Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1859-03-18

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by she began to moan and take on dcsprit
and twist herself out o my arms when | trie
to raise her up. Jest then heard the gat
slam, and looked, and see the Deacon com
in towards the house. Now. was alway
afraid OF the Deacon, lie was such Il stern
hard man; but knew he loved his dartcr, an
meant her good and when | see him comm
an idcc struck ine, SO sudden, it fairly tool
my breath away for the time bein', Think
TO myself. he ha n t no notion how bad sh
feels ; and if he could see her now So up
jumped, and ran down stairs and spoke t,
him
deacon Lankford = said |.
"But my heart was in my throat; anC
he looked at me with such a scowl, | couldn :
say another word, only 'Lyddy!' He SCI
something was the matter; and up stairs
we went together and there we found Lyddy
on the floor, jest as I'd left her, only she wa'
sobbin' now is her heart was broke.
'lyddy = said he, whats this?
"lIc spoke stern, and took hold of her
and made her sit up; and she was so 'fraid
of him. she hushed up right away. and sec
that then was the time for me to say my
word, if ever
= Its Jest this, Mr. Lankort,' says |
She's afraid to tell yc; but you ought to
know, and il she won't speak, will. She s
a erwin herself to death, cause she don't
want to marry that man. She don't like
him-shc says she don't. She likes Enos
and Enos expects to marry her; and it's
like THROWN away all her happiness to give
him up and, for my part, | declare it is a
sin and q shane.
"sYou hush up your nonsense y saws the
Deacon to me, lookin' us black as Il thunder
cloud. 'Lyddy has got schoolgirl notions
enough of her own without you putin more
into her head. It's too late to draw back
now, if she wanted to. But she don't want
to- She an t so unreason bic. She'll like one
| husband us well us another artcr she's mar
RED to him. What 1, vnu girls know obout
such matters ? Now don't let me hear any
moro of tbis nonscps. or IN rive 20 both y
GOOD whinuin' and sbet We nm
"Wn'nl hr bnJ shot me MI couId, r en- .
opotbcr world;
".You Sc, it's no uso., saws Ivddv. saws
she. arter he was gone. so don't saw an.
other word about Enos. shall trv not TO
think of him anv more. # he cpInes-but
| don t think he'll come. If You wrote five
DAYS ago, he ought t. b here, If he's comm.
He never loved me, or be would have come
And from that she hr.an to take on arin.
| lawn all the blame to Enos. cause If he had
cared for her. he never would Lave ken so
long away
" For my part see the only thing left was
to 60 through with it like a bad Job. the
quietcst way possible. | didn't speak of
Enos agin, and I'd given up his coming. or
at least. his ,oinr any rood. if he did come
Every thing was ready fore night. But now
the Deacon began to grow the least mite un-
easy The bridegroom hadn't made his ap-
pearancc The Boston stage that usually
got along by five O'Clock. had been DELAYED
somewhere on the road but that didn't rive
me any hone knowed 'twould come soon
or late. and that dclayin' the ceremony half
an hour. more or less wouldn't make onv
difference. The Deacon sent over TO the tay
ern. and rot word that one stage had come ::
but twas the eIlurtford-not the Boston stage ;
and Enos wasn't in it.
You'd thought Lyddy wouldn't care
much how she looked standing up to be
married, under such circumstances. But Il
woman S woman. artcr all. was provoked
to see her forgit all about Enos to think of
her dress, and look in the glass. and prink,
and ask about this thing and that, what
would become her and what wouldn't; and
put on smiles aiorehand. Jest as if she was
the happiest bride on 'arth But then
thought it's the natur' of a womans vanity
to want to look pertv. even in the coffin 50
could n feel to blame Lyddy so much al ter all
"'Twan t dark Wit, when the invited guests
began to come: your cran'ther Slade rode
up, hossback, bringing Thankful Sladc be-
hind him on a pillion, finally the minister
and his wife come. afoot she wore trail to
her dress ward long, which was the fashion,
and she had it pinned up onto her waist, to
keep it out of the dust of the road The
waist of her dress was made to come Jest un-
der her arms. The minister was a pompous,
struttin' little man, not NOR n five feet tall ;
and he wore short breeches with knee-buckles,
a cooked hat, and an immense wool wig as
white as bleachin' would make 1t, and friz-
zled all over his head. guess you'd laugh
to see your minister and his vile comm to
a wedding, or any where, nowadays, dress
ed in that style ~
The girls laughed at the picture; and the
old lady, having refreshed herself with a
pinch of snuff proceeded
"Bime-by Steve Warner, boy that lived
at the Deacon's come back from the tavern,
where he'd been sent with the one-hoss
wagin, to wait for the stage, and bring the
bridegroom over with his trunk. He was
| alone. and crackin' his whip. Me and
Lyddy looked out from her winder; and
when we see that the gentleman from Bos
ton wa a,n't with him, our hearts jumped for
joy Tie Deacon ran out in terrible state
of excitement, and the guests all rushed to
the door to hear what was said.
"'Didn't tell ye to wait till the stage
come in ? says the Deacon, to young Steve.
"'Wa'al, didn't l.? says Steve. 'Of
| course did; then | druv' home
"Lyddy gasped and squeezed my arm, till
twas near black an blue, she was so excited
And must say was excited myself-but
KEEP still to listen. The Deacon asked Steve
why he didn't bring the br degroom over?
"'Cause, says Steve, says he, q do'no'
why Twas 50 late, and he was all dust :;
50 guess he didn't like to show himself
He's going to walk over arter he gifts his
weddin' clos on