The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1870-01-27
MARRYING A WIDOW.
Thirty years old to-day. ,i.r...-.-;

IL - = TT-T- I ..
had jumped from my teens SO suddenly on t
the threshold Of thirty summers ? aske
my mother aca 9eislu1az sea .i.sf
7 She counted her fingers, naming John, Joe
Charley and Henry, Maria and Susan, Bets
and Eliza, Jerusha and Hannah, Ellen an
Sallie, Annie and Julia, Marion and Minnie
and the rest of her small family; finally sh
said I was thirty years old. This settled tn
lquestion. a.4. HIN. -..
| I was unmarried. I had resisted for tel
pears all matrimonial temptations; but now
feeling the infrmities OF age creeping on,
concluded it would not be an unhealthy thing
for me to secuae wife. How to bring Thu
determination to successful conclusion, de
manded my consideration. pondercd and
continued to ponder. 70 IH#'aaa2 80
Possessing modest disposition, the idea Of
going. about in the society of manageable
girls on a hunting expedition, didn't suit me
Finally I made up my mind to dodge this
difficulty by advertising. Therefore the col
| umns Of the Podvick Daily Eagle, one fine
morning in June, contained the. following :
| MATR1MoMIAL.-The advertiser, young man
| twenty five years old, prepossessing in appear
ance, intelligent, of good habits, ETC., desires to
}
forming matrimonial alliance. Address, and
| send carte de visite to ''Anxious Seat, Podwick
P. or ,
Three days after the publication Of this I
had received seven hundred and fifty replies
I was encouraged. Such generosity assured
me that wasn't the only person in TIE vi
entity of Podwick who had hankering after
conjugal felicity.
l opened the letters and devoted two
whole days to their pcrusal The one that
suited me best was enclosed in an envelope
surrounded with black lines. an indication
that the writer had recently attended flu
neral, which, considering the nature of the
correspondence, was evidence enough that
she didn't allow grief to interferfere with
anything which promised consolation. Her
note was as follows: ASH
s'MR. ANXIOUS sEAr.-I notice that you desire
to correspond with young lady :; but perhaps
you may not wish to hear from one who though
young is widow. l am twenty three years of
age. have an amiable disposition, believe, and
as for personal appearance, leave you to judge
from the enclosed carte de visite. Should you
desire to know me further, please address Julia,
East Haddam" s..
Her visite was beauty. She struck my
fancy exactly. Bnt she was widow. Here
was an objection; yet considered the mat
ter thoroughly, and instead of allowing my
prejudices to run loose, took what eonceiv-
ed to be sensible view Of it. [ reasoned
thus
She's widow Being thus, her applca-
ton is argument in support of my resolution
to marry. Why? Because she has been
married, and liked it so we'll she's willing to
marry again.. Matrimony, therefore, must be
the true state of happiness.
I wrote her letter, and in due time re
ceived a reply. Other cpistles followed. and
finally one pleasant afternoon, I found my
self in East Haddam, in the presence of Mrs.
Julia Wilsonburg.s I'D a.t ia e1.
It is sufficient to say that the interview
was mutually agreeable. The young lady
was attired in mourning, which was so be-
coming to her complexion that never once
thought Of Wlsonburg deceased. las
Her politeness charming. Her. conversa-
tional powers were superior.
ssHer voice was ever soft
Gentle and low; an excellent thing in woman"
her figure natural, not being made to order,
by supplies of whalebone; and, altogether,
your humble servant was completely alive to
her virtues, and if she had any faults, was
very blind to them.
was ready to be married, being so enthu-
siastically smitten, right 'ton that line if it
took all summer - but prudence dictated
that we hadn't better be in hurry-folks
would talk about it, etc.-and our decision
was to wait a few menths and then settle
down in Podwick together.
Now desire to ask the masculine reader
who has wife and babies, if his feelings
were anything like mine during the day pre-
ceding his investment Of five or ten dollars
in ministerial hand for ''seryices rendered"
It was the most nervous day [ ever cxperienc-
ed, and it being the last Of my single blessed
ness, did not furnish as much serenity as
many which had passed. Yet my convictions
on the subject Of marriage were not to be
shaken. And [ may remark here that it is
my belief that the man who has been on
| matrimonial anxious seat for several months,
when brought to within few hours of the
consummation devoutly wished, has perfect
and clear an idea Of his situation as possible
to human nature
$50 clear, SO shining, and so evident,
That it will glimmer through a blind mans
eyes" 500 ta
The important day and important hour ar
rived at last, and Mrs. Julia Wilsonburg and
Mark Marks, Esq, Of Podwick, were tied to
gether, so to speak, and set adritt IN this
wide world.
! At last we found ourselves engaged in
housekeeping, opposite the village green in
| Poawick. - A5
We had occupied the premises two days,
and on the evening following received a num-
Der of calls. 2'
"NIark,'' said Julia, before any of our Wis
itors arrived, ''Tll wear my green silk to-
night, I guess. Mr. Wilsonburg thought
green was very becoming to me-
"Anything," said I, chat you please ;
but omitted to add, chang Wilsonburg =
though had not, by any means, just thai
moment forgotten the deceased.
Mrs. Shutters, aged forty nine, was ou
first caller
| l greeted her cordially, and introduced lie
to my wife-"Mrs Shutters, Mrs. Marks
I A sign of recognition followed, attende,
by looks of surprise,
"What p exclaimed Mrs. S., sis this you
Julia [ thought you married John Viii
sonburg, of East Haddam.''
$50 did, but he has been dead som
time," responded Mrs Marks.
elias p. mournfully queried Mrs.
! o,J cb l;otol,, t,rnoI obo,,k o,I or,