The Prairie Farmer, Vol. 56, No. 2, January 12, 1884: A Weekly Journal for the Farm, Orchard and FiresideVarious
Science
The Prairie Farmer, Vol. 56, No. 2, January 12, 1884: A Weekly Journal for the Farm, Orchard and Fireside
Various
Agriculture -- United States -- Periodicals; Farm life -- Periodicals; United States -- Rural conditions -- Periodicals
At the residence of Thomas Barker, three miles from this village, two
people were to-day made man and wife. William Craig left his pretty girl
sweetheart in a fit of jealous anger on the eve of Dec. 9, 1863,
returned a week or two since, found his betrothed still single and true,
and this afternoon the long deferred marriage was consummated. All the
surviving friends of their youth were present, and many half forgotten
associates came from neighboring towns and farms to join in the
merrymaking.
Twenty years ago Will Craig worked on his father's farm near here during
the day and spent his evenings at the residence of a farmer neighbor.
The attraction was Mary Barker, a pretty seventeen-year old girl. Craig
was deeply in love and so was Mary, but like many other girls she liked
to play the coquette occasionally.
Their wedding-day was set for Christmas, 1863, and the prospective bride
felt secure. One evening, however, the pretty Mary pushed her coquetry
too far. On December 7, 1863, Farmer Barker gave an old-fashioned
"sociable" in honor of his daughter's approaching wedding. Craig was
there, of course, but his happiness was marred by the presence of a
Pittsburg youth--a new comer. Mary allowed this young man to pay her
many attentions.
Craig was madly jealous. After all his attention he thought his
betrothed showed too much regard for his rival, and as she only laughed
at his pleadings he grew angry and threatened to leave. Her seeming
indifference made him desperate, and he declared:
"If you dance once more with that fellow you will not see me again for
twenty years."
"You couldn't leave me for even twenty hours if you tried ever so hard,"
she replied, and with a coquettish smile she went off to dance with his
rival.
Craig went home alone that night and the next day was missing. The most
careful search failed to reveal any trace of him. The old couple
continued to till the farm without the aid of the strong-armed son, and
at the neighbor's down the road pretty Mary Barker went about her
household labors with a demure air that told plainly how she regarded
her lover's disappearance. She refused to "keep company" in the
old-fashioned way with any of the young farmers who would willingly have
taken young Craig's place. She went out very little, kept a cat and grew
domestic in her habits. She had an abiding faith that Craig would
return, and to all entreaties would only shake her head and say: "I am
waiting for Will." The firm contour of the cheek grew somewhat less
rounded, the springing step less elastic, but she would not think of
marriage.
Friday, December 7, of this month (December) was just twenty years since
the disappearance of William Craig. In the twilight a bearded man of
forty came up the walk and as Miss Barker opened the door he put out
both hands and said:
"Mary, I have come again."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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