Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-07-17
HIS WEDDING TRIP.
TIE TransmigratioDs OF an Anecdote Illus
rated By Brisat Example.
fIiarDeri

lIIarper.I
There is n story ABOUT q wedding trip that
| has been shocking about the country for
some time. We have tried TO keep il ont
Of the drawer" but It is OF no use Ia
| kick against il any longer. Il was first told
20 the " Drawer" editor in October, 1859,
! by ccrcymen OF strict temperance prin-
ciplcS aud high charac;er-in fact. total
| alJ>t1inCr-Who had il from a friend Of his.
frst-haDd. who had Just returned from the
West. This friend, mind yOu, saw and
heard what he related. and he was person
of undoUbted veraciiy. though perhaps rs
an abstsincT. when travelling. not so total
as the clergy man. II was, IN brief, 10 this
eject.
III the car on 4 train from Toledo to Chi
cago WAS man who sat alone, looking alb
sently out Of the window and appearing
detected. During the passage an accident
/ happened - newsb0y, and the generous
passengers passed round the hat for hun.
The solitary man alone OF all the carful re-
fused TO contribute anything, not even q
quarter. Somebody remarked audiblg
upon his StingineSs, when he turned rom
and said: "Genticmcn. ID may appear
strange to you that give nothing, hut |
haven't a cent Of money. The Fact is was
I
ding trip, aud I hadn't money enough TO
bring my wife along
In December following the editor Of the
"Drawer was seated wi Ia two her
Gentlemen in q library in New York. One
of them said: II beard good story the
other day from a friend Of mine who has
just returned from Europe. Going down
the Danube from Pc>th last summer he
noticed on the steamboat melancholy
looking man, VINO did not appear to care
much for The scenery, bui leaned over the
guards and vaCantiy regarded the river.
Failing into conversation with him he
a>ccrtainCG that the man was n Prussial.
Romarkin@ that the journey did not
seem to interest him, the PrGssian said:
mo, I'm rather lonesome. The truth i.
I'm on my wedding tour, and could not
afford 20 bring my wife"
The editor Of the drawer" said that 1t
was good story, and that he began 70
think il was true, as it was confirmed by so
many Independent witnesses. Thereup0n
he took from his pocket a letter which he
had received that morning from Paris. In
il the writer, a gentleman % culture and
travel said that a curious incident hap
pened TO him last summer. He and his
wife were on Rhine steamer, when they
noticed melancholy passenger whom all the
beauties OF the scenery failed to rouse from
his detection. lie was an object OF interest
to them all The morning, and At length his
wife's sympathy was so much excited that
she proposed 10 go and speak to the melan-
eloiy stranger and find out the cause OF his
sadness. The husband said that would be
foolish thing to do. aud she might get
into trouble. But the wife insisted 0or
though the American women have little
curiosity. they have warm hearts,, and
crossed over to where the stranger stood,
and accosied him, and they engaged IN
conversation. In few moments the lady
returned laughing. " What Is it," asked
the husband. " Why, the man is a South
German. He says that he is on his we'd
ding trip and couldn't afford TO bring his
wife"
The editor then related the or ginal true
story IS il was told him by the T.. A. clet-
gyman. So it appeared. on uniRpeachable
testimony, that the same strange incident
happened In the experience Of three per-
sons the same year-one near Chicago, one
on the Rhine, the other on the Danube.
Did it happen TO any one OF these veracious
people, When the editor hid raised this
question the third member OF the party.
VI ut Utfi NittuN anu uou iibh
with the story in any way, said: - can
tell you the real original Of that story. Sew
eraI years ago, in u weli-known wholesale
house in this city, an old bachelor book
keeper, who had been many years
with the firm, suddenly announced that be
was to he married. The partners gave him
weeks holiday, and his fellow-clcrks
raised little purse aud presented it TO pay
the expenses Of bis wedding trip. A couple
OF days aiterward one OF the members OF
the firm went down to Newport, and there,
l0unging about the Ocean House, and ap-
parently enjoying himself immensely. ne
saw his recently married old book.keeper-
but alone. where's your wiiey' 'She's
at home But | thought you had money
given you for wedding trip!' so did,
but / didn't understand that II was in-
tended 10 include her,"
Now we are not saying that this is an I'M
wise way Of taking what is really one OF the
most perilous journeys IN life-a wedding
tour. But what could have induced all
these different respectable people TO appro-
PIRATE this particular instance 20 their own
personal observation IL sometimes seems
IA II people are not what they should be.