The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-04-30
A CLANDESrENE MARRIAGE,

Recently, from asumptuous house high up
on Fifth avenue, New York, were borne for
interment in a Connecticut town on the New
Haven road, the remains of 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
went to New York in the bloom and vivacity
of a youth Just conscious of its own power,
to visit the friendly household Of one Of the
first merchants A prolongation of her So
journ did not excite the remonstrance
of her parents until they were surprised
by information that her delay was possibly
occasioned by the frequent calls of gentle
man, lieuteaant of the British navy,
whose attentions seemed ominously seri-
Gus, when her mother took the family car
riage precipitately for the city to convey
back forthwith the giddy damsel. Upon
arraignment before the maternal bar, the
young lady did not deny the frequent visits
of the alleged suitor, 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 coolly: "It's
useless to find fault now, ma, for l am mar
ried."
Such, indeed, was the startling fact.
After short and only finally suspected
summers courtship, she and the lieutenant
had been clandestinely married, and, before
the Mortified mother and romantic daugh-
ter 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 au-
thority. The girl was but child, they
said, not conscious of her own mind, and
they should resist with every possible form
of law any attempt 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 ct 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 effect? Chivalrously,
though too rashly, perhaps, he agreed so to
do, confident, undoubtedly, that she would
prove true to him.
And then came the most extraordinary
scene of the little drama. A married sis
ter strikingly resembling the yet imprisoned
virgin wife had been hastily summoned
from this city for the purpose, and, art
fully dressed to intensity the resemblance,
hurriedly entered the room where the lieu
tenant was present, with friend for wit
ness, to learn his fate, and, with simulated
sobs, hastily hid her face on her mothers
bosom. Supposing her to be the wife
whom he agitatedly called by name, the
deceived husband begged her to go with
him. II wish to remain with my mother"
was the apparently fearful answer, without
SO much as a glance for him, and, without
another word, the lieutenant bowed to pa
rents and child, and at once withdrew with
his friend from the room and the house.
On his way back to New York by steam
boat, favorite dog that accompanied him
leaped overheard and he, pnnging in
stantly over to the rescue, was drowned.-
Baltimore Sun.