Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1880-12-04
Love KnmgL.s at Locksmiti.s.

MARRIED IN Flat Boat IN THE |
MIDDLE OF THE PoroMAC RIvER.-On
Thursday last, 18th November, in flat |
boat III the middle Of the Potomac river, !
at Harpers Ferry, Miss Carrie Shoup,
aged Is, daughter Of Capt. J. 9. Shoup,
a daring Confederate soldier, who was
killed shortly before the close of the
war, and Mr.. William Reed, aged TWEEN
ty, son of Mr.. Gideon Reed, deceased,
were married. The boat was not In
sound condition, and before the ceremo-
ny was finished, the water had stolen IN
and covered the bottom five or six inch
es deep.
These young persons are residents OF
Rockingham county, Va, and the incl
dents connected with their courtship,
trials and triumphs add tinge of ro-
mantle TO the event Of their marriage,
and attest once more that "love laughs
at locksmiths." They were both born
and raised in the neighborhood ofSmith
and Linvlle's Creeks, their homes be-
ing bat few miles apart. They had
known each other from early youth, and
the young man had not untrequently
visited the home of the young lady be
fore the tender sentiment was developed
and suspicion aroused that something
more than ordinary was influencing
their association. AS soon as it was
suspected by the parents OF the girl that
friendship had ripened into love, they
forbade the boys visit; then intercepted
the correspondence between them, aud
interposed every obstacle TO their meet
ing and every artiice TO keep them sep
arate or from communicating with each
other. AS in thousands OF cases before,
this resulted i'll intenser affection be
tween them, more earnest determination
to conquer the difficulties which con-
fronted them, and TO consummate the
dream of their young lives at the by
meneal alter, though it had to be done
by flight TO where the laws are more
considerate in such cases, than the harsh
enactments of Virginia. To arrest this
rash purpose the parents OF the girl
conceived the plan of sending her to
relatives in Missouri. TO this she sim
ulated assent a ticket was purchased
by the step father, with the means OF
the young lady, to ST. Louis. Arrange
ments were perfected for the departure,
and accompanied by the step-tather,Mr.
Isaac Aker, and the grandfather, 'Old
Uncle Joe Shoup," the cars were board
ed at Cowan Station, on last Thursday.
In the meantime young Reed had not
been idle The day previous, having
learned Of the plan OF abducting his
aflianced, he purchaseda ticket to Mar
tinsburg, w. Va, and let it generally
be known that he had done so. He,
however, halted at Harper's Ferry, and
having arranged his plans, quietly
awaited the arrival of the party on
Thursday. esteiussurveilance was
kept over the young Ady by her step
father after they reached the. Ferry,
where they had to wait several hours
for the Western bound train. While
the three-the afiianced, her step-father
and grandfather, were sitting in the
reception room at the depot, and the
gentlemun earnestly engaged il, conver
sation with other persons present gen
tie tap on the window arrested the at
tention of Miss Carrie-she saw the
motion OF female hand-sllently step
ped out of the door unnoticed, and was
as quickly passed into the pantry and
placed under lock and key for few
moments by the chsmberrmaid.
Thence she was stealthily guided TO the
bank of the river where her lover, with
a minister, was waiting with fat-boat.
This they entered, and it was speedily
showed TO the middle Of the Potomac,
where the ceremony was performed
which pronounced them man and wife,
while the step-fathe: viewed the scene
from the iron bridge which spans the
stream. Feet-wet and chilled, they
returned to dry land, and thence to the
hotel, wnere the young lady demanded
her baggage of her step father and
grand father, which, after denial, was
procured by the aid of the good citizens
of IIarperis Ferry, whose synpatbies
were enlisted in behalf OF the daring
young couple. Fooled and outwitted
the stcp father took the cars up the
Valley that night, instead of for the
West, while the grandfather boarded
the train for Missouri, remarking as he
did so, with hearty laugh, ''deyil-
ish sharp-devilish sharp" The
welded pair remained at the Fer
ry until the following day, when they
too, returned 10 their native county,
which they had but a short while before
left, with conflicting fears and hopes,
but with the abiding faith on the part
of the groom that saint heart never
won fair lady" and that the prize be
sought was compensation enough for
TIE daring and ingenious capture he
had planned and executed. Love sharp
ened invention, and the wit Of youth
baffled the prccaution and watchfulness
OF age, while the placid waters OF the
historic Ferry laughed and the grim
mountains above smiled at the blending
oftwo young hearts under such roman
tic and very novel and exciting circum.
stances Sa,mton Virginidn.
Dou Piatt 70 Gen. Garfield.