"On thee, blest youth, a father's hand confers
The maid thy earliest, fondest wishes knew;
Each soft enchantment of the soul is hers;
Thine be the joys to firm attachment due." ROGERS.
_Monday, October 19th._
It is six months to day since I was married and left my beloved home.
What would you say to your daughter if she were to tell you that
sometimes she has been so unthankful for all her mercies as to wish she
had never left the shelter of the paternal roof or the warm embrace of
parents and sisters. But so it has been, and I have determined to
confess it to you. I think it will guard me from ever indulging again in
distrust or jealousy. But I forget that I have told you nothing of our
journey and return. I have enough to fill many pages of my journal.
We started on a clear, bright morning in September, and in two or three
hours reached P----. We went directly to the house of Friend Shove,
where we met by appointment Friend Estes, her husband Jotham, and her
daughter Elizabeth. I suppose Jenny, our old nurse at home, would have
told me as she used sometimes to do when I was a child, that I had "got
out of bed wrong," for I felt cross all the morning. And when as we rode
on, (we were in our own carriage, and some of the wedding party were to
take it back,) Frank tried to cheer me, and said kindly, "You must
expect sometimes to feel a little out of tune," I only felt worse. When,
however, I saw the smooth, placid face of Friend Estes, and her bright,
smiling, blushing Lizzie, as she is affectionately called, I began to
think there were pleasant spots in the world after all. And when I had
sat down at a neat table covered with everything to tempt one's
appetite, and had taken a cup of delicious coffee, and a slice of ham, I
felt decidedly more reconciled to life. I could eat nothing before I
started. After waiting half an hour, we all walked to meeting, where, as
in England, among the same denomination, the males occupy one part of
the house and the females the other. Josiah Nelson and Elizabeth Estes
sat on the high seat in front of the audience, and in sight of all of
them. After sitting for some time without a word being spoken, Josiah
arose and took Elizabeth by the hand, saying, "In the presence of this
assembly, I take this my friend Elizabeth Estes to be my wife, promising
through divine assistance to be unto her a faithful and affectionate
husband until death shall separate us."
Then Elizabeth in a sweet voice which she vainly tried to keep from
trembling, said, still holding her friend by the hand, "In the presence
of this assembly, I take this my friend Josiah Nelson to be my husband,
promising through divine assistance, to be unto him a faithful and
affectionate wife until death shall separate us."
They then subscribed their names to the certificate, which was as
follows:--"Whereas, Josiah, son of Samuel and Hannah Nelson, and
Elizabeth, daughter of Jotham and Elizabeth Estes, have declared their
intentions of taking each other in marriage to P---- monthly meeting of
the Society of Friends held in P----, according to the good order used
among them; and their proceedings after due inquiry and deliberate
consideration thereof being allowed by the said meeting; they appearing
clear of all others, and having consent of parents, these are to certify
to all whom it may concern, that for the full accomplishment of their
said intention, this sixteenth day of the ninth month, in the year of
our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty-five, they, the said
J. N. and E. E., appeared at a religious meeting of the aforesaid
society in P----, and did declare," etc. [See marriage contract as
above.]
After this novel and interesting ceremony had concluded, we returned to
a most bountiful dinner with the hospitable family of Friend Shove; and
soon after bidding our friends "farewell," we proceeded on our journey.