Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1900-11-01
MY WEDDING DAY.
A ROMANCE OF CONCORD AND LEXINGTON.

Well, as I was saying, this is the way
it came about l was a young thing
then, just turned IS. Your grandfather
had been my playmate, hero and pro-
tector from the time that I was old
enough to 60 to school. l had never
thought of marrying any one but him,
and so when he asked me to be his
wife, why, of course, l said Eyes"
Well, it was in the spring Of l775
that we were to be married, Mother
and I spent the winter getting my
things made up, and I had as fine an
outfit as a girl could possibly have in
those days. The day set for the we'd
ding was the 10th of April-yes, the
very day on which the battle of Lex
ington occurred, as l have good reason
to remember. .
Those were anxious days for US. l
remember how serious my father and
brothers used to look as they discussed
the events which were then taking
place. Their only conversation was
about rights, stamps and taxes.
When the towns began to raise "mln-
utemen," why, of course, we raised
company in our town, and your grand
father and my brothers were members
of it. We girls could not stand guard
of course, go in order to show our pa
triotism we all signed paper in which
we agreed not to have anything to do
with the men of the town who refused
to join the company.
The 18th of April was beautiful
day, though warm one for the sea-
son. We were all up early that morn
ing, for there was a great deal to be
done. II was about o'clock in the
forenoon when my mother, who had
been looking over some linen, sudden
ly raised her head, exclaiming as she
did so, "why, Mary, was that the meet
ing-house bell?"
What can it mean ?" I cried, and,
running to the window, I caught sight
of our neighbor's sons, Joe and John
Eaton, running down the road with
their guns. Across the way Harry
Wright was plowing the field. The
boys called out to him as they passed,
and, without stopping to,unbitch the
horse, he seized his gun and was off
across the fields.
1T is an alarm, mother !" l cried
"The boys are down by the brook,
she said. THE sound will not reach
them. Run and tell them -
Without delay l hurried to the
kitchen, and, seizing the horn, l ran
out of the house and started for the
brook, which was some distance from
the house. blew blast on the horn
as l ran, and as the boys caught sight
of me l pointed toward the road where
several men could be seep running
with their guns. The boys understood,
and waving their bands to me, they
were off across the fields to the road.
What do you suppose the matter
is ?" asked mother when l returned to
the house.
"Ido not know, was my reply, "but
I am going to find out" And l ran
out Of the house and took a short cut
across the fields to the Westinghouse,
whioh,was to be the gathering place if
the alarm should ever be sounded, l,
for one, had never expected to hear
any alarm, for at home We hoped for a
peaceful settlement of the difficulties.
But when I reached the church and
saw the whole town gathered on the
green, the mems stern air and the wo-
mems pale faces frightened me, and l
began to fear that something serious
was the matter.
What is it? Where are they 60
ing?" I asked. And as l spoke the
men came hurrying out Of the meet
ing-house, where they had heard few
words from Parson Smith, and mount
ing their horses rode off as fast as they
could go. I looked for your grand
father, but he was not there. Catch-
ing sight of my father l ran to him.
Have you seen Henry ?" (that'syour
grandfather), asked.
Henry was at the tavern when the
messenger rode through here, replied
my father, "and, as he had his horse
with him. he rode away without wait
ing for the company to assemble.
You may imagine my feelings as I
turned to go home. This was my we'd
ding day, and the man who was to
marry me had ridden off without a
word, knowing too that he might never
return, if all they were saying about
fights and resistance was true.
Nv father had reached home before