San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-10-26
WASHLNGTON'S WEDDING.
His Meeting W1th Mrs. C"sfis-- The Church
rhcrc the Naptiais ,re~ Soiemnired.

1t Is now some years since l visited u
venerable edifice intimately connected
with the life of great man old st.
Paul's church, in New Kent county,
Virginia, where Washington was mar
ried. Let us leave for moment the
hustle, turmoil and "rush' of the iron
age and go back to the Inst century,
when life was more deliberate, solid and
picturesque. The old church of which
I speak takes You easily back, as you
gaze ut it; and there is added the inter-
est of its association with the nuptials of
Washington.
Old st. Peter was built rs far back as
the year 1903 and is long, low building
of "sun- dried brick" brought over from
England, as was then the habit, with
steep roof, and walls embrowned by age.
A square tower rises above the vesti-
bule, on level with the ground, and on
this tower is the vestry, to which you
ascend by a lofty fight of ancient
and creaking steps. Drowning the
tower is sort of steeple, surmounted
with cross, roads, bearing the letters IN.
s. E. w." and on the summit of all is Il
small portion of an old weather-cock,
which probably veered in the winds of
the last century. ....t.
The surroundings of the time-honored
edifice are us antique as the building,
which stands ON its wooden knoll, with
the sturdy air of veteran careless of
slime and tide" On the bricks are
carved names and dates by hands that
have long crumbled. One of these
dates is 1899, On great tombstone
beneath the original window, walled up
for some reason, is coat-of-arms, raised
in s-relief-a shield with "lone star"
upon it; above knights vizor, with
the cornet-of Duke or Marquis, ap-
Notwithstanding it, and, surmoun-
ting all, the grinning head of wolf.
On this stone, dark and durable as was
the marble of that epoch, is cut the
date 1716." Not n tracery has grown
dim, not letter OF figure indi:tinct.
The VOLTS tongue Tolls out fiercely; his
eyes glare; his teeth snarl. The rain
and snow and sunshine have fallen for
century and a half on the nightly he'll
met and the head of the wolf-and nei-
ther rain, snow nor sunshine has effect
ed the iron surface.
Those objects take you back to re-
mote period, very unlike the present,
when buildings, tombstones, and all
other things seem constructed of tran
sient materials. Another memorial OF
the old times is the grove of great oaks
around the church. What pictures
que scenes these must have witnessed.
Beneath their spreading branches gener-
alton after generation rolled the chariot
of old-timed Virginians, drawn by their
horses, and containing the squire, his
wife, and maidens and children, attend
ING church. To these boughs were
tethered the brides of the thorough
bred horses, ridden by gallant youths
Yonder the chariots discharge their bur-
dens-the pompous old lord of the ma
nor, the daughter, in her great hooded
dress, square bodice, powdered hair and
red-heeled shoes, which she dis
plays as she raises her silk dress
and scarlet "petticoat," as they called it
then. You may see her still, in mag
nation. as she smiles and mods, Staying
with her bright eyes the youths with
embroidered coats, long waistcoats and
ruffies. who hasten to assist her and con-
tend for the touch of the small hand.
All that has passed away; the youths
and maidens are long dead. The par
son no more sweeps down the vestry
stairs. or thunders or drones in his
high tub-shaped pulpit above the listen
ers in the lofty pews. Squire and dame
and parson and gallant lover and little
beauty live alone III the memory of the
great oaks which wave above them, wave
still and will probably rustic their leaves
in the wind for another century.
Such is and such was old st. Peters
church-an interesting relic to-day of a
time that is long dead, interesting more
than all. as / have said, as having been
" L ,,-a.1,1,nfy