Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-06-08


Lenteith was a little country village with
one tavern, one store, one Westinghouse and
blacksmith shop. Plenty of rum-shops
were scattered up and down the single street,
where the men (i) might congregate to talk
scandal, and make remarks about the pas
sers-by; plenty Of women, young and old,
were ready to sally forth at any time from
the wooden houses, with their aprons thrown
over their heads, to rehearse some choice lie
which had just been fabricated by one Of
| their number. If you sneezsd on one of the
mountains twenty miles this side of Lentefth.
every one who lived in the place could swear
he heard you before night. With some few
exceptions, a set ofprying, malicious, imper-
| tinent liars and 'busy-bOdies made up the pop
ulation and the place, and busted themselves
in attending to other persons affairs and in
rearing up another generation exactly as bad,
| if not worse, than themselves.
Mrs. Dane and Mrs. Gill with few bosom
| friends, who tried hard to be their exact coun-
terparts and did not bungle very badly at
the business, led off this precious swarm
They were first and foremost in all mischief
and as much to be dreaded as the approach OF
a pestilence. Every one despised them
every one hated them-yet almost every one
feared them. Carrie Stanley, and clique OF
her friends who were the only refined people
in the place, were notable exceptions to the
general rule, and rarely let chance escape
for harrassing, frightening or shocking them
in some way, by their malicious causticness
Carries handsome parlors were crammed
to their utmost capacity on the eventful
| Thursday night. Every one present had re-
ceived a special and secret invitation-every
one knew something was to be done to Helen
Hetherton, whose crimes were that she was
rich, and attended steadily to her affairs, only
laughing at their frantic attempts at assisting
| her in the undertaking. every one was
on the qla UiUe, when the parlOr doors were
thrown open, and a party entered that made
them stare with amazement .-
Foremost walked the worthy minister OF
the village, with his prayer-boOk and bible in
his hand. After him came Carrie, dressed in
| white, and looking mischievOusly around as
she leaned upon her husbands ARM then a
long array Of ladies aud gentlemen, magnif-
Gently dressed, and evidently from the city
/ then Carries friends who resided in Lenteith
and last, not least the culprit, Helen Hether-
ton, dressed in white satin, with orange flow
ers in her hair, and leaning upon the arm of a
/ gentleman who was the exact counterpart oi
| DR.. Stanley, in form and features, air and
manner. The wondering villagers stared
rubbed their eyes and nudged each other
but before they were half over their wonder
the gaily dressed crowd had managed to Sc.
| cure place in the center Of the room, and
the minister, opening his book, began the
words of the solemn and beautiful service
which was to unite two fond and loving
hearts in one.
When once the congratulations were over
Carrie stepped up to the fair bride, and clasp
ed bracelet of jewels upon her arm. Then
turning to the company, she said, sarcasti'
cally;
'Ladies and gentlemen, l assured you thai
if you would come here tonight would
give Miss sHetherton something she, would new
er forget. have done so. Not only the little
trinket have Just clasped upon her, but the
love Of myself and my husband, the admira'
ton of these friends, and the lifelong love
and devotion Of her husband-the ttgiH bTothel
Of DR.. StGHl5J-who was vile enough to visi
his betrothed wife night before last and stay
till ten o'clock, as Mrs. Dane and Mrs. Gill in
formed me. Ladies and gentlemen, we al
hope that you may be little more successful
the next time you try to make mischief ant
have the honor to wish you very gOoC
evening"
She bowed coldly, took her husbands arm
and led the way, followed by the brida
party, who watched the crest-iallen villager
with amused faces as they passed out
"Sold sold Most abOminably soldI
That was the murmur that began to circu
late around the crowded rooms, and out the,