LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2353, 18 October 1881, Page 4

LITERATURE.

HOW WE GOT MARRIED. [" London Sooiety.' "J It is curious to reflect how the majority of married couples may be said to have drifted into the wedded state. Some chance meet, ing, some trifling circumstance, is in many cases the commencement of an acquaintance that ripens into a life-long union. ' That not Impossible she Who shall command my heart and me' is rarely (save In France) introduced to us in orthodox form as onr fntnre wife. We stumble on our fate unexpectedly in nine cases out of ten ; a visit to a country house; a shower of rain, which induces us to lend ourjumbrolla to a stranger ; a journey by a public conveyance—all these may be the first steps on the road that leads us into the proverbial ' lane which has no turning.' We sheltered a young lady from a shower of hail at a flower show, and little thought then that she was the fnture Mrs Brown. When we assisted that old gentleman and hia daughter at the railway station, nothing was further from our thoughts than matrimony ; yet in another twelve months that youDglady was standing beside us in the full glory of white satin and orange blossoms. * As for accidents, if I ever met with one by road or rail, and was conveyed to a private house for recovery (people always are, in novels), I should, if a single man, fully expect that a beautiful daughter of the house would undertake the post of sick-nurse, and eventually become my wife. After all, it was through an accident, thatldid get married. Not from the orthodox fall from a horse, or injury in a train, but an accident of another kind. Twenty years ago I went to my first ouraoy. I was young then, and except for my school and university career, had never left home before. I found myself terribly lonely at first, at Martinon-Sands. It was a dull respectable little watering-place, on the east coast 5 with

the usual row of white honsea with green blinds faoing the sea ; the usual ' esplanade:' the usual little shops where Bhell ornaments were sold. It was an Intensely quiet place ; ita inhabitants proudly boasted that 'no excursions ever came there,' indeed there wan nothing to attract them. J here are two types of English seaside resorts : the gay and noisy, where donkeys, bands, and niggers flourish ; and the quiet Bpots like Martin-on-Sands. where existence is peaceful, not to say stagnant. People with large families came to us during the summer and autumn, lodgings and provisions being reasonable, and the sands affording capital p*'aygrounds for the children j but the town was not a lively residence at the best of times. The vioar was an old man greatly afflicted with gout, and the chief work of the parish devolved on his curate; but there was not very arduous toll for either or us Most of the townspeople had realised the Wise Man's wish and possessed 'neither poverty nor riches.' Except season visitors we had few gentry among us; small lodging - houße keepers, shop - keepers, and fisher - folk making up the bulk of onr population. At the same time we bad hardly any actual poor. The fishers were, as a claee, quiet hardworking people, and seemed able to earn enough to keep themselves and families in fair comfort. Of course there was the usual routine of parish work, church services and school, sick and aged people to visit; but I found my time certainly not too well filled. Mr Grey, the iocumbent, disliked anything new, and would not have permitted any additions to the usual round of my parochial labors ; so I found plenty of leisure In which to be dull. We were |a large merry family at home, and sometimes, sitting by myself in my lodgings, evening after evening, time went slowly enough. A few months after my instalment in my new post, I succeeded in persuading a married sister to oome to Martin on-Sands with her children. This was, indeed, a pleasant change for me, and nearly every evening I used to go round to her lodgings to enjoy a chat with her and a romp with the children, with whom I was a great favorite. One dark autumn evening I had started out later than usual—a visit to a sick man had detained me ; but I was anxious not to omit my usual call, as Helen was to return to London the next day. I hurried along the neat row of houses which formed the aristocratic portion of our town, and rapped at the well-known door.

