The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-12-17
? : "
Hon. John Curtis and his Wife.

We: turned aside from our path for a space to
visit an object of some curiosity, which is one
of the ''lions'' Of the Eastern Shore. This il
an ancient vault belonging to member of the
"Curtis'' family,:;a branch Of the same stock
| with which Washington inteFmarried. 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,
elaborately carved in London, in arstate of
partial dlapidation., The, curious about 1T
consists in its inscription, which runs thus:
"Under this marble tomb lies the body of
the Hon. John Curtis Esq, of Williamsburg
and parish iof Burton, formerly of Hunger's
parish, on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and
county of Northampton aged seventy-one
the time he kept bachelors home at Arling-
ton, on the Eastern Shore of Virginia 30
The inscription, we are told by another, on
the opposite side, was put on the tomb by his
own positive order The gist of it, as our lady
readers will be pleased to perceive, consists in
The lines we have italicized the force of which
will be better felt and understood 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 believe his epitaph,
was greatly adverse to the idea of any happi-
ness in the marriage state; yet how strange
that he should have ventured thrice upon it !!
The natural conclusion is, that the Hon. John
Curtis was singularly just and conscientious
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 preserved some anecdotes of
the sort of experience which he enjoyed in the
marriage state, one of which I will relate. 1t
appears that he was driving out his ancient
coach with one Of his wives land, to do him
Justice, we must assure the reader that he had
but one at time and in the neighborhood of
the very spot upon which we ourselves are now
standing-Cape Charles-a matrimonial discus
sion ensued between the pair, warmed as they
proceeded. The lord grew angry, the lady vo-
ciferated. =.
'It was diamond" said one.
"And insist" quoth the other, "that it was
club" .'..,a.a
"You will drive me mad p cried John Cur
tis.
"I should call this admirable driving!" re-
torted the wife. lF'
"By -" he exclaimed, eff you say anoth-
er word will drive down into the sea !" ~ ,4 -
They were even then upon the beach.
"Another word !' screamed the lady. "Drive
where you please" she added; "into the sea-
1 can 20 as deep as you dare 60 any day p =.
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.
a"Why do you stop7" she demanded, exult-
-,
"You are devil P! he exclaimed, finging
the horses about, and making for the shore
"Poor Pooh !" laughed his tormentor
"Learn from this there is no place where you
dare go where dare not accompany you !" .
even to the devil" he roared.
"The only exception" she answered, with a
chuckle-"There my dear, leave you"
She had conquered. He never drove in at
Cape Charles again, but groaned with the recol-
lection of seven years bachelors life at Airing
ton.-Corespondence Of the Brooklyn Sun.