Morris tribune., 1884-11-19
HIS WEDDING TRIP.
The Transmigrations of an Anecdote
Illustrated by Bright Example.

The Transmigrations of IN Anecdote
Illustrated by Bright Example.
There is q story about wedding trip
that has been knocking about the
country for some time. We have tried
to keep it out of the drawer. but 1t
is of no use to kick against 1t any
longer. 1t was first told to the "Draw-
or'' editor in October, 1888, by o
CLERGYMAN of strict temperance prin-
ciples and high character-in fact, q
total abstainer-who had 1t from a
friend of his, first-hand, who had just
returned from the west. This friend.
mind YOU, saw and heard what he re-
lated, and he was person OF undoubt-
ed veracity, though perhaps as nm abb
stainer, when travelling not SO total as
the clergyman. 1t was, in oriei' to
this effect: In the car on train from
Toledo to Chicago was man who sat
alone, looking absently out OF tho win
dow and appearing detected. During
the passage m accident happened to q
newsboy and the generous passengers
passed round the hat for him. The
solitary man alone of all the car full
refused to contribute anything. not
even quarter. Somebody remarked
audibly upon his stinginess, when no
turned round and said: Gentlemen.
it may appear strange to you that :!
give nothing; but l haven't q cent OF
money. The fact is, l was married
Yesterday, and l am on my wedding
trip, and 1 hadn't money enough to
bring my wife along"
In December following the editor OF
tho drawer" was seated with two
other gentlemen in a library In New
York. One of them said: Il heard .
good story the other day from friend
of mine who has just returned from
Europe. Going down the Danube from
Pesth last summer he noticed on tho
steamboat q melancholy-looking man,
who did not appear to care much for
the scenery, but leaned over the guards
and vacantly regarded the river. Fall
ing into conversation with him he as
certained that the man was q Prussian.
Remarking that the journey did not
seem to interest him, the Prussian
said: No; I'm rather lonesome. The
truth is I'm on my wedding tour. and
l could not afford to bring my wife. !"
The editor of the drawer" said
that it was good story, and that he
began to think it was true, as it was
confirmed by so many Independent
witnesses. Thereupon he took from
his pocket letter which he had re-
ceived that morning from Paris. In it
the writer, gentleman of culture and
| hot inPIhnnf
happened to him last summer. He
and his wife were on a Rhine steamer,
when they noticed melancholy
passenger whom all tho beauties of the
scenery failed to rouse from his dejec-
ton. He was an object of interest to
them all the morning, and at length
his wife's sympathy was so much ex.
cited that she proposed to 60 and
speak to the melancholy stranger and
find out the cause of his sadness. The
husband said that would be foolish
thing to do, and she might get into
trouble. But the wife insisted (fol
though American women have little
curiosity, they have warm hearts), and
crossed over to where the stranger
stood, and accosted him, and they en-
gagged in conversation. In few mo-
ments the lady returned, laughing,
"What is it?" asked the husband.
"Why, the man is on his wedding TRIP
and couldn't afford to bring his wife. u
The editor then related the original
true story as it was told him by the T.
A. clergyman. So it appeared, on un
impeachable testimony, that the same
strange incident happened in the expe
rience of three persons the same veal
enc near Chicago, one on the Rhine
the other on the Danube. Did it hap
pen to any one of these veracious PEG
Pile? When the editor had raised thi
question, the third member of thu
party, who had been silent and had no
interfered with the story in any way
said: II can tell you the real origina
of that story. Several years ago, in
we'll known wholesale house in thi
city, an old bachelor book-keeper, WIN
had been many years with the firm
suddenly announced that he was to b.
married: The partners gave him
weeks holiday, and his fellow-clerks
F raised little purse and presented it tc
pay the expenses of his wedding trip
A couple OF days a1terWard one OF Enc
members of the firm went down te
Newport, and there. lounging about
the Ocean house, and apparently en-
joying himself immensely, he saw his
recently-married old book-keeper-bu,
alone. Where's your wife?' She's
at home But l thought you had
money given you for wedding trip
so did, but didn't understand thai
it was intended to include her."
Now we are not saying that this il
an unwise way of taking what is really
one of the most perilous journeys il
life-a wedding tour. But what could
haye induced all these different re-
spectacle people to appropriate this
particular instance to their oWn person
al observation? It sometimes seems as
if people are not what they should be-
-Harpe,'s Magazine.