Legends and Memories of St John's Chapel -
Addressed to R. A. Riddick
by Major John W. Moore 

Part XX - published in the Windsor Ledger Nov 2, 1899

 Once upon a time long ago
When there was a great demand
For the things brought from abroad
By the ships from foreign land,
In the midst of such privation,
When a little sugar cost
More than any honest farmer
Got for things he valued most,
There was tribulation far and wide
And scant the store that was supposed.

So down in Murfreesboro,
And Winton too the women,
Were all watching at that time,
And discussing each omen
That could foretell the weal or woe
Of the vessel gone to sea;
For upon the safe returning
Of the ships they could foresee
Depended all the coming show
Each girl would make before her beau.

The British cruisers watching
And blockading then out coast,
Made the boldest seaman ponder
And consider well the cost,
Ere he ventured into dangers,
Both of life and his good ship;
Only by good luck and sailing
Could he give such foe the slip,
And in the darkness find the cover
Needed by such dauntless rover.

Thus it was when Captain Wynns
For West Indian islands sailed,
Quite a catalogue of wants
Was upon him thus entailed,
And Captain Benjamin, was told
By a blue-eyed, laughing blonde
That she wanted him to fetch her
From across the great salt pond,
A bridal trouseau to surpass
All ever seen in seasons past.

This maiden was a beauty,
Such as come to us in dreams,
So gloriously fashioned
And with golden, shining gleams
On her long and heavy tresses,
Like rich mantle over all,
No wonder that the youth around
Should before her prostrate fall;
Yes, every one in all those parts
Agreed she was the queen of hearts.

This lovely Susan Manney
Had been seemingly averse
To all the many offers
Made to her in the short course
Of her eighteen happy summers;
And for some time it had been
That of all old Hertford's daughters,
She was the accepted queen;
And ne'r since Grecian Helen swayed
The hearts of men, was fairer maid.

Far back in the past ages,
A rich young Englishman
Had come to Carolina
And bought the famous land
Lying in the peninsula,
'Twixt Meherrin and Chowan;
Noble rivers both that bless us,
As they pass us flowing on,
Till broader waters gently fall
In wider wastes of Albemarle.

Thus we know it still, my friend,
In our day as Manney Neck,
Here, for a full century,
Wise, and ever circumspect,
Men of the Manney blood had been
Winning wealth and station e'er;
And of many winsome daughters
None as yet could compare
With this fair Susan, who did then
So move the hearts of all the men.

With a majestic stature
She had all the loviness,
Golden hair, and azure eyes,
Give to those who may possess
Those rarest of the many charms,
God has given to the few;
Who thus are armed and well equipped
Hearts of heroes to subdue;
Such rare and radient beauties are
The crowned of queens in Cupid's war.

I have never told you, neighbor,
In these endless gossipings,
Of how this Susan Manney
Won the heart of Thomas Wynns;
They lived way back in the ages,
When our great grandfathers were
In the hey-day of their pleasure,
And the time was drawing near
When the fealty so long borne
To their king should be gone.

This Thomas was the youngest
Of four distinguished brothers,
And was then giving promise
To surpass them, and others,
For tho' barely reaching manhood,
He had borne himself so well
That a career of prominence,
Every token did foretell;
With wealth and troops of loyal friends
He had large wit to shape his ends.

It was thus no wonder, sir,
That young Thomas was one
Of the many who were then,
By this peerless maiden won
But she was one of those who love
To use the magic power
Of her great beauty day by day
And would yet defer the hour
When she at last a wedded wife
Must lose such homage from her life.

In all the wide country round
Mothers looked upon him then
As to the most desirable
Match, their daughters fair could win,
And so with wealth, his youth, and grace,
Together, with manner sweet,
Gave to him troops of admirers,
And in every social fete
He was the leader and the life
The very man to win a wife.

It was then a wonder great
Among many good old folk
That Miss Susan Manney could
Decline such nuptial yoke
What! lose a husband such as this
Sure the girl has lost her wits
So said those wise old gossipers
Who went almost into fits
That Susan thus should throw away
The best chance, that could come her way.

Over and over pleading thus
He prayed her to consent
But she smiling, yet with held
Loves last token of assent
He was loath to be desparing
And lose chance of such a prize,
Love so great is slow in giving
Up all hope before it dies
So in alternate joy and grief
He vainly sought of her relief.

So the lover determined
He would give her one more chance
To give him a certain answer
So at the last parting dance
Given just before the sailing
Of his brothers ship away
There in loves most earnest pleading
She heard all he had to say
With jewelled brows, that summer night
She stood full robed in spotless white.

It is true from beginning
Of his courtship Thomas won
Many tokens of her love
But she would not fully own
All he wished for, but like Felix
Would await a session when
She would tell him, all he wished for
And would thus make full amend
For keeping him so long in doubt
As to how his suite would turn out.

Vainly he o're and over
Besought her, to make his hope
So assured that ne'er again
He in dismal doubt should grope
Looking love, no art could cover
With full many other things
Showing what her lips refused him
Still despite all his pleadings
She would not fix the happy day
When she his wedded wife would be.