The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1871-12-16
CALL NEXT TUESDAY.

On frosty November evening, several
years ago, about half-past eleven o'clock, l
was at work in my cozy study, on the
"Thirdly" of discourse, which was to
be delivered on the following Sabbath
morning to the flock of which was the
"beloved pastor" That study, brightest
and most cheerful of all the rooms in the
parsonage, was in the second story front
room. The rumble of wheels at that hour
of the night was an unusual thing in the
quiet street of the quiet town in which l
lived; and it was yet more unusual that
any vehicle should arrive at the door of the
parsonage at that time. So when rumbling
wheels did disturb the grave-like silence of
the night, and when they ceased their revo-
lutions before my door, it was natural that
1 should quietly peep through the blinds
to see what was coming, or rather what
had come. AS I peeped, a young man
alighted, mounted my step, and pulled at
the bell as if with an evident determination
that he should be heard.
1 raised the window and demanded,
"who's there ?''
"It's me-"
"Who's me?"
"lsn't this where the minister livese'
"Yes, but what do you want with the
minister at this time of the night ?"
"Want to be married.
"What? %
"Want to be married, sir. Please come
down.
"Whom do you want to be married to ?"
"She's there in the buggy, sir. Come
down, and I'll tell you about it,
1 had half a mind to tell the fellow to
come and tell me about it in the morning,
but he seemed SO urgent, and withal so
civil, that it seemed cruel to send him and
his beloved away, without, at least, giving
them hearing. But how about going
down to talk with him? Perhaps he was
a rufian, come to make my wife widow
and my babies orphans! Perhaps the
"she " in the buggy was midnight assas-
sin of the most irresistible kind! l felt,
for moment, like marrying them from
out the window, and letting them depart
in peace, as the justices of the peace do,
think, under similar emergencies, in ILL
nois, or somewhere. But that hardly
seemed the height of bravery, so l resolved
to 60 down.
But what and how about witnesses to
the marriage ceremony. 1t would never
do, especially at that time of the night, to
marry folks without at least one witness.
Wife, children, and servants, had gone to
bed two hours before. My father happened
to be in the house, and as he had been sit
ting in my study till quite late, thought
he might be the most eligible person to
secure as witness. So slipped upstairs,
to see if he were tucked away for the night,
and found, to my qualification, that he was
only partially undressed, and had been
watching the proceedings thus far from his
window. He consented to fix up, and
come to the wedding. l put a small
"Deringer in my pocket, kept one hand
on it, ready to use in case the ruffian should
knock me down, or otherwise do me vio-
lence when should let him in, and, with
the other hand opened the door.
The man proved to be no ruffian at all,
but an inoffensive sort of a young gentle
man; and his inamorata maiden of decid-
eddy prepossessing appearance. 1t was no
wonder that he should want to be married
to such an one, at any hour Of the twenty
four. We questioned and cross-questioned
them about their coming at such an unseas-
enable time, and elected from them the
information that they had started early in
the evening, and that their wagon had bro
ken down. Their ride had been one of six
or seven miles, and they had doubtless
made the most of it. Altogether, the
account they gave of themselves was so
straight that concluded to marry them
They were evidently of I" full grown" age,
and they did not seem to be husband or
wife to anybody else.
So married them, and they seemed to
be intensely delighted. My father and l
congratulated them on their joy, and they
seemed ready to depart. But, as was per
fectly natural, the bridegroom asked me if