Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1889-04-10
THIRTY YEARS AGO.

About II Three Preachers Employed
and Almost No Pecacher-An Is Wen
That Ends Well MIR. Hukill Composes
Poem.
A representative Of the REPUBLICAN,
meeting William A. lIukill the other day,
bubbling oVer with tmiles, congratulated
BIN upon bis 30th wedding anniversary,
which he and his wife celebrated on the
evening of April 1.
His smiles grew bro sder and with more
sunshine in them as he thought over the
matter aud as Mr.. Hukill gave his wife
rather novel surprise on that occssion
the REPUBLICAN scribe asked him to tell
all a. out The trouble he had 80 years ago
In getting minister TO tic the bymenlal
knot
Mr. Hukill faltered momeut and con-
cluded that he would tell 1t all; then com.
mencing he said, the principle object was
to work genuine surprise for his 80
year married wife ard IN as much as he
could not very well have the celebration
on the evening of March 81, that baiug
the date OF the wedding, but that date
coming on Sunday this year, he CON
cluded that q full 1edged April Fool
would be In keeping with the other novel
incidents connoo;el with 10, and 80 he
concluded to have 1t on the evening Of
April I.
Consequently he moved slow and eau
tiously The fret thing TO do was TO APP
prise hla two brothers Of his scheme, one
10 Pittsburg and the other In OIL CITY.
Pa, aud ascertain whether they luld be
present. One of them satd he could not
be present, but the other tail 1t was Just
the thing, and he and mis- wife would be
on hand. That settled the matter, and
the next thing TO ascertain was whe, her
! the reverened gentleman who tied the
knot thirty years ago, now living in Bal
tlinore, could be present The result of
this was 10 ASCERTAIN that on account of q
previous engagement he could not be
present.
Becoming anxious to know what were
the novelties connected with the first
| wedding, as reported 10 the meaRre re
p rts OF the second wedding, tho REpuu-
LICAN interviewer asked Mr.. Hukiil TO
get down into the heart Of the matter at
once.
''Well, IN tell YOU" said Mr.. Hukill,
and proceeding be sa d the thing which
| gave rise To the difficulty that caused so
much trouble aud came near causing q
failure, was the failure on the part OF the
pastor engaged to fill his engagement.
He was the Rev. Samuel W. Thomas,
then ON the Smyrna Circuit but now, be-
thought connected with the Methodist
book rooms, p iladelpha.
who were the parties then and how
a." said Mr.. Hukill, twas a young
farmer then. living in AppoQuiniminls
hundred on the farm where / had be Ii
raised. The intended bride was Miss
Emma Stephenson, an English farmers
dsu2ht6. residing IN the same hundred,
near Smyrna. The gIoomsnan was An.
drew Spear, living on an adjoining farm,
and is still living there, The bridesmaid
was Miss Anna slmp on, auotber English
farmers daughter, then OF Kent county
but now of Germantown, Pa. Rtv
Matthias German was q retired NJ. Il
preacher Of high standing and more thar
ordinary ability, of smyrna, who Mr.
Thomas undertook TO use as q substitut,
without the consent Of the parties con
cerned. DR.. Urammer, a distinguished
Episcopal minister who tied the knot
and MIRA. Margaret Nelson, now living IL
= this city, were the principal parties to til,
transaction. Margaret from her you'll
lived in the family and was one of u,
family, had every advantage to know
: what was going on In the family ant
} could not have been expected TO turn
deaf ear 10 what che heard Just at tina
time. Naturally she was quite concerne,
with the condition OF things, as the dini
culties continued TO develop and multi
ply.
Mr.. Hukill had taken the preeautiol
TO wait on Rev 8. w. Thomas some tim
previous to the wedding TO know If b.
could engage his services for the occasion
as he was his first choice Of all the Netho
dist preachers he knew. Knowing tina
conference would be in session at tina
time he took his address, SO that b,
might pass letters to remove every doub
of delay on his being present. Every
thing went straight until the day befor,
the great event was TO come of, when ht
4 got letter from Mr.. Thomas, breaking
his engagement and stating that he haC
written to Mr.. German to act as HE sub
stitute, but left 1t open for himself Il
come, provided he could make II suit
From that time the mixture OF tribula
ton and fun began. The first suggestion
4 of revenge be had was that however higl
not willing that Mr. Thomas should rur
4 that wedding with substitute, MOI
could he have named q man who would
have been acceptable under the eircum
= stances, go IN about the time It required
to ride i've miles on horseback he was IN
i consultation with Mr.. Spear and his In
: tended, planning hos they could defeat
MIR. Thomas purposes II he failed to pu
in IN appearance, or uee his substitute
at their convenience, provided they failed
T to procure any other minister. A pro
gram was soon arranged that Mr.. Speal
was to 70 to the depot first to SEQ if Mr.
e Thomas came, and IL be did not then h,
: was to try for DIR. Gr4mmer; if he failed
r then try for the Presbyterian minister
L aud II all these failed then there was NJ
= alternative than to fall back on the goot
old local preacher, Mr.. German, tn
substitute, as necessity, not supposipl
that Mr.. German would come withou
being sent for.
At the proper time Mr.. Hukill was a
the proper place and was shown to hi
room to await developments, aud ha,
e scarcely been shut ia from the world be
II tore he heard knock at tie door, whicl
T was answered by Margaret. Who shoul,
u tho knocker be but the good cd looa
A preacher, aud there was the mi chief Z
d play, for when she invited hin In,
placed his hat upon the table with Oh
remark that he had come TO marry
couple and would like 10 see the parties
why, laws, they have aent for d.
= Grammer, but be seated, and If he don
come, you will get the job all the same,
said Margaret, with more enthusiast
than di erection.
"Umph, humph," grunted the loo,
deacon, and gathering up his bat b
| closed the door on his heels and lef