St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-04-20
a ROMANTIC MARRIAGE.
Happy Termination of a Lengthy
COurtship.

Special to the Globe.
PHILADELPHIA, April 19.-Passed As
sistant Engineer Frank j. Hoffman, of the
United States navy, will start for Alaska
next week on his wedding tour. With
him. OF course. goes his bride. who until a
few days ago was Miss Marie Antoinette
Zane Of Germantown, a daughter of Abra-
ham V. Zane of the Philadelphia bar.
The receipt of orders from the naval de-
partment to sail from San Francisco on
April 80 for Sitka, where he is to Join
the United States steamer Pinta, somewhat
hastened Engineer Hoffman's marriage.
which otherwise would not have taken
place until after Easter, the bride being a
devont member of the 9rotcstant Episcopal
church and opposed to lenten festivities.
Miss Zane preferred TO be married at home
to running the risk of meeting her fiance
on the Pacific coast and wedding him there
after the penitential season had ended,
having in mind a bitter disappointment
which both had experienced nearly five
years ago. At that time the young man
was one OF the officers of the
United States man-of-war Essex. Orders
were received to sail for the Pacific station
and he hastily wrote TO his sweetheart here
to join him in New York OH a certain day
when they would be married and she could
follow him on vessel which was to sail a
few days later and carry out the wives OF
many of the EsSex'S officers. Some
pected for some time and the
prospective bride had had her trosseau pre-
pared in anticipation of the event. Eagerly
she counted the days antil the date when
she should become Mrs. Hoffman, and she
spent not little time in visiting her friends
and bidding them goodbye. A day or two
before she expected to run over TO Gotham
she received a letter addressed in her lovers
handwriting. A glance, and it told her the
whole story, and she fell to the floor in a
dead faint. Tho Essex had come to New
York with sealed orders. There was
NOT a LITTLE MYSTERY
hanging over everything, and no man was
permitted to go ashore. Stores, provisions
and fuel were taken on for the long voyage
around the cape, and then, without any
warning whatever, orders were given TO
get under way, and three days ahead of the
time she had been announced to sail.
the Essex. with flags flying, put out
to sea. Correspondence between Phil
adelphis and Panama was necessarily
slow and the engineer had a long
time to wait before he heard from Miss
Zane. linen ne learned tilat her parents
did not approve Of her, following him. and
that she had decided to await his return.
The months dragged into a year. and the
years dragged slowly by until three had
been numbered with the past. Then
news came at last that the Essex
was coming back. and the hearts of the
lovers beat fast once more with happy
anticipation OF their meeting and the Joy
was increased when orders came from
Washington assigning Mr.. Hoffman to the
naval board of examining engineers with
headquarters i'm this city. Here he came in
January. 1885, and here he has remained ever
since. Tne courtship of the young couple
had been short, and it was therefore de-
cided that it should be continued for a
year or eightet months unless the pros
pective groom should be ordered away
in the meantime. when it was understood
the wedding should take place at once.
Mr.. Hoffman resided at 1419 Grand avenue
and Miss Zane lived in Germantown. The
marriage took place at the residence of
the brides parents on April 1, the Rev. J..
X. Murphy of st. Michaers Protestant
Episcopal church performing the eere-
mony. Since the wedding Mr.. Hoffman
has been residing at Mr.. Zanes house.