Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1871-09-30
To WED.

/ .7sionishmem IF The Groom.
Our readers will recollect that when
Mrs. Wharton was Miss Nugent and
still residing in Philadelphia, she made
all her arrangements to be married, in
yited her friends aud relatives, went 10
the kirk and all, but failed to find her
expected bridegroom, she having nc
elected to notify him of the day or as
certain whether he had any notion of
marrying her at all. The story ran
something after that fashion anyway,
and at the time. We believe. this matter
was treated rs one of Miss Nugent's
mad tricks \ case presenting all OF
the above features, but in many respects
more singular has just occurred at Mid
dletown near Frederick. and the follow
inc are the facts rs aScertaned by re-
porter of the Sunday Bulletin
Middletown is a beautiful village in
the county of Frederick, Maryland, sit
uated in one of the finest agricultural
districts in the state, where the early
graSShopper blooms side 10y side with
the gay and festive June-bug,an where
the succulent sweet potatoc attalnS
twice its natural size. Here in this de
lightiul rural retreat amid the poetic
Inspirations of spring chickens, cows,
and tender ca5bageS, there bloSSomed u
fair and delicate maiden named Malinda
Shafer. Her age at the present writing
might be thirty-SiX, and it might bc
thirty-four probably it is thnty-tivc
The ordinary male reader will Ice aghast
when he learns, that i'll addition 10 this
attractive feature, she possesses in her
own right property valued at least
$4,000! For all these longyearS Miss
Malinda Shafcr successful y-So II was
suppoSed-resisted the alurcmen;s Of
the comely and stalwart youth of Mid
dletown, many OF whom had often east
longing eyes upon her rather pretty
countenance and >pcculatcd with much
concern with regard To her bank nc
count She was much esteemed herself
on her own account her family was
most respectable she was said To be
possessed of the SoundcSt kind of com.
mon sense; was m active and faithful
member of the c. Reformed Church, and
a dilligent teacher at Sunday School
Now every body looked upon Miss
Malimda Shafcr rs IN uncompromising
case of an old maid-md for that mat
ter they do so Still-but one day the or
dinarily peaceful hamlet Of Middletown
was thrown into condition Of confu.
sion and excitement Ike that occaSioned
in an ant hill by the impiugcment of a
human foot Gossips trottcd actively
AROUND from door 10 door the grocery
man ratailcd II with his sugar and his
tea, and the dry goods men were in
perfect steam of my stcrious excitement.
Malinda Slratr wa going TO be mar
ried
Yes, there Was no mistake about it.
The lady herself was the authority on
the subject, and had, when questioned,
blushingly admitted that such was the
case When it became known that the
happy man was the Reverend Mr.. Baus-
man, of Reading, Pa, il was feared that
a certain widowcr of Middlctown would
commit immediate suicide and some
even went so far rs 10 say that Mr.,
another elderly and marriagely gentle
man, had been seen coming ont of a
drug store Miss Shaicr was supposed
to be in condition of ETHEREAL blessed
ness and ecStatic anticipation, and il soon
became known that she was purchasing
expensive dry goods with recklessness
! and lavshncss that had been unknown
in the annals of Middcrown. The SIM
d0y BDhefin reporter, being an unmar-
rlcd man, and consequently unsophis,i-
! Gated and innocent, is unable To describe
this trosseau with that accuracy ofdctail
which We doubt not would please many
Of our fair readers
The day was set for Thursday, tho
3lst ultimo, and great was the talk and
excitement in Middletown. On the
Both everything was in readiness the
cake and the confectionery were piled
on the table OF Miss Shaier's house. on
Kellers street, III way that made the
small boys mouths water when they
took surreptitious peeps through the
/ blinds the house was garnered, and
swept, and polished and Miss $. re-
| tired 20 bed in state Of mental cxalta
ton, fondly carcssing the gold engage
ment ring which she bad purchased her
self sometime pre-, ,iously.
So admirably had all her plans been
laid, and so consistent had she been in
everything, that it was only on the day
following that her friends discovered
that the Reyd. Nr. Bausman was in
blissiul ignorance Of the honor which
awaited him, and that 80 Ear as any mar
riage was concerned he was altogether
uninterested aud uDinyOlved Every
one in Frederick aud MiddletOwn sym
pathized sincerely with the unhappy Ia
dy, who evidently believed firmly that
the Reyd. Mr. i. was coming, that she
was engaged TO him, and that she had
been corresponding with him. Indeed,
as the Frederick Union says,she ''tbinks
that some accident, some dispensaiion
Of Providence prevented bis coming at
the time appointed, but that he will sure
/ ly come, she doubts not
Mr. Bausmans Consideration, alarm
and bewilderment may be better imag-
ined than described, when he received
the inquiries that poured in on him. He
wrote to the Revd Mr. Ruply, Of Mid
dletown, declaring solernnly before his
Maker that he never knew her, never
met her or gaW her To his knowied0e.