The Sierra citizen., 1854-02-18
Downieyile Sierra County Saturday. February 1S 1854

over with good humor. and loved Nelly
almost as well as he loved his only daughter,
Annie May.
Tommy, in his fathers coat, looked like
something pertaining to the garment. The
skirts were long and seemed disposed to
crowd each other at the extremites, while the
high, stiff collar, gave his head the appear
ance of tortoise peeping from its shell, or,
to speak in poetical parlance, of rosebud
just bursting. The pants were made of
good, stout tow linen, rather tight, and so
short as to give tangible proof of his being
mortal flesh and blood. Nelly looked as
bride would be expected to appear in 1911.
She was sweet girl, though the free
summer winds and golden sunshine had
dallied unmolested with her fresh COM
plexion, and made it little shade darker
than nature designed. ~
Her dress was checked linen, yellow
and white, with snowy cambria apron, all
ironed into pretty diamond checks. Her
plump neck and shoulders were covered
with a handkerchief, white as was her
apron, neatly pinned down at the corners,
to look acomanly, as Lucy Morton remarked
when she pinned it precisely between the
shoulders.
A full bordefed lace cap, with white
bows and white rose-buds with leaves, COM
pleted her attire
She looked bright and happy, except
when her gaze fell on the sorrowing face of
her mother. Nelly was the eldest born,
and the first one to leave the home circle.
When the ceremony was over, and they had
sung that old hymn about Isaac and Rebecca,
the lady guests pinned up their best gowns,
and laying aside their Sunday caps, assisted
mother Bond in preparing tea. Nelly
wished to lend helping hand, but Lucy
Morton said they had better take nice
little bridal tour in the canoes, and return
by tea time.
The girls flung off their best shoes and
white aprons, and laid by their new cotton
dress handkerchefs, and were soon ready
for a pleasant row up the stream
1t was very beautiful, that quiet stream,
with the willows and alders draping its
wild, green banks. Tall sycamores, with
their mighty trunks strangely spotted,
reached high above their gaunt and giant
arm-boughs, until they quite intcrlocked
above the sparkling water.
Dear Nelly, with her unseemly cap and
handkerchief, and apron thrown aside, and
her little feet and dimpled arms and plump
shoulders bare, looked very pretty, and
Ned Coulter and John Oliver whispered to
their partners, Fan Lee and Sue Talbot,
that Nelly looked more like bride then,
as she sat dipping her light oar among the
waves and thoughtlessly patting her foot
in the canoe, than when dressed as became
a bride.
In an hour or two the gay party returned,
just as tea was ready for them. The wedding
supper consisted of light corn, butter, fresh
from cool spring house, honey, wild hog
meat, potatoes, and fine fish, caught from
the stream
Tommy and Nelly moved into a cabin
home of their own, and often was honest
Tom heard to remark that Nelly was the
best wife he ever had.
Except occasional threats from the Indi-
ans, nothing transpred to mar the happiness
of the little neighborhood, until the next
Summer uncle Solomon was taken i'll from
fever From the first night ofh;s illness
he expressed the idea that he would never
recover. His tried friends were with him
every moment. doing all in their power to
alleviate his suffcrings.
In delirium his thoughts dwelt on his
former home and those who had been his
associates in early years.
Captain Lee and Willie Morton scarce
left his bedside till the evening of the
eighth day Of his illness, when they told
aunt Polly if he grew worse or died one OF
the attendants must fire the musket aid
give the alarm.
Just as the old clock had bodingly tollcd
the midnight hour, Captain Lee started
from his sleep at the ominous discharge of
the musket.
''Poor uncle Solomon! it may be the
token that the great curtain which unfolds
the mysteries Of the future is drawn aside"
mused Captain Lee, as he hastily dressed
himself
Another louder and heavier report, and
the cabin door was lurricdly swung on its
wooden hinges, and his hasty steps died
away in the distance.
Sweetly and softly had the spirit plumcl
its pin.ons, and gentle smile, the parting
impress, was left upon the pallid lips of the
husband and father. Aunt Polly, and