The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1867-03-02
A DOMESTIC ROMANCE.
A WfnOwer Of8evenfy-fIve Falls I'm
Love with a Woman OfTwenty.
fOur---A New Way TO Stop q Wed.
M1nKs !

WhnOWeF Of@eVemGysHVG Falls I'm
Love with Woman OfTwcnty.
ionr---A New Way to Stop q Wed.
ding.
The Springfield Qllinois) correspondent
of the st. Louis Republican writes:
In the adjoining township resides
Alexis r., well-to-do farmer. He is d
widower oftwelve years standing, and has
attained tho patriarehial age Of three-score
and fifteen years. His family consists Of
an only son, Frank, not quite of age, and
three daughters Of The ages respectively
OF twenty-four, twenty.seyen, and thirty.
two. Though in intellectual dotage, Mr.
Z. is physically, for one Of his years, q
very proper man--hale, erect, and vigor.
Gus. His large possessions have aroused
the oupidity ofnot few advanced wid.
ows. Indeed he IL regarded as d decided
tcatch," and strenuous efforts have been
made to ensnare his affections. But the
aged gentleman, though sympathetic
enough Is after tender deer. His prefer.
cnces tend to the more youthful Of hi,
admirers.
Miss Fannie Is. 1--WE suppress names for
the sake Of relations) is the daughter ofa
poor but respectable farmer, neighbor oi
the P.'s. She is a genlecl girl Of unso.
phisticated manners, but limitid educa.
ton. She had been taught to idolize the
wealthy man. The play.fellow of P.'s
daughters, she has grown up with them,
and is Of the same age Of the youngest,
to wit twenty-four years old. Strange
to say, Cor is it strange y old Mr. =. has
fallen desperately IN love with Fanny
Ills suit has been favored by her folks
actual marriage contracted, and nothing
remained but the solemnization. Our in.
formant, Rev. Mr. O----c, Of tho Epis.
copal Church, had been summoned To
celebrate the nuptial 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 a
decidedly belligcrant spirit. And hero
comes the romance.
Frank declared, amid whole cataract
Of proianc Embellishments, that his father
should not bring such young mother
into the house. He swore the old man
should not marry the girl. Despite lie.
ense, priest, and inclination there should
be an end to it; there should be no mar
riage. How would he prevent itg He
would show them on the day preceding the
anticipated happy one appointed for the
wedding. An undertaken from Spring.
field brought coffin 10 the house Of Mr..
+. Frank took charge lit, and depositedi il
with suitable gravity in the principal room
Frank then caused the family rneat-axe-
a CHASTITY horrible cleayer-to be ground
and sharpened. Then he announced his
design. lie swore (for Frank is fast
but spoiled youth, there should be fun
cral, aud no wedding. Reversing the
order Of things, he declared tho wedding.
baked meats should coldly furnish forth a
funeral; that Fanny, instead of u bride,
should become corpse; that his father
might have funeral but no wedding
that, standing there at the threshold ol
his paternal mansion, when she came tC
celebrate the nuptials he would with that
same sharpened meat-axe, cleave her from
crown to sole that the coffin prepared
was for her decent burial; and finally
that he himself was ready for the murder.
er's gibbct Matters assumed serious
look. What at first was considered joke
began to wear solemn phase. Protes.
tations, entreaties and threats we're una.
vailing; Frank was immoyable. The in.
tended brides friends were troubled and
amazed she herself almost frightened tC
death.
In this emergency the clergyman was
sought before his time and Consulted
Surveying all the situation, he finally gaze
the opinion that the disparity of years
presented an almost insuperable obstacle
and that under the circumstances it would
be wise and expedient to haYe neither
wedding nor funeral He advised dis
continuance of further arrangements
The match was broken off, the coffin re
moved empty to the family vault, the
meat-axe buried-or rather put by for the
ensuing hog-killing season--the old groom
sent drunk to bed, and Frand stood en-
tirely victorious.
No doubt some of you readers, like
many of the neighbors, shrewdly imagin,
that Frank would marry Fanny. Not |
bit of it. He wouldt have her; and no
the least romaatic part of the story, Fam,
wouldn't have him. She has just beef
married to plain youth of the township
who, like young Norval in the play, tend
his fathers flocks, and is kept industri
ously at home.
The foregoing though most incredible
is strictly true. Our informant, the fam
lily clergyman, is an aged man of most yer
acious habits and excellent character
We give the story almost in his yer,
words. Truely, truth is sometimes strang
stranger than fiction. s@
Artemus Ward says in "His Book
"a female woman is one of the creates
institootions of which the world ca
boste. She is good in sickness good i,