-
naries were speedily settled, and, after
a very short courtship, Pauline Smith
became Mrs. Albert Wrenshaw, of
"Liyeoaks," Georgia.
One reason for Fastening my mar
riage was, that had business in New
York which would require my almost
presence there. ! was not
willing TO defer The great event until
my return, and it would be an excel
lent opportunity for Pauline and my
self to visit our friends in Connecticut. !
So it was decided, that we should set
out for the North the second week af-
ter our marriage. Unfortunately, how
ever, the very day preceding our de-
parture, Pauline sprained one Of her
ankles so badly, that it was found to
be impossible for her TO travel. This
was serious disappointment, bat there |
was no help for il, and | was Obliged |
10 30 alone, and leave my lovely bride
long before the honeymoon began to
wane. One Of Joe Compton's sisters
vas with US. and | persuaded her to
remain at Liveoaks till my return.
| had already visited the city Of
New York number Of times. II was
no novelty to me, and soon grew
weary Of the din and dirt, which on
previous occasions had hardly no
iced. ! wss very anxious to get
nome, but visit to my wife's relations
vas indispensable. Accordingly, so
ioon as my business was completed.
started by railroad, for the rural dis
riots of Connecticut. Up to this mo- \
nen,, had thought very little about
ny new connections, but now that
sas upon the point # coming into
'ontaci with them. | began TO feel
a