Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-12-22
THE wIDOW WIS BEAU.
BY MISS CAROLINE A. soULE


BY MISS CAROLINE A. SoULE.
Service had commenced in the neat little
sanctuary which the nhabtants of FairInount
had cOnsecrated to the service of God. The
minister had reached the psalm and scripture
lesson, and the first lines of the opening hymn
The eyes of the people were fixed intentIy
| upon him, for he was not only good, sound
and eloquent preacher, but he was fine look
ing one, too, and thus enchained not only the
| attention Of the true but the false worship
pers The house was very still-the clear,
melodious tones of the speaker were the only
sounds that throbbed on the baImy, golden
air, which the midsummer Sabbath morn had
breathed into that holy place. The first syl-
liable Of the second line was trembling on the
lips, when a rustic at the door. and the entrance
OF two persons, lady and gentleman, dis
solved the charm. In second every eye
| turned from the pulpit to the broard aisle, and
| watched with more than ordinary eagerness
the progress Of the couple. a most searching
ordeal were they subjected to, and when fairly
and quietly seated in the front pew, immedi-
| ately in front of the pulpit, what a nudging
of elbows there was-aye, and how many
whispers, too.
In vain the sound, the good, the eloquent,
the handsome Mr.. B. sought again to steal the
attention of his hearers. They had no eyes OF
thoughts FOR anybody else, but widow c., ami
widow G. young, genteel and dashing look
ing attendant.
How she had cheated them! Hadn't she
said she didn't feel as though she could ever
wear anything but mourning? And ia spite of
these protestations, hadn't she come out, all at
once, dressed in white, and walked into the
church IN broad day light, leaning on the arm
of young gentleman
Yes, indeed, she had. She would have
plead guilty to all these charges, grave ones
as they were, ana to the last two how many
witnesses might have been subpnnaed She
was actually dressed in white A beautiful
robe Of India null, tucked TO the waist, with
an open cOrsage displaying an elaborately
wrought chemisetti, drapery sleeves, trimmed
with the richest Mechlln lace, underSleeyes of
the same expensive material, a white grape
shawl white lace hat with orange buds and
flowers, white kid gloves and light CATERS
such was the description every lady had ON
her tongues end to repeat over as soon as the
the service was ended
And the gentleman-he was dressed in styIe
Don't he wear white pants Of the latest Dat
tern, and a white vest and a coat of Z" satin
fnish," and white kids. too; and don't he
sport massive chain, and didn't he gaze
often and lovingly on the fair creature beside
him?
All, yes, he did so, and there wa, no further
room to doubt. Widow c. had cheated them.
She had won beau, laid aside her mourning.
put on bridal attire, and was going to be
married in church. But who the beau was
or whence he came, was more difficult to
solve.
Service proceeded. The choir sung and the
minister prayed and preached-the people
wondered when the ceremony would take
place.
But to their utter astOnishment they were
left to wonder.
For when the benediction was pronounced.
widow c. and the strange gentleman walked
with the rest of the congregation quietly ont
OF church. When they reached the pave
ment ne offered her his arm very gracefully,
ana she placed her hand very confdingly on
the beautiful soft coat sleeve as they passed
on.
What morning that was in Fairmount,
What world of cOnjectures, surmises, inoui-
rles, and doubts, rolled over and over in the
brain of not only gossipping ladies, but sober
matter -ot-fact gentlemen. "The like of such
a thing" had never occurred in the annals of
the village. There was something new under
tne sun-a lady had had beau and nobody
knew it
Widow c., didn't your ears burn tn at dav
All, we wonder they didn't drop off; surely
they must have been crisp and crimson
The Rev. Mr.. b. preached to a crowded |
mouse that afternoon; no compliments to him,
though. Every one was sure the wedding
would take place then; but everybody was
again sadly disappointed and if tongues had |
run at railway speed before, they travelled |
then on electric wires. The minister might |
have preached in Greek that day and his SER |
mons would have been quite as edifying. But |
one subject occupied the village mind-the |
widows beau. |
1t actually seemed, too, as if the lady tried |
to make all the talk she could. After tea.
arm In arm with the strange gentleman, she /
walked the whole length Of the village. and /
away out into the cemetery, and never re.
turned till the moon was high.
"a nice looking dress 1 guess she had,n
drawled out old grandma W., as she listened /
to the widows wanderings
" IN glad L haint got to wash it, all drab-
bled up with dew as it must have been-but /
don I s'pose she thought or cared word about
1t, She so carried away with him. But I'lI
give her piece of my miud the first time |
have chance, see if | DON'T
But the good old dame began to fear she
should never have the desired chance. She
hobbled over to the widows as soon as posi-
BILE, but the door was locked, and one Of the
neIghbors said Mrs. c. and the gentleman
went off in a carriage, nobody knew where,
very early in the morning. 'sYes, and never
got home till nine o'clock in the evening -
Look out, widow, your character is on The
carpet.
If she knew 1t, apparently she didn't care,
for the next day she went q sailing with her |
beau, and the next day rambling with him off
10 the mountain, and on the next forenoon
went with him in carriage to the station
house, and there not only wept as she parted
rom him, but actually embraced and kissed
aimi r-.r
"What, in broad daylight" exclaimed
grandma w. "Well, if I ever heard of Or
,eed the like ont -