Western Reserve chronicle and weekly transcript of the times. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1854-1855, 1855-01-10
WARREN

of a harper, to whom the bride, not un-
mindful of the rites of hospitality even at
the happiest and busiest period of her
life, had given cup of milk and bed
of clean straw when he arrived at Liam
badarn the night before. Lillian grew
paler as she entered the church, for the
wreath of paper-lillies which indicates
the funeral of bride was still hanging
near the alter; and the chief string of
the musicians harp broke as he passed
the porch-an omen of the direst i'm
port. 1t was uncon6rmed-the bride
groom was absent, and could not be
found. The confusion ofsurprise chang
ed very soon among the spectators into
hints and suspicious. Those who envied
Lillian's beauty remembered that her
mother was not wife, that she had no
inheritance, except perhaps, the frailty
of that mother and both or either of
these truths seemed sufficient to Justify
her lovers desertion. Many of the high
blooded and rigid old Welchmen swore
they saw nc wonder in any perfdy COM
mitted by man who could stoop to
take up scared leaf when he might be
himself the topmost branch of the tree
for David Gwynne was heir presumtive
to Lilian's father, and sage gossips in the
neighborhood decreed that her mother
was justly punished ior contriving to en-
snare him. All declared no better for
tune ought to attend wedding day ap-
pointed when the BRIDES father lay on
his death bed and Lillian, who had set
out attended by ''smiles, mouth.honor
and troops of friends" q" returned forlorn
and disconsolate, with all the blame usu-
ally heaped on the unfortunate. Only
two of the bridal procession returned
with her to her home, where her miser-
able mother received her with clamerous
and vulgar reproaches, made more bit.
ter by her own conciousness that she had
half caused this calamity. But Idwal,
who had never left Lillian's side during
her journey, interposed in her favor, not
by arguments but by tears, which soft
ened even her mother, whose love for
her offspring was in proportion to the
fierceness Cf her uncultiyated nature.
Perhaps in the moment of cruel disap
pointment, Maud would have been in
clined to offer the rejected bride to her
first lover, if the shame and anguish in
Lillian's eyes had not silenced her. And
though an erring and hardbrowed wo-
man, she understood the modest and sor-
rowful distance observed by Idwal, who
possessed, Notwithstanding his dim intel
lect, that pride in pure blood which
distinguishes Wales. Night came, while
Lillian, her mother, and her kinsmen,
werestill brooding over their affiiction to-
gether, but without any interchange of
thought, when old Nicol Penmawl en-
tered, the only lawyer who found bread
in the village. The poor girl would
have hidden herself, but he. intimated
that his visit concerned her; and after
a preface which event his hard heart
deemed necessary, he explained, that
David Gwynne would not fulfil his
pTcriise of marriage to Lillian, unless
her father signed an absolute and entire
deed of gift in his favor. She replied
nothing, and wept in agony; while her
mother hurst into furious invectiye
against Gwynne's selfshness and treach-
cry: adding that he well knew how
completely she might have shut him
from his SUCCESSION by obtaining be-
quest of all to her daughter.
"IHat is well, said, Mistress Maud"
said the man of law-''but it behoves a
crow to take care his nest when hen
sparrow has crept into it. Old Arthur
Morris has great love for you, and my
client must know what money is left,
and where it i. Let Lillian's father
give all to her, and she may give it to
her husband"
This hint was sufficiently Ineligible.
Maud received it with a churlish sort Of
smile, and Idwal witt cry of antic joy,
as if In his zeal 10 comfort his disgraced
cousin, he had forgotten that such gift
would deprive him of all share of his un-
cle's wealth, on which he depended for
subsistence. They took Lillian, notwith-
standing her tears and resistance, into an
other chamber where her father lay in
the needless stupor which had hung upon
him many years. Maud had been a mi
ser's concubine too long net to know when
and how to be a virago. She pointed TO
her weeping and dishevelled daughter,
accused him barring her marriage by his
avarice, and beckoning the lawyer, who
had come prepared with deed of gift in
due form, urged him with shrill and We
hement entreaties, to sign it. The infrm
old man, whose life and intellect wss
wasted to their last spark, suddenly raised
himself from his matrass, drew aside the
long loose hair which poor Lillian had
shaken over her face, and seemed endeav-
oring to recollect her. Then his eyes
fixed themselves on her mother, whose
harsh features were REDEEMED by the light