“Good heavens! are such things permitted in a Christian country?  But scenes like these must be of rare occurrence?”

“They are more common than you imagine.  A man was killed up at W—–­ the other day, and two others dangerously wounded, at a charivari.  The bridegroom was a man in middle life, a desperately resolute and passionate man, and he swore that if such riff-raff dared to interfere with him, he would shoot at them with as little compunction as he would at so many crows.  His threats only increased the mischievous determination of the mob to torment him; and when he refused to admit their deputation, or even to give them a portion of the wedding cheer, they determined to frighten him into compliance by firing several guns, loaded with peas, at his door.  Their salute was returned from the chamber windows, by the discharge of a double-barrelled gun, loaded with buck-shot.  The crowd gave back with a tremendous yell.  Their leader was shot through the heart, and two of the foremost in the scuffle dangerously wounded.  They vowed they would set fire to the house, but the bridegroom boldly stepped to the window, and told them to try it, and before they could light a torch he would fire among them again, as his gun was reloaded, and he would discharge it at them as long as one of them dared to remain on his premises.

“They cleared off; but though Mr. A—–­ was not punished for the accident, as it was called, he became a marked man, and lately left the colony, to settle in the United States.

“Why, Mrs. Moodie, you look quite serious.  I can, however, tell you a less dismal tale, A charivari would seldom be attended with bad consequences if people would take it as a joke, and join in the spree.”

“A very dignified proceeding, for a bride and bridegroom to make themselves the laughing-stock of such people!”

“Oh, but custom reconciles us to everything; and ’tis better to give up a little of our pride than endanger the lives of our fellow-creatures.  I have been told a story of a lady in the Lower Province, who took for her second husband a young fellow, who, as far as his age was concerned, might have been her son.  The mob surrounded her house at night, carrying her effigy in an open coffin, supported by six young lads, with white favours in their hats; and they buried the poor bride, amid shouts of laughter, and the usual accompaniments, just opposite her drawing-room windows.  The widow was highly amused by the whole of their proceedings, but she wisely let them have their own way.  She lived in a strong stone house, and she barred the doors, and closed the iron shutters, and set them at defiance.

“‘As long as she enjoyed her health,’ she said, ’they were welcome to bury her in effigy as often as they pleased; she was really glad to be able to afford amusement to so many people.’

“Night after night, during the whole of that winter, the same party beset her house with their diabolical music; but she only laughed at them.