Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1901-01-22
MY WEDDING DAY

Il ELL, dS W us Sdg Ing, IAlS IS
ANSW the way it came about: l was
a young thing then, just turn
I ed IS Your grandfather had been my
playmate, hero and protector from the
time that | was old enough to go to
school. l had never thought of marry
ing any one but him, and so when he
asked me TO be his wife, why, of
course, | said Yes"
Well it was in the spring of 1775 that
we were to be married. Mother and |
spent the winter getting my things
made up, and | had as fine an outfit as
a girl could possibly have in those days.
The day set for the wedding was the
nineteenth of April-yes, the very day
on which the battle of Lexington occur
ned, as l have good reason to remem-
Der.
The nineteenth of April was n beautI-
fBl d:y, though warm one for the sea
so>. We were all UP early that morn
ing, for there was a great deal to be
dGne. 1t was about 8 o'clock in the
forenoon when my mother, who had
been looking over some linen. suddenly
raised he, head, exclaiming as she did
SO, WIZ, Mary, was that the meeting
house, beHF
"What can it mean?" I cried, and
running to the window, l caught sight
90 our neighbours sons Joe and John
Eaton. running down the road with
shefr guns. Across the way Harry
Wright was blowing the field The
aS-s called out to him as they passed.
and without stopping to unhitch the
horse, he seized his gun and was off
across the fields.
cit is an alarm, mother" I cried.
"The hoys are down by the brook"
she said. The sound will not reach
lhem"
without delay I hurried to the kstch
en-, and, Selling the horn l ran out of
the house and started for the brook
which was some distance from the
house. | blew n blast on the horn as
ran, and as the boys caught sight of
me / pointed toward the road, where
several men could be seen running with
sheir guns The boys understood, and
waving their hands to me. they were
on across the field to the road.
"What is it? Where are they goinrr
asked. And as | spoke the men came
hurrving out of the meeting-house
where they had heard few words
from Parson Smith, and. mounting
.beir horses. rode of as fast as tbar
could so. | looked for your GRANDPA.
sber hue he was not there CATCHING
sight Of my father, ran 10 him. Have
Won seen HeuryE your grand
father-I asked.
Henry was ut the tavern when the
messenger rode through here" renlied
nv father and, as ne had his horse
with him. he rode away without wait
sng FOR the company To assemble.
NV father had reached home before
1ue. and as l opened the door I heard
mother ask, DO Seu think il is any
ching serious, fatherE
IL am afraid it may be, wife, he said.
The messenger said that Gov. Gage
has sent some of the kings troops TO
destroy the supplies which have been
stored ut Concord. II the report is true.
there will be resistance, and il il comes
60 that il viii be very serious business
Eor us"
The first news that came 10 Us from
che fight az Lexington and the other do
ings OF that day arrived about O'Clock
IN sae afternoon. when some minute
men from another town stopped at the
savern on their way home. They told
the story Of the day to the little crowd
OF anxious women who eagerly queS-
'!oned them for news of some dear one.
My father would not let me go down
; 70 the tavern. but went down himself
and brought us the news.
Something unusual has happened.
Mary. exclaimed my mother. Il never
saw your father look so excited
l FASTENED down the path 70 meet
him.
Sad news, my child: bad news" he
exclSiEed. There has been an encoun-
ter with the kings troops" And then.
reading the question in my eyes. he con
Jinued. But they brought no news OF
our men,
The hour set for the wedding was s
O'clock. but it began TO look as II there
would be 70 weGding. for il was now
after O'Clock and none Of our men
had returned home.
At last We heard steps outside. and
then MY brother Arthur, who was
among lie first TO reach home, stagger-
ed into lie room. | sprans - and ran