The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1874-12-12
a Curious Inscription.


A correspondent travelling on the Eastern
Shore Of Virginia gives the following in.ona.af
his letters
We turned aside from our path for space to
visit an object of some curiosity, which is one
of the "lions" of the Eastern Shore. This is an
ancient vault, belonging to member of the
Custis family, branch of the same stock with
which Washington intermarried. 1t lies upon
fine old farmstead, looking out upon the bay,
and occupies the centre of large field, the
only prominent object, sheltered by some old
trees. The vault is of white marble. elaborate
ly carved in London, in state OF partial dilap-
idaton. The curious feature about it consists
in its Inscription, which runs thus:
"Under this marble tomb lies the body of
Hon. JOHN CUsTIs, ESQ.,,
of the city of Wiliamsburgh and parish of Bur-
ton, formerly of Hagars parish, on the Eastern
Shore of Virginia, and county of Northampto
aged II years, and yetliued but seue, years. aohch
the time he kept a bachelors home at Arling-
ton, on the Eastern Shore of Virginia"
The inscription, we are told by another, was put
on the tomb by his own positive order. The gist
of it, as our lady readers will be pleased to per-
ceive, consists in the lines we have italicized !;
the force of which will be better felt and under.
stood from the additional fact, which does not
appear, that this bachelor, who lived only in
his bachelor condition, was actually married
three times. His experience, if we are to be
lieve his epitaph, was greatly adverse to the
idea of any happiness in the marriage state )
yet how strange that he should have ventured
fhrioa ;a ~
Hon. John Custis was singularly just and con-
scientious man, who, unwilling to do the sex
any wrong by premature judgment, gave them
full and fair trial, at the expense of his own
happiness, and pronounced judgment only after
repeated experiments. Tradition has preserv
ed some anecdotes of the sort of experience
which he enjoyed in the marriage state, one of
which l will relate. 1t appears that he was
driving out in his ancient coach with one of his
wives (and to do him justice, we must assure
the reader that he had but one at time,) and
in the neighborhood ofthe very spot upon which
we ourselves are now standing, Cape Charles
a matrimonial discussion ensued between the
pair, which warmed as they proceeded. The
lord grew angry, the lady vociferated.
at was diamond" said one
"And insist" quoth the other, 'that it was
a club"
"You will drive me mad = cried John Custis.
az should call this admirable driving w re-
torted the wife.
"By Jove !'' he exclaimed, "If you say an
other word l will drive down into tho sea-"
They were even then upon the beach.
"Another word !" screamed the lady. "Drive
where you please" she added-"into the sea,
can go as deep as you dare go any day"
He became furious, took her at her word, and
drove the horses and chariot into the ocean.-
They began to swim. He held in, looked into
her face and she laughed in his.
"Why do you stop 2" she demanded, exult-
ingly, not a whit alarmed.
"You are q demon !" he exclaimed, finging
the horses about, and making for the shore
with all expedition.
"Pooh! pooh !" laughed his tormenter. -
"Learn from this date that there is no place
where you dare go that dare not accompany
you"
Given to perdition ?" he groaned.
'The only exception" she answered, with
chuckle-"there my dear, leave you"
She had conquered. He never drove in at
Cape Charles again, but groaned with the recol-
lection of the seven years bachelors life at
Arlington.