New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-05-14


" i cannot be, john 7 answered, trying to
speak firmly. :" God bless you for your generous
offer; but it cannot be Z? My place is with my
honored parents now; and | could never bear to /
see them set sail for that distant land alone"
. But must they go? asked poor Ohm, entreat- !
mgly. q" Can nothing De done for them here y
NO, my good friend, replied my mother,
steadtastly. . All is arranged now; our passage
Is taken, and rnusb follow the destiny which Is
leading US on. Bat, Flora, my poor child, she
added. regrettully 81 greve to stand in the way |
Of her prospect of happiness Perhaps even
now
!" Mother Interrupted, laying my hand upon
her arm, q do Rot try to shake my resolution
must go with you and papa And beIleNe me, |
Mr. Owen, that is now my true and only reason
I for turning deaf ear TO your pleadlngs | am |
| wiser, if sadaer, thani was year ago"
4 sit indeed so ? said John. g Do you love !
| me at last, my Florence? Then can bear all, |
even this sitter disappointment; and, believe me,
my darling, that the very act which destroys my
| hopes raises you higher than ever in my estma-
ton Farewell, Florence! May Heaven bless
your good work, and prosper, you all"
| He termed to my father and mother, and warmly |
shook their hands. Then he paused before leaY-
| ing the room.
One Kiss, Florence" said he; II is the last
| tines
strained me to his heart, the next he had left me-
and the wind moaued sadly round the gables and
the night fell darkly round.
It was glorious evening in July. All around
II with the inetiable calm which sometimes comes
through the medium of quiet and beautiful scenery
20 the heart wtich, amid all its worldly cares has
not lost the freshness Of its love for holy nature
Tears rose unbidden to my eyes as gazed on the
dreamy loveiaess of the landscape which lay be-
fore me- bathed in the golden light of sunset
tears that were not all sorroWtul; and memories
Of the old dear days at Eldoun for time dispeIled
the recollection of many q heavy lind scathidg
trial which had come to me during the last seven
years. All, me! ! was only Revolutionary, yet
my youth time seemed very far away-so much
had come and gone in that seven years. The first
long voyage the Australian experiences which
had promised brightly at first, until q malignant
lever swept away my father, aunt and uncle in
few days; the sorrowful leaving of our dead in
their lonely burial places in the bush and the sub
sequent return of my widowed mother and my
self--a second Naomi and Ruth-to the old eoun-
try, still called home, though offering now no
certain home to either of all this outline filed
with a crowd of attendant details, seemed to com
press life's history into the space | have men
toned.
And now my dear mother had found home
with her own kindred, and the same refuge had
been offered to me; but my nature rose in proud
rebellion against life of dependence on others.
| Consequently had sought and obtained situation
as goyerness. My new abode was in q picturesque
| part OF Deyonshire and something in its bowery
lanes and sunny fields reminded me irresistibly Of
my girlhoods home. was muck better walker
than were my little pupils, and on the evening
have mentioned was on my way to distant vii
II
at the evening service. Rising from the seat
had temporarily occupied on fallen tree pur-
sued my road, and in due time arrived at the sa-
cred edidce. | entered, and was shown into
large, old fashioned, square pew. The officiating
clergyman was a young man, perfect stranger
of course, to me. / listened, earnestly at first
but gradually with distracted Thoughts as the ser
vice proceeded, until new consciousness suddenly
aroused my whole attention. The Introductory
words which precede the sermon were pronounced
in different voce-a clear, full voice. which ran
through every cord of my memory like a strain of
music.
1 had been sitting in corner Of the pew with
my face turned away from the pulpit, and now I
did not move. No look was needed to assure me
whose voice it was that was speaking, in the old
eloquent tones, those words comfort and counsel
Like flood Of light, there came upon my spirit
the joy and confidence of earlier years I never
for an instant thought that there could be change
IN that noble, generous nature and when at last
the pastor voice ceased, turned and gazed with
loving reverence on the face (homely, perhaps in
the eyes Of Others but attractive than ali in
the world beside to me), of my true and dear
friend, John Owen.
As turned, our eyes met. In spite of my al
tered appearance, my faded cheek, my heavy
black dress, saw that his recognition Of me was
instantaneous. left the church, but fingered in
the churchyard for was sure that he would Join
me there And was right.
Not many weeks after, the Rev. John Owen,
rector Of Woodleigh, Of the richest livings in
took occasion to say to my employer, most kind
and ladylike woman, G Mrs. Bartram / am going
to request you to release Miss Gbart from her en-
gagement with you. l have established claim
upon her, to which no impeachment is alleged, and
this is my third time of asking" One month later
| was his wife.
ALMOST A WEDDNG.-On Tuesday night num-
Der of guests assembled on Sixteth street to wit
ness the marriage ceremony. The wedding feast
was spread--the priest came with his cross and
prayer book-the groomsmen assembled in their
white kids and paper shirt cOllars-the bridesmaids
were present with their satin dounces and globular
waterfalls-the bride, blusbing like Aurora, was
arrayed in snowy robes, orange wreaths and gilt
tering Jewes-the wedding ring was ready and
everything was prepared to launch the young cou-
pie upon the hymenial stream, amid reioicings
flowers, kisses, tears, tremors and congratulations
0nlysone thing was needed to make the affair com
plete, and that was the presence of the bride
groom. Without him the wedding would be like
the play of Hamlet, with Hamlet left out.
In fact, he was an indispensable character, and
without his presence the whole affair must fall
through or prove failure. But, important as was
his presence, the appointed bridegroom came not
Hours passed. The priest became disguised and
lett-the uncle of the bride grew red in the face
the groomsmen looked sour-the bridesmaids Ian.
gnlshed--and the bride grew nervous and pale. |
still the laggard fingered. Midnight approached |
The hoarse clarion Of the ancient Shanghai in the !
yard announced the approach of the we sma'
hours y and still no bridegroom appeared The |
supper got cold-the uncle was in a towering |
passionate bridesmaids wept-the groomsmen |
went TO bed. A committee was sent to look for |
the recusant lover and, after visiting the marble |
drug store and not finding him there they went to
his room and found him fast asleep He was |
aroused from his slumber and hurried off to the |
brides home. When he arrived there the guests |
We're gone. He gave az an excuse, that, feeling |
unwell, he had taken dose of morphine and had |
oversight himselffbut was now willing to face the
music, and so through the trying ordeal. By this |
time the native pride of the fair bride had become
aroused, and the sleepy gentleman was informed |
that the wedding was indefinitely postponed. The |
bridegroom returned to his pestle and mortar and |
the young lady remains at home fair ungathered /
flower. II was near approach to a wedding but
" a miss is as good as a mile.n
Lst Louis Democrat,
SCANDAL IN ST. LOUISA st. Louis letter to |
the Cincinnati Commercial contains the following |
story Of an exciting social scandal in the former
city:
The social world has been considerably excited
during the past week by the revelations concern.
ing the troubles Of bride, whose marriage was
probably the most brilliant that has occurred in
st. Louis during the past four years. She was of
wealthy parentage, and the bridal arrangements
were Of real magnifcence The papers were filled
with descriptions of the wedding. The affair ex-
cited the greatest hutter among the elite in par
tcular, as the bridegroom had served for four
years in the Confederate army. He was young
and Of good family. Altogether, it was the social
sensation Of the season. Recently it has trans
pred the parties only lived together brief time
and although dozen versions of the story are