Rensselaer Union, Volume 3, Number 36, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 June 1871 — A Local Romance. [ARTICLE]

A Local Romance.

Tradition ha* preserved a singular anecdote of John a son of one of the earliestlsettlers of this town. He was married inlCGl, to Miss Rebecca Winslow, of Duxbury, in Plymouth County, 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 that town. Merriment and gayety prevailed, and during the evening a female infant about three weeks old was introduced and the night of her birth being mentioned, Mr. Thatcher observed,,“This is the very night in which we were married," he presented it to his bride, and jokingly said, “ Here, my dear', is a little lady that was bom on the same night we were married, I wish you would kiss her, for I intend to have her for my second Wife.” “I will, my dear, with great pleasure ” replied she, “ but I hope it will be very long before your intention is fulfilled in that respect” Mr. Thatcher and his wife lived happily together for about twenty years, and faithfully fulfilled the scriptural injunction to/ multiply and replenish the earth.” Mrs. T. died, leaving a large family of children, amodg whom was a son named Peter, x__ . ; :

After Mr. Thatcher had mourned a sufficient 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 little lady of the preceding part of the story, now grown up, if we may believe tradition, to a fair and comely girl, “ full of gushing Hfe," as poets say. But there was one impediment in the way. Ills eldest son, Peter, had shown a predilection for the girl, and the old man was at a loss to decide whether she favored the suit of the sire or tho son. The one rode a black horse in his visits and the other a white. There was a kind of tacit agreement between the two that one should not interfere with the visits of the other; so when tho father found a white horse tied in front of Col. Gorham’s, nnlike the good Samaritan he crossed over to the other side; and the *qn, when the black horse was there returned the favor. Thus things went on till the patience of the old man was well nigh exhausted, and ho resolved upon a desperate step to decide the matter. Taking his son one side, he said to him: “ Peter, are you or are you not going to marry Lydia Gorham?” Peter replied that he had not made up his mind. “ Well,” said the old- gentleman, “ I will make you an offer; if you will give her up and court her no more, I.will give you thirteen pounds in money and the black steers. What do you say to that?” The young man hesitated but a moment. ” ’Tia a bargain," said he; and it is due the parties to say that it was observed by them all with perfect good feith. Whether Lydia knew the bargaining that her charms had occasioned, tradition sayeth not; but she subsequently became Mr Thatcher’s wife, and Dore him ten children from whom many members of the numerous family have sprung. Gar venerable townsman, Mr. Peter Thatcher is the great grandson of Peter noticed above.— Yarmouth (Mom.) Register. A rouse man with a plump sweetheart may call her lump- sugar.