Tribune and telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1855-1856, 1855-07-12
Wedding Slippers.
BY MARY Russell MILFORD.

uary was drawing to close. Snow had fallen
some days previously, and glared up the roofs
of the houses in the picturesque and irregular old
! town of Bedford Regis, and lay mixed with the
Ice, and trodden into sort of wintry dust upon
! the highway: snow too, was yisibly hanging in
| the grey aud gloomy sky, waiting only for mild
| er weather-for the hour when the mild south
west should steal upon the bleak northeast-to
come down in 4 world of white feathefy fakes;
to cover the earth with its bright level, uniform
! beauty. The streets, although not yet lighted,
were almost deserted OF carriages, and passen-
gers, except indeed, the well-wrapt little boys
and girls tripping rapidly along from school, with
checks almost as red as their red comforters; and
the noisier and merTier troop.of i'll clad urchns,
who came frisking and shouting from the pond
at the top of the hill, where they had been keep
ing the cold at bay by sliding and tumbng up
on the ice, and pelting each other with snow
balls, making as it were, playmate OF the frost;
and, excepting also the careful servant maids,
vending with cautious speed over the slippery
/ pavement, laden with smoking dishes from the
| bake houses; or hunying p0t-boys, or slower
milkmen, rafting their jingling commodities
against the icy steps of the doors, or tie iron
railing OF the areas.
In word, it was at the close of a winters
day, that the morning influx of customers having
| intermittcd, the shopman and apprentices Of Mr..
| Morris, the greatest haberdasher OF Bedford, had
retired to warm their fingers in their own apart
ment-preferrinr the bright fire of the open
CRATE to the smoky heat OF the stove-atter re-
turning to their shelves, nicely folded up the nut
merous articles taken down 10 crafty the tastid-
iousness of the caprice Of lady purchasers, (for
men, to do them justice, seldom give this sort
of trouble,) leaving the dusky range Of show
rooms, rendered tcnfold more gloomy by the wa
! wing draperies which darkcned the windows and
swayed to and fro, i'll the dim twilight, only two
individuals-a respectable looking elderly man,
who, mounted upon high stool, was seated III
a very business looking rallied desk, employed
in writing, by the light of a single taper, in an
equally business like tall, thick book, bound i'll
calf skin and young man, particularly well
looking and gcntlemaniy, whose likeness to the
former sufficiently marked the relationship, and
who stood at his side, pretending to be occupied
in arranging a drawer OF rich satin r.bDons,
which he was rolling and unrolng, and doing
unconsciously MS very best 10 spot, III TIE ca
gcrncss of his appeal to his fathers feelings.
Yes, sir, it is but too true--and Il thousand
times has she urged the fact upon nc-tEat poor
Elizabeth is only a servant maid i'll the fanny OF
our good rector, Mr.. Sumner. servant she
certainly is, but most honest, trusv Onc.-Airs.
Sumner was struck by her intelligence and
sweetness, above dozen years ago, among the
girls at the Green School, that She cook her home
to her own house, partly to attend and partly to
play with her elder children. She shalcd their
advantages of cducation-not indeed the acconi-
plishments which We're untitled for lFr station ,
bnt those better and rarcr advantages which re-
gard the cultivation Of the mind aid the iorina-
tion Of the character; and Mr. Summers opinion
of her has been sufficiently proved, Ivy his haN-
ing, since the death of his excellent wife, and the
marriage of his eldest daughter, committed the
direction Of his house and of his two youngest
daughters unreservedly TO her charge. ser
want she is, but one accustomed To the manage
ment of large family, to the Keeping ot The
most elaborate and exact accounts, to the pru-
dent and careful expenditure OF money-to every
thing, i'll short, that is the most desirable III I;
bridesmaids wife | speak now merely i'll Il
worldly point of View, and say nothing Of the
beauty, the sweetness, the grace, and the mod
csty, which make her an object OF admiration
wherever she appears
She has no money replied Mr.. Morris, sus-
pending for a moment his pen over the book
III which he had been apparently most SedulUUs Y
engaged in making various entries durin" his
sons harangue. she has no money!
Then her taste and skill in female apparel
You know, sir, how often you have sad that II
my poor sisters had lived, you would have add
cd millinery and dress making to our business,
and converted some part of our large premises
up stairs into show rooms How oIien l have
heard you say, 0nC branch of trade helped the
other; and that our opposite neighbor. Mr.. Welsh
would not be able to keep his shop open against
Us, if it were not for his witcs caps and buI.ncts.
Now, EIi2abcth's taste and Mir Summers con-
ncctiun-'
'Shc las no money, Edward, She has no mcn-
ey.'
Neither had she, sir, two years ago, when III
consequence of Master Ar;hm's Ncnruring up
on ice 100 weak to bear his weight, had the
happiness OF being OF use to her and her charge.
Mine j. no love Of yesterday; TO concealed or
cianGcstiLC attachment. { have net openly
at the Institution lectures; have walked together
on summer evenings MIR. sumner without any
verbal recognition OF our engagement, has often,
after church on sunday, sanctioned Il, by snling
and significant invitations to accompany Eh@a-
beth AID the children TO his house; nay, even,
Yourself, by your manner of speaking to her and
of her, have led me TO believe that yea consld-
cred her rs daughter. You are too Keen ali
observer. teo kind and careful a father, not 10
have seen the state Of my affections, and tho
You too wise and too liberal to set little palJry
money i'll competition with the happiness OF q
Whole lie, or to wish me to break my pI.ghted
troth to one whom dearly lovc-to one Nho
loves mc-tU marry | know not whom, Tor the
sake of adding needless pcit TO our already Hour
i>hlng fortunes / had thought your only soli
was ucarcr TO you than money. Bat was ms
taken. You hold my honor and my welfare at
no higher price than THIS gaud:' and lac threw
from MIN III bitterness of spirit the roll OF nbbUn
which he had been busi.y folding a'it Ul..o.d-
ing.
The pen dropped from the fathers hand. You
are mistaken, Edward, SAID he in low tone Of
voice, winch was interrupted for 4 moment by Il
sound well known the inhabitants ot Bedford
the deep, hoarSe cry of 'Shocs! Old shoes
/ shoes old shoes from beneath the window.
You are mistaken, my dear SON, not III my
feelings, but i'll my circumstances. The for
tuues OF the poor, half starved wretch who is
Gaining shoes through the winter SNOW, are
more nourshing than mine. Without your aid
l am bankrupt
Another hoarse, deep cry of shoes! old shoes!
shoes 10 buy! shoes 70 sell! Old shoes gave to
the agitatcd father the pause which his feelings
required. his son was roo much absorbed IN as
constituent and horror for speech; lie could only
listen in silent agony to the story which seemed
! 70 linn rather like frightfIl dream than = stern
and waking reality Mr.. Morris continued:
/ You were too young when your blessed moth
CT died 10 remember her distinctly; and Your poor
sisters, gentle ard amiable Is they were. inner
iIcd rather her dclicacy OF constitution than her
vigor of mind. Far above ne II birth, in cduca-
toH and cultivation she was left destitute at the
age OF seventeen, by the iInprovidcmce and sud
den dcash OF her 1ather, = dIgnited clergyman;
and owed the blessing Of her hand chiefly TO her
desire 10 procure tor her twin brother a home
and pro,ector. Before our marriage she made
me promise 10 treat William Arnot as my own
younger brother, a. my own oldest son; to be 70
MIN friend, guardian father and OF this