The very next train took me to the old familiar trysting-place, once more the white-winged dove of peace brooded over the B--mansion, and we all, especially the parents, fully realized that in order to appreciate heaven we must have at least seven days of hell. Shortly after, at the home of the bride's parents, we twain were made one in the presence of numerous friends and presents; the old shoes and rice were duly showered, and we were off for a month's tour, and a lifelong honeymoon. During this wedding tour, at the request of my employers, I combined business with pleasure, the firm generously paying all our expenses, and continuing my salary. We visited many cities, greatly enjoying their varied attractions; but the business part of our journey, which was collecting large sums of money due for books, was not particularly delightful, as the banks had all suspended specie payments as a result of the "green back craze," and I was often obliged to resort to legal measures and attachments of property, to secure from reluctant book sellers the sums long overdue. At one hotel we met with an adventure which well-nigh proved serious. I was awakened at night by the flash from a bull's eye lantern, a sense of suffocation and a scream from my wife. A masked burglar was before me, pressing to my face a handkerchief saturated with chloroform, and endeavoring to take from under the mattress a large sum of money which I had collected the day before. "No noise," said he, "your money or your life." "All right," said I quietly, "I'll get it for you." He stepped back a pace, I quickly pulled from under the pillow my self-cocking revolver, and fired in rapid succession. His pistol exploded at nearly the same time, he dropped to the floor, his light vanished, and for a time all was darkness and suspense. I expected another bullet any moment, and seeing nothing to fire at myself, feared to jump from the bed lest I be seized by invisible hands of the desperate villain. Then came shouts and pounding upon the door by neighbors aroused by the uproar. Encouraged by the reinforcements, I struck a light but the ruffian had escaped through the open window on to a piazza roof, thence by a pillar to the ground. Then we were besieged by excited inquirers, and the rosy-fingered Aurora, daughter of the dawn, appeared before the calm which succeeded the storm. Shortly after our return from this journey, a great light went out on earth to shine in heaven. My wife's father suddenly left the body,--he did not die, for There is no death, what seems so is transition, This life of mortal breath Is but a suburb of the life Elysian, Whose portal we call death. Alderman B---- was a gentleman of the old school, a loving father, a very successful business man, managing marine railways, ship-building and repairing, as well as grain mills. We missed him sadly; but were consoled by the reflection that our great loss was his eternal gain.