house, (Mr. Sands,) for Manchester by the railroad. I went with Mr. W. Wood,[1] and made his house my home.
Thursday 18th. — After breakfast we went with Mr. Lord to a Quaker meeting. Mr. Lord called one of the leading men of the meeting, and introduced us to him; who took us into the vestry. But before we went in, Mr. L. asked the Quaker friend whether I would be allowed the liberty of speaking in their meeting, if I felt so disposed. Our worthy friend answered that it was contrary to their custom to allow persons who were not of their society to speak in their meetings. After sitting some time, a woman rose up and delivered a most excellent address, on the necessity of a change of heart, and of entire santification by the Spirit of God, &c. After this a man and a woman rose up together, and went through the marriage ceremony, in the following order: — The man took the woman by her hand and repeated these words before the congregation: “Friends, I take friend Esther Lahey to be my wife, promising, through Divine assistance, to be a loving and a faithful husband until it shall please God, by death, to separate us.” The woman then in like manner said, “Friends, I take friend Henry Neild to be my husband, promising, through Divine assistance, to be a loving and a faithful wife, until it shall please God, by death, to separate us.” After this they sat down, and the clerk of the meeting gave notice that on such a day and place the marriage bands had been published, and that the case had been enquired into by proper persons, and that no impediment was in the way of their union in matrimony. The clerk then repeated the words that the parties had said; after which Mr. Neild and his new wife signed what they had said. All the relatives of the parties also signed the paper as witnesses. While the paper was signing, our friend went and
- ↑ How strange it is that I should be among the Woods so much in this country, who am from the Woods of Canada!
