The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1858-01-29
KATE sEvERN's WEDDING.
From Godey's Lady's Book, for Feb.

Aunt keturah Hemmenway always OBJ
jected to my reading stage plays. Like a
great many other people, however, she
quotes Shakespeare herself without know
ing it. The "bourne from which no
traveller returns" the "baseless fabric of
vision, and half-hundred more of the
hackneyed lines of the bard, are familiar
in her mouth as household words" /
have done little in cautiously undermining
hei expectations. Once upon time l
was repeating
"The quality Of mercy is not strained;
It droppeth as the gentle dew from heaven
when cousin Zadoc, who has been read
ing agricultural science, broke in upon
me -
"Thc dew don't drop from heaven,
cousin Judith. 1t is the moisture evapo-
ted by the suns rays in the day time,
which the GOODNESS Of the night conden-
ces again"
"Quit thy nonsense, Zadoc Hemmen-
way said Aunt Keturah, sharply
q" Can there be nothing spiritual but thee
must condense it, as thee calls it, down
into fertilizers for the truck-patch p
What is the rest, Judith -
| repeated the whole passage Aunt
Keturah listened with her thumbs crossed
and when | had finished, said: "That's
Scripture, Judith"
&" 1t is Shakespeare, aunt" T answered.
" Well, Shakespeare, must have read
his Bible then" said Aunt Keturah
No doubt of that" replied.
But the reader will not think have
the quality Of mercy, if we arc kept so
long upon the introduction, ! was think
ing OF Shakespeare, because it is he who
talks about the folly Of those who attempt
To gild refined gold, to paint the lilly,
To add perfume to the violet"
and l was wondering what, did he live
now, he would say about SRocriag Jrioe.
Katie Severn and | were schoolmates
and maidcns together | have done my
last duty to the damscl, as a damsel, hav-
ing stood up as one Of her bridesmaids,
and borne my share of the expense. |
must call her Kate, however, and always
shall, though Aunt keturah had her
fling, when the wedding
cards came in. katie Severn" she
said, with a malicious weight Oh the of
Tending title of endearment. "Why |
don the girl keep her given name, since
she is SO soon to throw away the other p
g Katic Severn" she continued, with her
nose turned up. "Why did not the
bridegroom have lis card engraved John
ny Jones, to be uniform? And what was
the need Of her printing at all what will
be lie next week ~ wonder if Aunt
Keturah does not object to contractions
because the system would make her own
name Of affection, Tury? From that to
Fury would be an easy transition, and
| think not inappropriate
Still, she is dear old lady, and who can
blame her, il with our recent experience,
he docs not ike innovations?
She is principlcd against all changes
She thinks the world is in a decided state
decadencc; and that n, thing now is half
as well done as in the days Of her youth.
But there is one institution which has cx-
listed from the beginning of the world,
and for which modern ingenuity has been
able to devise no substitute 1t is dcs-
tiny that men and women clcavc to each
other; and the most sensible way of pro-
ceeding under this necessity is to make
the yoking as cheerful as possible, and |
invest the nuptials with all the pleasant
that can be summoned. =
There certainly is nothing like wedding
to wake up the echoes Of the country SIDE
Even Aunt Keturah has keen relish for
news, though she will have
/ that the accessories Of the weddings are
not half so sensible as they used to be-
Perhaps not Aunty has right to her
opinions, for she has been maiden, and
wife, and is now a widow. Cousin Zadoc
ays the promise is kept to her, for she
never drives him out of bed of morning,
,ut he rises and calls her blessed She
would lecture her son for his impertit
lance, but can never keep her counte-
lance long enough Zadoc is so good at
reply that he confounds her, and me
90, for that matter. told him once,
fter some specimen of his assurance, that
do not believe he would be afraid to ;
peak in meeting. Not bit, Judith" S
e said, off thee will speak on the same {
ay." Who knows? We have been
ridesman and maid together, and that, |
hey say, is ominous. "Thee's foolish ,
erson, Zadoc," said Aunt Keturah but Z
saw she liked the joke. So may l. too, v
,arn to like it in time; for l like the t
,kcr now. This, however, is not telling /
.atie's story. I
Catherine Severn and l were always t
arm friends. don't think she ever fel- :
le slightest coolness toward mo, except 4
ben John Jones, with rather more heart Il
less than she approved in him endorsed a
le praises of your humble servant. She a
,uld speak well of me herself; but was {
ot quite prepared for so cordial a second a
on, somebody that she selfshly thought d
lould have admiration for none but her. a
You had better cultivate Judith's ac d
said the offended little lady o