The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-07-02
STORY OF AN OLD ROMANCE.
Cash and Steers Had Stronger Appeal
to Young Man Than Love.

An old copy of the Yarmouth Mass
Register, published in 1849, contained
a story OF romance, which is reprinted
here by request:
Tradition has preserved a singular
anecdote of John Thatcher, a son of one
OF the early settlers of this town. He
was married in 1861 to Miss Rebecca
Wlnslow of Duxbury, in Plymouth coun-
.ty, If we mistake not. On his way home
with his new bride he stopped for the
night at the house of a friend. a Col.
Gorham of Barnstable, one of the most
prominent citizens of the town. Mer-
rlment and gayety prevailed, and dur
ing the evening a female infant about
three weeks old was introduced. and
the night of her birth being mentioned
Mr.. Thatcher observed, THAT is the
very night on which we were married. ,
and taking the child in his arms he pre-
sented it to his bride and iokingly said.
Here, my dear, is a little lady that was
born on the same night that we were
married. | wish you would kiss her,
for | intend to have her for my second
wife, | will, my dear, with great
pleasure, replied she, but l hope it will
be very long before your intention is
Auihiicu III tHdU respect.
Mr.. Thatcher and his wife lived
happily together for about 20 years, and
faithfully fulfilled the scriptural injunc-
ton to multiply and replenish the
earth. Mrs. Thacher left large fam
lily of children, among whom was son
named Peter
After Mr.. Thatcher had mourned a
reasonable length of time he began to
think of getting another partner. None
of the maidens, young or old seemed to
please him like Lydia Gorham, the lit
tie lady of the preceding part of the
story, now grown up, if we may believe
tradition, to a fair, comely girl, full of
gushing life, as the poets say. But
there was one impeachment in the way
His eldest son, Peter, had shown a
prediction for the girl, and the old
man was at a loss to decide whether
she favored the suit of the sire or the
son. The one rode black horse in his
visits, and the other rode white
There was a kind of tacit agreement
between the two that one should not
interfere with the visits of the other;
so that when the father found a white
horse tied in front of Col. Gorham s.
unlike the Good Samaritan, he crossed
over on the other side; and the son.
when the black horse was there, re-
turned the favor.
Thus things went on until the pa
thence of the old gentleman was we'll
nigh exhausted, and he resolved upon
desperate step to decide the matter.
Taking his SON one side, he said to him:
: Peter, are you or arc you not going to
marry Lydia Gorhanie' Peter replied
that he had not yet made up his mind
Well said the old gentleman, [ will
make you an offer: If you will give
her up and court her no more l will give
you l3 pounds in money and a pair of
black steers What do you say to that =
The young man hestated but moment
It's a bargain, said he and it is due
the parties to say that it was observed
by them all with perfect good faith.
Whether Lydia knew the bargaining
that her charms had occasioned, ira
dltion sayeth not, but she subsequently
became Mr.. Thacher's wife, and bore
him 10 children, from whom many mem
.bers of the numerous and highly re-
spectacle family of Thatcher have
sppung. Our venerable townsman, Mr.
Peter Thacher, is the great grandson of
Peter, noticed above.