The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-02-12

tea table, printing herself with pride as;ins
the weakness before which she felt he
courage giving away.
"Cyhhy, reckon yon'd best 90 an
dress you," said her mother, as she wa
clearing away the table after tea "yo,
leave the things, and l'll wash up and pu
away. 1t will take you some time to Fl,
yourself, and you ought to be there earl y
it you are going to stand up with Sue"
"Who's the groomsman Miss Brides
maid ?" said her father.
''Frank Handy, sir" said Cynthia, witt
toss Of her head.
''lia Handy ?" said her father, Ga ,igh
clever fellow is Frank. tn be luck,
woman he stands up with to be- married to-
Cynthia escaped to her own room, ant
she began to cry again. There! her fa,he,
spoke well Of Frank but nobody could
know him as well as she knew him. Oh il
he only would come back. Why hadn'l
she known the state of her own heart that
morning. But he took her by surprise, and
all her evil feelings had got uppermost nj
the moment. 1t would be very cruel OF
him--very-not to try her again.
Thus she thought, until she was sufi.
ciently advanced in her toilet to put her
wreath on. Should she wear it? Would
it not be confessing too much, if he were to
see 1t i'll her hair? She looked for some
ribbons in her drawer. but at this moment
her father called her, and said, if she came
quick he would drive over to Susie's before
he embarrassed his old mare. So she put
on the hop wreath in a hurry, giving it the
benefit OF her doubt, and its trembling
green bells mixed with the light curls Of her
pretty sunny hair.
"Where did you get that from? said
her father. .'lt's mighty tasty, declare.
Give me kiss, Cynthy. | hope your
beaux will think you look half as pretty as
l do. And its better my child, to be ad-
mired by your old father. who loves you,
than by crowd Of foolish fellows, half Of
whom get round pretty girl Just like my
flock OF sheep out yonder, one following
because another is making up to her."
''Foolish fellows" !" they uere "foolish
fellows" But Frank Handy was not one
Of them. Frank had never followed in her
train sufficiently to be accounted one of her
sultors. 1t was this very ''fooIish" hock
whose ranks he scorned to enter. All that
her father said seemed to justify her mas
cent feeling. She kissed the old mans
ruddy cheek, and felt as if the callow love
that iluttered at her heart had almost been
made welcome by his appreciation.
"What time shall come for YOU, Cvn.
thia y" said he, us she aligh,ed ut Susle's
door.
''Oh! not till late, father" she said,
hurriedlv. "Stay-not at all. Some Of
the young men will walk with me; or if
they don't, III! come with Tommy Chase.
Hes ony y eleven, but he's tall of his age"
And now Cynthia found herself in the
BRIDES chamber. The pretty little rosebud,
blushing in her wedding muslin, and going
to be very happy, because-well, it takes a
good deal more sense than Susie had to be
unhappy in life when one is blessed with u
sweet temper and a good digestion. A su-
peradded power of suffering is proof of
an advance in organization, and we sub
init the argument to the skeptc, whether
tins truth does not imply the necessity Of
some power or influence which shall coun-
terbalance and adjust this scnsitiyeness to
Suffering in the highest natures :?
Cynthia was waited for to put the finish
ing touches to the bridal toilet, for Cynthia
had taste, and Cynthia among her ''sirls"
had reputation for good nature. Her
fingers failed her as she pinned the wedding
wreath, and she tremhled more then the
bride did when the buggy that had been
sent for the minister stopped at the end Of
the brick path which led up to the home
stead. She saw Frank Handy in his bridal
suit going down to receive the minister.
"Cynthia, you 60 and tell the gentlemen
they may come in"
cynthia shrank bnck. But as the brides
maid it was her..oflice, and the others push
ed her to the door.
"She didn't want to see Seth Tnggart, !
reckon said one of the girls in II half whs-
per. "Don't you see how pale she has
grown?''
CYNTHIA faIsifcd this speech By looking
scarlet before the girl addressed could turn
her head ; and she opened the door of the
room, where the bridegroom and his men
were Gagged, with an air in which assumed
indifference was strongly marked, and said,
''Gentlemcn, we are rcady," with q toss
that sent the hop-hclls dancing in her head.
Seth, long and lean, and shiny, in his
wedding suit. as a snake in n new skin,
took little Susie on his awkward arm
Frank Handy, quite collected. and self.ros.
sessed, offered bis to the bridesmaid, and
they followed the bride and bridegroom in
to the paror. Cynthia and Frank were
parted when they took their places for the
ceremony. 1t was only Il moment that she
leaned upon his arm, but that moment gave
her new sensation. 1t was pride, such
as no woman need be ashamed Of, in rest
ing upon manly strength. His arm did not
trrmble, though all her nerves seemed to be
twitching like wires stretched, and sudden
ly let loose. He seemed so strong, so calm,
SO collected, and so dignifed. that she
began to feel her own unworthiness, and to
mistrust her power.
She cast her eyes down during the SER
vice, tried to bring her rebel nerves under
heard nothing, and saw no
one. The minister had blessed them both,
and kissed the bride. Everybody came
round the pair with salutations. The kiss
ing was rather indiscriminate. Seth claim
ed the privilege of kissing all the girls, and,
of course, he kissed the bridesmaid. His
former sensation of call over-eyer so''
transferred itself to her in different way.
She would as soon have kissed clam.
"Cyn,hy, you and Frank bring in the
cake. You seem to forget all you have got
to do" SAID one of the young girls of the
party.
"Frank Here! Your bridesmaids wait
ing, and declare, don't believe you have
taken the privilege of the kiss you are en-
titled to-"
Frank was called away from the side Of q
lady in blue, stranger from the city, who
had been brought by some of the guests. She
had no other acquaintances, and Frank
seemed to be attentive to her.
81 beg your pardon, Miss Cynthia" said
he, turning from the lady, and taking no
notice of the latter part of the speech that
was addressed to him, ''let US do all that is
expected of us.''
They went together into the pantry, and
were there alone. Cynthia thought, ''if he
intends to say Snip! now is the moment"
But Frank was intent on arranging the cake
on plates, and disposing them on large
waiter. Cynthia felt ready to cry. She
took refuge in silence, and the cake. 1t
may have been the sweet, unwholesome
smell of the wedding cake which made her
head ache violently.
"lt isa foolish CUSTOM" said Frank, as
they arranged the cake. "Foolish, that per.
h 4