CHAPTER 8
September 30, 1839
Standing at the end of the aisle was Albert, weaving and swaying with a gun in his hand pointed at me. Suddenly the garden went quiet. Jesse and my father started up the aisle. "Don't come any closer, or I will shoot Sarah." "How did you get in here?" my father asked. "It was easy, Albert said." " I just skirted around to the back of the house. Remember I spent alot of time here as a child playing with sarah." Why wasn't I invited sarah? " I had no answer to that question in front of all of my guests. Mother was standing next to me, holding my arm and trying to keep me from falling apart. How could he think he would ever be welcome in my home again.
Even though I was shaking,quietly I asked Albert what he wanted. I didn't want to further antagonize him in his drunken stupor and he accidently shoot me or someone else. Especially my father or Jesse. "Albert, if I come and talk with you quietly will you leave and we will forget this ever happened?" He started crying and dropped his gun to the floor, my father then walked up to hm and picked up the gun. He told Albert there was nothing he could do so it would be better if he just left. One of the guests that knew Albert well, went up to him and walked hm out of the house. The wedding guests were all wondering what was happening and why Albert had shown up here waving a gun around. My father quetly asked everyone to please return to their seats and let the ceremony continue.
Jesse and I turned back around to face the priest and as he looked at me I knew I could put my life and trust in this man. His face was shining and as he repeated the vows to love, honor and cherish me and protect me from all harm. I realized ,as I repeated my vows, that I was beginning to fall in love with this man and truly meant my vows also. I would honor and cherish this man untl my death.
The reception afterwards went off without a hitch and everyone seemed to be enjoying them selves. Soon it was time for me to change into my traveling clothes. I raced up the stairs and as I got to the top threw my bouquet over the railing to all of the single girls standing below. Then ran into my room to change. Mother came in and hugged me and told me I was a very lucky girl and to be careful on our honeymoon. I didn't know where we were going as Jesse had kept that part as a surprise, but I promised her I would write often and we would come to see them as often as we could after we settled in the house on the Hudson. She started crying and I said," please don't cry, or you will start me crying also.
Jesse was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs. He had used a guest room to change into his traveling clothes also and as we left the house the guests threw rice and wished us well. I looked at the house from the carriage wndow and thought, "I will never live in this house again." and I will never have to run into Albert for as long as I live. Jesse will protect me and I will never have to live in fear of Albert showing up unannounced ever again.
I could hardly wait to see what Jesse had planned for our honeymoon. When we pulled up to the pier I turned and looked at him. He said," This is the surprise, we are going to tour Europe before settling down in our home. I hope your surprised. " I knew Jesse wasn't rich like my father but oh how wonderful. We will be gone two months and when we get back then I will become the housewife he wanted. By then my condition will be evident and we wil have to stay in for the rest of the winter.
