The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1857-12-09
MISCELIANY.
BAYARD TAYLOR,S WE'D
DING-DINNER.
FROM THE HOME JOURNAL.
Mleacild, Nov. 1857.

y = &
IN EAR MORRIS My trip to town as
.lGJguest hidden to that mysterious we'd
dIng-dinner, (the bride and bridegroom
being four thousand miles away,) may
suggest "spiritualism' to you, at the first
glance--httle as we know, by the revela-
tons vouhsafed to US thus far, of the art
of jollyfying by medium, or of the giving
of q substantial dinner without the posi-
tive propinquity of the giver. But twas
dinner, eaten Notwithstanding in the
usual way: and only differing from other
nuptial repasts in the single feature I
have named certainly conception very
characteristic of q et-the presence Of
the entertainer in imagination only. While
we ate our wedding-duner at Delmonico's
in New York, our friend who had hidden
us, was new-made bridegroom on the
other side of the world.
The truth was that Ba 5ard tit was BAY
ARD TAYLOR, you understand,) had a
home yearning in his heart, for which
provision must needs be made at that far
away bridal He could not be welded in
foreign land without being thought of,
simultaneously, in this. At his bridal in
Germanyhe wanted afew beloved thought
guests from his home in America. He
wrote to Dana - his partner and banker
in the Tribune = telling him of the day
that was fixed upon for the wedding; and
instructing him to invite to dine, in his
name, on that twenty-seventh day Of De-
tober, the six or eight friends who would
have been with him were it celebrated
here.
Dana did.
We were hidden to meet at belmont
cos, on the happy day.
There was one oversight in the arrange
ments-owing probably to the fact that
Dana's political education had been at the
neglectful expense of his astronomy-the
difference in meridian had not been duly
considered. With six hours difference in
the two places, we should (for any man
ner of simultaneously have dined ear
lier. While we gathered around the table
at SIX p. NJ. in New York, it was twelve
P. NJ. at Gotha = the beginning of our
feast and the breaking up of theirs - the
supposed presence with us, therefore, of
the spirit bridegre ON in full dress, for the
six hours next following, being discour-
aging improbability.
With likeness of the dear boy in ev-
cry one of our hearts, however = land
most of us imaginative by trade)- we
contriyed to have him with us, in his ac-
customed apparel. saw him myself |
know, quite distinctly, in the empty chair
his honest bright eye, and his willing
though belated smile-his thin Arab nos
trils, and the brown curls upon his tenn
ples-his simple truthfulness of express
ion and uncontrived grace of manner
all visible before me. / was sure his ears
burned while we talked of him. And it
was with an inclination ofmy head toward
the place where he sat-apologizing for
my freedom-that I ventured to ask q
question as to her looks.
She is tall and fine looking, was the
answer, fair haired Saxon girl, and has
the superior presence Of the eminently
intellectual family to which she belongs.
Highly accomplished-speaking French,
English and German with equal facility,
she is healthful, direct, simple and truth
full. Bayard has well travelled tho world
over to know the rarity and value of that
type and quality of woman. And, by
what tangled and far road, to be sure,
was the fitting bridegroom brought safe
ly at last, to the bride picked out long
ago by destiny and awaiting him in Rhine
land! Or, as unconsciously Swallowed
forth in one of the prophetic poems OF
Bayard himself
1.-THE Poet came to the Land of the East
When Spring was in the air:
The earth was dressed for wedding feast,
So young she seemed and fair;
And the Poet knew the Land of the East,
His soul was native there.
*
"And, half in shade and halt in sun.
The rose sat in her bower,
With passionate thrill in her crimson heart
She had waited for the hour
And, like brides the Poet kissed
The lips of the glorious flower.
X \
The Poet said 1 viii here abide
In the suns unclouded door
Here are the wells of all delight
On the lost Arcadian shore:
Here is the light on sea and land.
And the dream deeeives no more"