and may God take us to his bosom. All which may he grant for the
sake of the Messiah.

" GREAT BARRINGTON, 1820."

If ever solemn supplication to heaven was answered on
earth, this one assuredly was, by a long life of reciprocal love,
esteem, confidence, and helpfulness.

On the IIth of June, 1821, they were married at the house
of the bride's sister, Mrs. Henderson, ^* and a few days later
the groom communicated to his mother the facts and embar-
rassments of the occasion in this whimsical way : ^†

" DEAR MOTHER : I hasten to send you the melancholy intelli-
gence of what has lately happened to me.

" Early on the evening of the eleventh day of the present month I
was at a neighboring house in this village. Several people of both
sexes were assembled in one of the apartments, and three or four oth-
ers, with myself, were in another. At last came in a little elderly gen-
tleman, pale, thin, with a solemn countenance, pleuritic voice, hooked
nose, and hollow eyes. It was not long before we were summoned to
attend in the apartment where he and the rest of the company were
gathered. We went in and took our seats; the little elderly gentle-
man with the hooked nose prayed, and we all stood up. When he had
finished, most of us sat down. The gentleman with the hooked nose
then muttered certain cabalistical expressions which I was too much
frightened to remember, but I recollect that at the conclusion I was
given to understand that I was married to a young lady of the name
of Frances Fairchild, whom I perceived standing by my side, and I

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