River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-04-11
A Clandestine Marriage.

Con Tuesday were borne from sump-
tuous house high up on Fifth avenue, for
interment in a Connecticut town on the
New Haven road, not far from this city
the remains of a revered wife and mother.
Half century ago, when she was the
only unmarried daughter of an old and
wealthy family of the town in whose
cemetery her body now rests, she came
TO New York in the bloom and vivacity
of a youth just conscious of its own pow
er, to visit the friendly household of one
of our first merchants. A prolongation
of her solourn here did not excite the re-
monstrance of her parents until they
were surprised by information that her
delay was possibly occasioned by the
frequent calls of gentleman, lieuten-
ant of the British navy, whose attentions
seemed ominously serious, when her
mother took the family carriage precipi-
lately for the city to convey back forth
with the giddy damsel. Upon arraign-
ment before the maternal bar the young
lady did not deny the frequent visits Of
the alleged sutton, whom her New York
friends had seen no reason TO interfere
with; indeed, upon stepping into the car
riage to go home (there was no New
Haven railroad them, she said, quite
cody; "lt's useless to find fault now, ma
for am married"
Such, indeed. was the starting TACT
After short and only finally suspected
summers courtship, she and the lieu
tenant had been clandestinely married,
and before the Mortified mother and
romantic daughter had been in their
Connecticut home twenty four hours the
bold young sailor was there too, to claim
his wife! But he found her a prisoner,
locked in her own room and both parents
met his appeals with steady refusal TO
acknowledge his authority. The girl
was but child, they said, not conscious
of her own mind, and they should resist
with every possible form of law any at
tempt to remove her from their custody.
The husband, urging that they loved
each other, was told that she whom he
had made his wife, in name only, now
bitterly regretted her sentimental folly
and wished to see him no more. As
| founded at this assertion, the young man
| passionately impugned its truth. Would
he be generous enough to give her up.
he was asked, If she herself assured him
of her desire to that effect2 Chival-
rously, though too rashly, perhaps, he
agreed so to do, confde Mt, undoubt-
eddy, that she would prove true to him.
| And then came the most extraordinary
scene of the little drama. A married
sister strinkingly resembling the imp1is-
oned young wife had been hastily sum
moned IRON this city for the purpose,
and, artfully dressed to intensity the re-
seinbance, hurriedly entered the room
where the lieutenant was present, with a
friend for witness, to learn his fate, and,
with simulated sobs, hastily hid her face
on her mothers bosom. Surprising her
to be the wife whom he agitatedly called
by name, the deceived husband begged
her to 90 with him. 81 wish to remain
with my mother" was the apparently
fearful answer, without so much as a
glance for him; and, without word, the
| lieutenant bowed to parents and child,
and at once withdrew with his friend
from the room and the house. On his
way back to New York by steamboat a
favorite dog that accompanied him leaped
overheard, and ne, plunging instantly
over TO the rescue, was drowned.-N. 4
| Cor. Baltimore Sun.