Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-07-22
W. Ii. VS. Love R0manea

5 W. IL. VS. Love Romance.
f HOW THE WORLDS RICHEST MAN WON
WIFE-HIs AWKWARD INTRODUCTION IT,
THE BELLE OF ALBANY AND ITS HApp,
sEQUEL-INcIDENTs OF HIS CoURTsH1p
1t was bright moonlight night, in Alba
ny, some thirty-five years ago. and the
streets were filed with loving couples wbc
walked arm and arm upand down and ove1
the many hills in the city. The clock in a
nelghoorlng steeple was Ginning the hour
OF III, when young lady who was walking
through tue quiet and deserted streets was
fstartless by the clatter of horses hoofs,
soon she saw coming up the street at
oreak-neck pace bay-horse, on which was
seated young man with auburn hair and
a beautiful, smiling mouth. His upper Lin
was shielded from the night air by a six
months moustache, which boasted OF
twenty-five reddish brown hairs. The
young man handled his horse with such
ease and grace that the young lady sighed
ana knew her heart had gone out to the
unknown rider. By this time the horse
and rider had reached the corner where the
young lady stood, and she being of mod
est, retiring nature, withdrew in the shadow
OF doorway.
The horse saw the movement, and being
a spirited animal SHE'D and threw it's rider.
who fell heavily on pile of stones, strik-
ing the left side of his face and utterly r1-
ming the stone heap. The young lady
screamed and sprang forward, supposing
the young man was either dead or very
badly hurt. Hardly had she reached his
| side when he jumped up, shook himself
and brushed the dust from his face,
"Are-are you hurt very badly?'' timidly
| inquired the young lady.
'Not at all, Miss-Miss-a stammered
the youth.
'Miss Kissam,'' whispered the Young
lady, while many bushes suffused her
pretty face
"Well, Pm not hurt, Miss Kissam," said
William Fl. Vanderbilt as he introduced
himself, s'but Pm pretty badly shaken up.''
Miss Nissan appeared embarrassed and
insisted upon Mr.. Vanderbilt's going to her
home, as he suddenly appeared very faint.
1t did not take much persuasion to induce
him to escort her home. Here he was in
troduced to Miss Kissam's father, the Rev.
DR.. Nissan.
A pleasant evening was spent, and Will
liam proved such an excellent conversation
alist that when he took his departure that
evening he was invited to call again. This
he promised to do. When he got to the
street he found that he had forgotten his
heart and taken Miss Kissam's instead.
Evidently the young lady was srtisfied
with the exchange, for she did not ask Mr..
Vanderbilt to return her palpitator Many
times did the young couple meet Finally
young "Vandy," as his companions called
him, plucked up courage and decided to
ask Miss Nissan to change her name in
his favor
He put off the popping from day to
day until the next July, when the Sunday
school of which Mr.. Vanderbilt was stper-
intendent gave a picnic. Miss Kissam was
present, and ''Vandy" popped.
When this momentous event occurred
young William dropped on his knees with
such force that the earth quaked. He lis
tened for an answer to this request, and
amid the singing of birds and the rustling
of leaves it came, softly and lowly whis-
pered "Yes.''
If reports are true, Mr.. Vanderbilt's
strength greatly exceeded that possessed
by Samson in his palmiest days; for when
Williams paroxysm of joy had passed away
there were several hundred young saplings
lying around torn up by the roots.
Drawing big pocket-knife the happy
young man cut deep into the bark of
stately maple the words, ''Mr. and Mrs.
William Fl. Vanderbilt" just to see how it
would look in print"
1t satisfied him and few months later
the young couple were married by the
brides father. With his marriage Mr..
Vanderbilt prospered and to-day is the
richest man in the world. Never has he
regretted his union with pretty Miss Kis-
sam the sshp11a Of A1haDv -
TO this day Mr.. Vanderbilt tells the story
of his first love. Any one who can find the
maple where Mr.. V. carved his name, to-
gether with ''Mr. and Mrs." may to this
day see the words Even now when he
thinks of how he first met his wife he will
remark:
'Funny meeting, eh9" and will then
sigh as he thinks how the stone heap must
have suffered.
Although Mr.. Vanderbilt talks that way
he knows better. Nobody knows better
than he that he is the eldest son of his faith
Ell, the late Commodore Vanderbilt, of
Staten Island, who left dollars enough to
keep Williams head above water for all
time. The present head of the house, Will
liam H., has done better than his father
could have dreamed, as the old gentleman
was in the habit Of limiting that his "boy
Bill'' had more feet than head. For all
that ''Bill' has so many Government bonds
that steam-engine going day and night
has hard work to clip off the coupons in
time for payment.
Mr. and Mrs. Vanderbilt have six chill
dren-three daughters and three sons
One of tie latter, Cornelius, lives across
the street in fine granite house. Another
son is William K, a chip of the old block.
The last is George Washington, who is his
fathers pet. The daughters are all mar
ried-Mrs. Twombly, Mrs. Webb, and Mrs.
Sheppard York Journal.