The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1874-01-22

From the n. Times.

e From the n. Y. Times.
2 About a year ago, if we rememb'
' rightly story went The rounds which cre'
,, tied that ingenious person, the Wester
farmer, with having successfully carrie
/ out one of the most original of plans tt
f getting his daughters comfortably settle
in life, without any cost whatever to hin
self He had large and expensive fam
{ lily. Three or four of his daughter
were manageable. They were yer
| pretty girls, and had many admirers
The father permitted them to receive at
tentions from the most eligible voun,
men, and to all outward appearance
seemed perfectly content to part with hi
treasures until asked to do So Each de
mand for consent was the signal for al
outburst of feeling that ended in the sud
den exit of the applicant. The lovers
however, were not to be prevented from
attaining happiness by what they believed
to be the whim of selfish father. They
eloped, were married and forgiven. The
real state of the case was, the father
could not afford to buy three suitable out
fits, and pay the expense Of three wedding
feasts. Not seeing any prospect in the
immediate future of being better able to
do so, after ransacking his brain to find a
way out of the difficulty, he at last con-
cluded to frown on the young people, and
take the chances for what might follow.
The Opponents didn't cost him a cent; the
expense of outfits and weddings was saved;
his reputation for iberality did not suf-
fer in the least, and his neighbors contin-
ued in ignorance of the actual condition of
his exchequer.
The Western farmers device was a
very clever one, but like many other clev-
er devices, it has been eclipsed. This
time the scene has been changed, and
the credit has to be accorded to a farmer
OF Mechanicsville, Venango County,
Penn, for having accomplished feat
which will be preserved in the history of
his family, and spoken of with pleasure
by future generations. The farmer re-
terred to, is represented as being ''well-
TODD, but rather impecunious," which we
take as meaning that he had a good farm,
fairly stocked, a large family, aud slen-
der bank account. A few weeks ago he
had manageable daughter. She had
been courted by the son of a neighboring
farmer for number Of years, and had
grown so tired of it thatshe expressed de-
sire to have the dream of her life realized be-
fore the end of the present year The lover,
1t is but just to say, was also anxious.
He wished to avoid the necessity of having
to journey night after night over lonely
road during yet another Winter. The
father Of the young girl, thus pressed from
within and without, was almost on the
brink Of despair. He could not afford to
disburse the necessary funds for such
wedding feast as he would be expected to
provide. The crops had all been gath
cred and sold, and the butter for two or
three months pledged in payment OF
debts. 70 incur any further obligations
was not to be thought of For nights he
lay awake turning the matter over in his
mind until he discovered a way out of
the dilemma. The next morning he
thrilled his daughter with pleasure by an
nouncing at the breakfast-table that he
had decided to consent to her marriage,
and was willing that the ceremony might
take place as soon as the arrangements
could be perfected.
Then there was a meeting of the respec-
tive parents, the day fixed, and a list of
the friends and kinsmen of the intended
son-in-law carefully made out. To this
was added the names Of nearly every far
mer residing in the county. The day of
DAYS came round at last; the roads were
hard with frost, the sky was clear, and the
guests began to arrive 1T an early hour
The house was soon crowded until barely
room remained. The barn was
used to increase the accommodation. The
marriage ceremony over, and the
young couple started on the way
to the nearest railway station, nothing
to be done but to discuss the /
viands and wines. At length the time ar
rived for breaking up the company The /
farmer, after having good-humorediy APP
prOpriated all the compliments he could |
get, walked leisurely to the front gate and |
there took position from which he was
enabled to demand payment for dinner |
and horse-feed from each of the guests. |
The proposition was received as capital |
joke, and it is said that every person pres
ent, not even excepting the clergyman, |
willingly paid the tax" No one sus-
pected that the real object of the farmer !
was to make up enough money to pay the |
expense of the wedding. On the contrary, /
all believed that he had conceived the idea |
for the purpose of adding to the merriment |
of the occasion. Indeed, the chances are |
that the system which he so successfully |
inaugurated will become popular in Penn
sylvania.