St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1859-05-12
NUMBER 10,
found difficulties which when he first
set out to seek his fortune he had not

dreamed OF, no hons beset his path.
No heroic deed was there TO be &C,
complished. But he met with Just
such obstacles as every farmer lad,
clad in plain suit of homespun, with
country manners, and perhaps too
strict notions of integrity and virtue.
must meet and overcome, before he
finds smooth road. Young Hartwell
was peculiarly sensitive to Sights
and ridicule, and never one strived
harder than he to remedy the defects
in education and manners which sub,
.jected him to these trials. And, as
have said, he was one certain of sue.
cess in everything he undertook.
But he did not forget Lucy in tho
new life he led. The thought of her
was so closely intertwined with the
memory Of the past, and all the hopes
he had ever had of the future, that he
never deemed it possible to forget her.
He made occasional visits to his
native town. And how proud she was
of the Improvement she saw in her
lover ! How humble she felt beside
him, and sought to make herself more
worthy of becoming his wife.
At last the years of Hartwell's pro.
baton were gone. Long years, in an,
ticipation, they were to their warm,
young hearts ; but short, and bios,
soming with hope as they passed He
had returned to his native village, with
the reputation of being talented and
rising young lawyer There was now
no obstacle in the way of their union,
so it was named to take place at al
early day.
A wedding is always the occasion
of great commotion in a country vii
lage. 1t is vcritable tempest in a
tea pot" from the first announcement
of its contemplation, until it's final
consummation. And this wedding
was no common one for the young
| lawyer, though born and bred in the
community, was a small species Of
lion.
Such tea parties as We're the result
of this wedding in preparation ! Such
examinations of and comments upon,
the table and bed linen, all Of Lucy's
manufacture +! Those were primitive
days, kind reader, and it is since then
that enterprise has seized our quiet
little village, and converted it into
busy mart And it is since then that
women have forgotten the occupa.
tions of the wheel and loom, and have
resigned them to machinery, which, in
its click and clatter, aud unvarying
motion, seems almost to possess life,
There was the house to furnish, for
then no married couple thought of
boarding. That, too, is a modern in
novation. As soon as the ceremony
was over, the two must remove, like
a little colony, and beginning life, de-
pend upon themselves. What pleas
ure there was, too, in the furnishing
of the house. There were not merely
chairs, and carpets, (home-made) and
beds, and curtains in it, The drapcry
Of Hope festooned every room. Bright
pictures of the future hung upon tho
walls. Fancy and anticipation sat
down in the chairs, or grouped them
selves at the fre-side while every
feeling that is beautiful and good in
the human heart, clustered beneath
the roof. So what if the actual were
plain and homely, it was seen only
through the ideal, and q grace could
not have been added
Then there was the brides wardrobe
that most important part of all.
And all the maidens must sec and ad.
mire the wedding robe of simple mus.
lin, half cnvying the soon-to- be-bride,
and wondering within their hearts
when they will be called upon to deck
themselves in similar garment.
Il The wedding was near at hand.
There were only a few intervening
: days, when sorrow came to Lucy She
had heard, from the first, that her i'll
tended husband drank too freely in
convivial company. In all frankness
and gcntleness she had gone to him
with the rumor, which he candidly ad,
mitted to be true Then she reasoned
with him upon his course, and urged
him, by his love for her, to abstain in
future. At first he made light of tho
whole matter, and strove to dispel her
fears But she could not be satisfied.
Then he made promise, a careless
one, that he would be as temperate as
she wished him to be. She had full
faith in his integrity, for he was to be
her husband, and it would be injustice
,, to doubt him. So the time passed on
and the wedding was near at hand.
/ Lucy had chosen for her bridesmaid
, young girl with whom she had been
|. GA terms of the closest friendship from
b early childhood. Mary Hall was her
| name. One afternoon Miss Hall came
in in her usual informal way, to pass
! an hour in confidential chat. The ap.
; preaching festivity, in which they
I were both to take so prominent a part,
, was, of course, the theme of their
conversation. And while they talked
they put the finishing touches to the
bridal dress. When this was COM
, pleted. Lucy put it on to try its effect
; with the aid of Mary's tasteful eye,
/ 1t was faultless. Its merits were dis
n cussed, and Mary hattered her friend
: by declaring that James would admire
her more than ever, when he saw hel
1 arrayed in it, Theu with natural
a bent, the conversation turned upon the
e intended husband.
5 Was it from spirit of charity, OF
l. envy, or malice ? or shall it be set
down to ughtlessness-who shall
|, Judge? Mary told her listener OF the
r dissolutenesS Of her lover proved
a how heartless had been his promise OF
9 abstinence from the intoxicating
: draught told her how he was 8
r mocker of all that was holy and pure
n how he spoke the name Of woman
5 lightly; revealed to her--alas I! il
G must be said-his true character no,
e noted the effect of her words until she
had finished, .while Lucy sat. witt
|. clasped hands, gasping breath, ant
d face as white as the garment she wors
a listened to the recital. When Mary
Q finally took note Of Lucy's blanche'