The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-12-28

follow in their footsteps.
Il Domestic Romancc-A wid0wer of
| ScVenty-Eye Falls I'm Love with n
! Woman OF twenty four-A New Way
| TO Stop II Wedding.
The Springfield (Illinois) correspondent
Of the St. Louis Republican writes
| In the adjoining township resides Al, xis
| p, a well-to-do farmer. He is a wide wcr
of twelve years standing, and has att" ned
the patriarchal age of thrce-score at HE-
teen years. His family consists of an only
son, Frank, not quite of age, and .hrce
daughters of the ages respectively of twen-
| ty-tour, twcnty-seven, and thirty-two.
Though in intellectual dotage, Mr.. z. is
| physically, for one of his years, very
| proper man-halc, erect, and vigorous.
| His large possessions have aroused the GU
| pidi;y of not a few advanced widows.
Indeed he is regarded as decided "catch,"
| and strenuous efforts have been made to
enSnare his affections. But the aged gen.
tleman, though sympathetic enough, is
attertendcr deer. His preferences tend to
| the more youthful of his admirers.
Miss Fanny Il. I'VE suppress names for
| the sake Of relatiOnS) is the daughter Of
poor but respectable farmer, ncighbor Of
| the P.'S. She is gcntccl girl Of unso-
| phiSticatcd manners, but limited eduCa-
| ton. She had been taught to idolize the
wealthy man. The play-tellow Of P.'s
| daughters, she has grown up with them,
and is Of the same age with the youngest,
TO wit twenty four years old. Strange to
say, Tor is it strange y old Mr.. p. has fallen
! desperately in love with Fanny. His suit
/ has been favored by her folks; actual mar
riage contracted, and nothing remained
| but the SOlemnzation. Our informant,
I Rev. Mr.. O---c, of the Episcopal Church,
/ had been summoned to celebrate the nup-
/ tjal ceremonies. Although hostile to the
marriage, the daughters Of the gay Alexis
/ had made no opposing demonstration. On
/ the day previous TO the ceremony, the son
Frank exhibited q decidedly belligercnt
spirit. And here comes in the romance.
Frank declared, amid whole cataract
of prolanc embellishments, that his father
should not bring such young mother into
the house. He sworc the old man should
not marry the girl. Despite license, priest,
and inclination there should be an end TO
| it; there should he no marriage. How
I would he prevent il -? lie would show them
about noon Of the day preceding the one
appointed FOR the wedding. An underta-
| kcr from Springfield brought a coffin to the
! house of Mr. p. Frank took charge Of it.,
and deposited it with suitable gravity III
| the principal room. Fraak then caused
/ the family mCat-aNc-a chastity, horrible
/ clcavcr-to hegrouud and sharpeEed. Then
| he announced his design. He sworc TOR
! Frank is a fast but spoiled YOUTH there
should be 4 funeral, and no wedding.
/ Reversing the order Of things, he de-
! clared wedding baked meats should
culdiy furnish forth a funeral; that Fanny,
| instead of q bride, should be 4 corpse :;
| that his father might have a funeral but
no wedding; that, standing there at the
threshold of his paternal mansion, when
/ She came 10 celebrate the nuptialS he
would, with that same Shapencd meat
axe, cleavc her from crown 10 sole; that
the coffin prepared was for her decent bu-
rial; aud finally, that he was ready him
SELF for the murdcrcr'S gi0bet. Matters
assumed a serious look. What at first was
considered q Joke began TO wear a solemn
phase. PluteStations, cntrcatieS and threats
were uuavui!iug; Frank was immovabIe.
( The intended brides friends were troubled
and amazed; She herself almost frightened
TO death.
In this emergency the clergyman was
sought before his time and consulted. Sur
vcying all the situation, he finally gave the
opinion that the disparity Of years pre-
serted an almost iusupcrable obstacle, and
that under the circumstances 1t would be
wise and expcdient to have neither we'd
ding nor funeral. He advised a discontinue
aucc of further arrangements. The match
was broken oil, the coffin removed empty
TO the family vault, the meat-aXe buried
or rather put by for tie ensuing hog-Nlling
season-the old groom sent drunk TO bed,
and Frank stood entirely victorious.
No doubt some OF You, readers, like
many Of the ncighborS, shrcwdly imagine
that Frank would marry Fanny. Not a
bit Of it. lie wouldn't have her; and not
the least romantic part of the story, Fanny
wouldn't have him. She has just been
married to plain youth Of the township,
who, like young Norval in the play, tends
his fathers aockS, and is kept induStriouSly
at home.
The foregoing, though almost incredible,
is strictly true. Our informant, the family
! CLERGYMAN, is an aged man Of most vera
cious habits and excellent character. We
give the story almost in his very words.
| Truly, truth is sometimes strangc-stranGer
than fiction.