The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1871-06-22
The Fast Boy of the Mohawk.
From the New York Sunday Mercury

since, lived Mrs. Fanny Baker, q charm
ing, but somewhat ancient widow. She
had seen her half-centurv birth day, and
had gone two or three better; but time
had touched her gingerly, and she retain
ed much beauty and more grace She
vas one Of those Of whom the poet wrote
Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale
Her infinite vanity"
At the time of this hstory's inception
two Of her grand-daughters We're attend
ing a Seminary at Troy and they fire.
1uently stayed at her pretty cottage in
Schenectady. They were twins. Miss
Fanny B. Cogswcll was II, and named
after her grandma Baker, while Opheia,
her junior by sixty minutes or 50, was as
like her as one tree to another. The home
Of the young ladies was in IIerkmer
county, n. Y, which they seldom visited,
preferrng the freedom and luxury Of their
grandma residence
Now it came to pass that during their
saunterings about Schenectady they form
ed the acquaintance of law student
lie was curly -headed, precocious, prim
and consequential parsonage of eighteen
or thereabouts, very learned, very affect
/ ed, and very pretentious. He had feeble,
blue eyes, a faint moustache, and a poetic
temperament Of course the lovely twins
inspired his asthmatc muse and he pour
ed forth stanZas by the yard in sounding
their pnans. He became Il select and
welcome visitor at Mrs. Fanny Bakers
| house, and her two grand daughters and
! herself regarded him rs u most amiable
and accomplished young gentleman. OF
course he fell madly in love with the young
ladies, and badly so with their mature
relative. Sometimes he occupied seat
in the WIDOWS pony carriage, and went
| picnicking with the trio. On these oc-
casions he noticed that the ancient dame
evinced more sprightliness and bewitch-
ing deviltrv than her daughters children.
Still the dove like eyes Of the younger
| Fanny and her sister Ophelis seemed to
| play more havoc with his heart; but they
were so distactingly alike and so CON
| loundedly fond Of him that he was rs
much pcrpleNed under the circumstances
as was the mule when placed between two
stacks of hay. lie could have been
''happy with either, We're t'othcr dear
charmer away But, rs it was, ii seemed
that Abijah Haskell was doomed to waste
in the despair of indeclsion
The young ladies went home to dinner
ut Christmas, 1863, and Abiah took a
most atlectonate farewell Of them
at the railway station. He kissed away
the tears Of each with no more approach
TO 4 choice than ever. He continued to
visit Mrs. Baker regularly. In the early
days Of January, 1866, this wistful widow
and Abiiah took a trip to Troy together
and made 4 call at the residence of
sleek and unctious parson, who. in the
presence of his amazed wife and gaping
daughters, performed the ceremony in
such eases made and provided. The
youthful Benedict sent an apologotic let
ter to his parents, inclosing bridal cards
If 4 bombshell had exploded at the Has
kcll lireside there could hardly have been
greater CONSERVATION. The wedding
cards also carried surprise, CONSERVATION
and woe to the bosoms of the twin sister
and their parents. The latter especially
We're brim full of Indignation, for they
had long turned 4 Wisttul glance to the
old lady'S real estate and her bank balance.
The honeymoon was inauguratcd at the
Mansion. House, Troy. The lady suggest
ed they would be more comfortable at
home ana proposed to her calow lord that
they proceed there. Here, however. Il
hltch occurred. Abiiah didn't want to so
home TO Schenectady. He had no obiec-
u
sine qua non that the home must not be
everybody would ridicule him. Fanny
and he
"-trgued the thing at breakfast and argued the
thing at tea,
Ana the more they argued the question the more
they didn't agree
Abiiah's obstinacy carried the point, and
the lady agreed to sacrifice her house in
Schenectady, and to make her home for
the future in Worcester, Mass. whittier
they wended their way in February, 1866. |
They led transferable life together. Abb |
.iah prayed on her purse like aparasitc. and
eNasperatci hel beyond measure by UNI
timely hours and irregular habits. The |
lady resolvedto shut down on her reprobate |
mate financially. So she curtain-lecturcd |
him. and pictured the ruin that was inevi- |
tably staring them both in the face if he |
persisted in his mad career. Abiiah pro- |
nounccd a few vicious ,naedictons, and |
the next day sold horse to raise the |
wind. Wrung with the wounds that kill /
not, but that never heal, the unfortunate |
woman's life was Wretched in the extreme. |
Her pleasures, her hopes, her affections |
were gonc and one morning in August,
after seven months matrlmony, Abijah |
also took his final departure, and went |
home to Schenectady with 81 900 of his
wife's money in his pocket. The fatted |
calf was forthwith slaughtered. and Abb
.iah, the juvenile scape-grace, was rcceiv-
ed into the bosom o. his family with ac
clamaton. Mrs. Fanny Haskell shortly
after disposed of her household effects in
Worcester, and went to Boston, where
she procured 4 divorce from her boy-hus-
band. With the elasticity of mind and
restless vitality peculiar to youth, Abiah
soon forgot about his matrimonial esca-
pade, or only regarded it as good Joke.
Meeting the twin sisters Cogswell in the
summer of 1867, his intamacy with the m
was renewed, and the story of his hy-
menal experience elicted pcals of laughter
from their rosy lips. He said the old
woman ran away with him, and married
him in spite Of himself and so forth. A
tcw weeks aiterward he went mp to
IIcrkimer, and visited Fanny and Ophclia
at their home under the assumed name
Of Frederick Barnes The sisters fibbcd
As prcttily as possible to their parents
respecting him, and Mr.. and Mrs. Cogs-
well We'd in catering for his qualification
and amusement lie had money, and he
spent it freely; and Mrs. Cogswcll felic-
tated herself on possessing him as 4 SON
in-law. Sure enough, one morning when
Miss Fanny was indisposed, Abjah, alias
Frederick, proposed to Miss Ophelia thai
they should visit Rome, N. T., together.
They went; and their he purchased a
ring and paid for having the wedding
ceremony read by a competent saint
The youthful pair remained inRomc that
night, and duly announced their nuptials
by letter. Mrs. Cogswell Immediately
indulged in jubilant epithalaminum, and
the proud father FASTENED to Rome to CON
graduate his daughter and her nice young
man. But Pere Haskell raised Cain when
he heard Of his sons second coup, and
forbade him to enter the paternal thresh-
old again on penalty of severe chastise-
ment.
In December, 1867, through the innu-
ence of his fathcr-in-law, Mr.. Cogswell, !
Abijah obtained q position in an insur-
ance office in this city. His wife and he
resided in Brooklyn, and got along splen-
didly together. When autumn came,
Abiiah dandled n tinv stronper on his |