' Yon need not announce me,' I said, passing the neat maidservant; 'I am expected;' and I hurried upstairs. Just outside the drawing-room door lay a large black far rug, which I had never observed before. As I looked at it the idea struck me that I might make a brilliant entrance into the room on this farewell vi' it. It was past seven o'clook; all the children would be assembled in the drawing room after their tea I would enter In the character of a bear. Wrapping myself in the rug, I opened the door and crawled in on all-fours, emitting sundry growling sounds. A scream greeted me—that was to be expected ; but in place of the laughter that ought to have succeeded It, I was terrified to hear a shrill female voice, certainly not Helen's, exclaiming, 'Thieves 1 Murder I Rose, Maria ! help, help !' Stunned for a moment, I hastily began to disengage the bear dress ; and when I got the length of my knees with my head free, to my dismay, found myself in a strange room, with two strange ladies standing oppo. site { one young and very pretty, the other a muoh. older one, who stood intrenched behind a chair, in which she had doubtless been peacefully dozing until disturbed by my abrupt entry. It must have been a shock to her to be awnke from tranquil repose by the sight of a strange animal crawling in at the door, nor was the discovery that the animal was a strange man likely to reassure her. As for myself—a German author has noted in his diary that at a certain date he ' behaved like a fool' —l certainly passed a similar mental verdict on myself. I had evidently entered a wrong house by mistake, and played what looked like a practical joke on an entire stranger. It was a dignified and pleasant position for the curate of the parish to find himself in I If the story spread to the rector's ears! Mr Gray was a starched specimen of the old school of frigid politeness, who abominated levity of demeanour, and I am sure would not have crawled on all-fours had his life depended upon it. I was young and nhy, and my absurd position was really no joke to me. As soon as I could find breath I essayed to explain matters to the frightened and irate old lady. I apologised most hum bly for my intrusion, explained my mistake; but my efforts were ill-received. I found an ally however in the shape of the sweet looking girl, who endeavoured to mollify the old lady's wrath, accepted my apologies smilingly, and joined me in every possible way in trying to soothe her angry relative. ' It's all a mistake, auntie,' she whispered. ' Don't you Bee it's Mr Morley, our curate ?'

' And more shame for him to play Mich a vulgar ungentlemanly triok I' retorted the old dame, not to be so easily mollified. * Madam, you cannot think I intended to alarm yon thus,' I stammered, wishing I conld sink into the floor. 'I unfortunately mistook the honse ; I was intending to make a little diversion for my nephews and nieces.' ' la there not a number on my door, sir ! Could you not have ascertained that you had entered the right house before commencing this buffoonery? Very unbecoming for a clergyman in any case, in my judgment. ' ' O auntie!' whispered the young. iady, her faoe flashing. Then turning to me, she said gently, ' My aunt is not strong, and this has startled her; but lam sure the mistake was quite aooidental on your part.' How grateful I felt to her for those kind words! ' Sir,' said the old lady, eyeing me severely throngh her spectacles, ' as my niece appears to know you. and states that you are the curate of this parish, I suppose I am bound to acquit you of intentions of robbery, which your extraordinary oonduot at first suggested. At the same time it is difficult to understand any gentleman in your position exhibiting himself, even to juvenile relatives, in the foolish, the undignified manner in which you entered this room. I should have imagined that Mr Gray would have selected an assistant of less levity of oharacter. My nerves have received a severe shock, and as you are now aware that this is not the honse you intended to visit, perhaps you will leave us.' I blundered through a few more apologies, and'went out terribly crestfallen, though the young lady bowed and smiled as we parted. Evidently she was not offended. Helen received the news of my adventu re with peals of laughter. '(Charlie, Charlie! that yon should have selected old Mrs Figgot of all people to play this trick upon! You are an unlucky fellow !' 'Do you know the old lady, then ? ' 'Only by repute. She comes here every year, and has often lodged with my landlady. She is really a kind-hearted old soul, I believe, but has a very crusty temper.' * I can vouch for that,' I answered, ruefully. *O, if I had only been there! ' cried Helen, going off into fresh peals of laughter. ' Poor dear Charlie crawling in, and old Mrs Piggot'a wrath —what an introduction to one of your parishioners ! I wonder if the old lady will ever forgive yon.'

She did one day. Probably the reader guesses the sequel of my story. I made Helen call on the offended dame next day, and she suoceeded in making my peace so well that I was allowed to present my apologies in person afterwards. Then I called occasionally ; of course on eaoh occasion seeing Miss Rose, the old lady's niece. Then, as Fate willed it, Mrs Piggot fell ill, and took a fancy to winter at Martin-on-Sands. Of course Miss Rose and I met frequently during these months. A fiiendshlp grew up between ns ; friendship often ripeos into a deeper feeling. Just a year after my abrupt entrance into Mrs Piggot'a drawing room I married my Rose. The old lady agre. dat last—l think she had her doubts about my 'steadiness of conduct,' but although only a curate I had a comfortable private income to offer Rose, who had hitherto been a pensioner oh her aunt, and this cironmatance may have weighed in my favour. ' " "It Is a long time since our wedding day ; bat as I look back I feel grateful to the accident whioh was instrumental in bestowing on me the sweeteet and dearest wife that over blessed a men's home. At the same time I would not advise my readers to enter strange houses wrapped in rags, on the chance of finding another Rose.