Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 August 1876 — A Truly Grateful Widower. [ARTICLE]

A Truly Grateful Widower.

Sir Walter Scott used to be fond offtelling the following story of his cousin “ Watty.” Watty aforesaid was a Midshipman in the British navy. On a certain occasion he and his messmates ;had gone on shore at Portsmouth, and had overstayed their leave, besides spending all their money and running up a bill at a tavern at the Point. Their ships made signal for sailing, peremptorily calling all hands on board, but when they would have started, the landlady said: 7 “ No, 'gentlemen, you cannot esthpe without paying your reckoning.’* An| to confirm her words she called a bailiff ind his posse to take charge of them. The Midshipmen felt they were ij a bad scrape ana begged to bo released. “ No, no,” said the resolute matron; ‘ I must be satisfied in some way. You n ist be aware, gentlemen, that you will be totally ruined and disgraced if you do pot go on board in time.” They groaned bitterly, for they kiiew she spoke the truth. ,» “ Well,” she continued, “ I will jive you all a chance. lam so circumstanced here that I cannot well carry on my business as a single woman, and I must contrive somehow to have a husband, or, at all events, I must be able to producf a marriage certificate. Now the only teins upon which I will set you free are that One Of you shall consent to marry me! I ddta’t care a snap which it is; but, by all th 4is holy, one of you I will have for a husband, or else you all go to jail and yfur ship sails without you.” The vixen was not to be coaxed or |ntreated. Tears and prayers were of no anil. After a time the poor middies agreed to draw lots. Watty drew the matrimm al slip of doom. No time was to be lost. A marriage license was speedily proem id, and they went to the nearest church, wt re the knot was tied. The bride on her ret m to the tavern gave them a good dim nr, with plenty of wine, and then sent tl m off in her wherry. Of her own acc rd she had proposed to her husband that is the marriage certificate was her cl *f prize, he was at liberty to live apart fr a her forever if he so chose. The shin sailed, and the young genl tmen religiously adhered to the oath of crocy they had. made previous to drawl j lots. A year after, at Jamaica, a file f English papers reached the luidshipmai g

berth, and Watty, who waa carelessly looking them over, was attracted by the account of a robbery and murder, and the execution of the culprits at Portsmouth. Suddenly leaping to his feet and waving the paper above his head, forgetful of his oath iti the excitement of ecatacy, he cried out, “Thank Heaven! My wife if. hanged!” * _