The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-01-25

yynrn1nE 10 nrf0cSs
r. :, ,nnosstble not to feel lively sympa-
.hr FIR the bereaved bride whose husband Is
srstched from her at the foot Of the altar or
In iron, OF the private desk OF the otncianps
Justice Of the peace, as the case may oe:
.Especially Is such bride TO pc p'tteu "nen
she loses through her own carelessuess
husband whom she has caught as.sI po'
trartea and skilful effort. Such Is the mis-
snrtnne which mas lust befalien Massachu'
setts bride. and her story is one which con-
vcys wholesome aessoia W eAPei' '"' W.
I; confident widows.
The bride in question, while yet oioom
ING and energetic widow, met Win ah
elderly gentleman Of eighty years Q, ase,
and an Indefinite quantity OF bonds ano sso Jun
certificates. In spite OF the opposit'on VI MS
family she convinced hin tnat IL was US
duty to marry the trusting ana ipgehioas
l. ~.a,,on rpbo had lavished upon him her
,,r;celess and experienced SELECTIONS. 1t Is
1ot natter OF very great difficulty fcT a
sk,,ful widow, or other astute woman, 70
hook an elderly gentleman. The real dlui
zc,lity II 10 landing him. When once ne IS
fastened by his promise be must be pisyea
with great care, or ne VII! escape
before he is finally gated by an e.
ficient marriage ceremony UntR tnen
&. In inaccessible places, from which neither
coayjnr nor petting can dslodge hisn, or 10
;, suddenly break bis promise and dart away
into some secret and secure hldiog-p!ace.
In tho preseut instance the Massachusetts
widow played her prize so firmly anc ten
derly that he was finally successiuag ianueo'
IInfortunately size then relaxed DER Vgi'
lance. never dreaming that he wou3e so iar
reyiye az 10 leap back into his Original cell
bacy and accomplish his escape Let othef
widows note her careiessness ana its eonse-
ouences and save themselves from disap'
poiutmept and humiliation.
No sooner was the marriage ceremony
ended than the happy bride airee.ed nel
husband to run back to bis house'ana Dilgs
his bonds ana mortgages, SO that ctey m ,Sln
begin TO enjoy happy honeymoon. ine
husband went, but as soon as BE hao Gu
tared his nousc he was seized by his rela'
tives and safely locked up. He bad maze d
wiI in their favor, and they had no intention
of allowing it TO be uDmade by a ne" auu
nnwelcome wife. His prolonged absence
dio,nrhod the bride, who sent carriage 10
hasten his return, but the carriage came
back empty, and the drivers nlnd was 100
much confused by strong language, broken
crockery. aud pals of water 70 explain Tue
reason why his presentation OF "Tit1en
order TO "deliver to bearer one ~ eiae'
bridegroom had given rise TO so much
v;rn-ous discussion. The bride at once
omnreheuded the true state OF affairs. Sue
armed herself with pistol and STOUT
Irisbman and stormed her husbands prison.
THE battle was short but fierce. From ms
remote dungeon, the imprisoned husband
could he heard cheering on the assaiants
Int there were too many bolts on the front
door too many determined maiden sisters,
and TOO much available crockery in the
honse to render its capture possible by the
assaultng column. The bride was beaten
back, after performing prodigies OF Valor
with q long pole against the parlor win
iloWs, and she has since appealed to the
law for assistance. suit Tor the iorclDie
theft of valuable husband, whose photo.
graph is annexed to the complaint, ana
marked "Schedule a." is now pending, and
1t remains to be seen whether Massacnu-
sets court recognizes the right Of property
in husbands, or whether It LOOKS upon theul
as ferg aaturae, aud hence Incapable OF
being made the subject of an action for troyer
and conversion.
The lesson conveyed by this affecting mar
rative hardly needs to be emphasized. Ii Ii
q warning 10 widows never to let freshly
caught husband pass out OF their hands.
but to carry him off the moment the mar
rage ceremony Is completed, and to keep
him locked up autil his spirit is broken
and the rage of bis relatives has sub
sided. Had the Massachusetts bride pur-
sued this course she would not now be
suffering from the humiliation of having
her husband locked up in somebody else's
two.pair back, while she herself cannot
stand below his prison windows and ask for
one word OF affection from his beloved lips,
and one five. dollar bill from bis adored
pocket, without iucurring scathing insults
and scalding water at the bands Of her
husbands cruel jailors. Eternal vigilance is
the price of AL elderly and rich husband, and
widows who fancy that for them eternity
ends and vigilance becomes unnecessary as
soon as they have married their latest prize,
should revise that opinion, and redonble
their PRECAUTIONS until the honeymoon has
passed at least through its first quarter