Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1868-11-17

menced in the center of the room and
rippled into gossipy waves in the cor
ners. Ruth gathered that the groom
was rich as a Jew; that the brides
silks would stand alone; that her la
ces were fine as cobwebs and rare as
guinea gold; that the groom's past
life would not bear close scrutiny !;
that the bride was listless and indif-
ferent; that
She heard no more, watching her
cousin's white face as Walter Dwight
approached.
"How could she do it?" was her
involuntary thought-and then she
checked herself in self-condemnation
Suppose she married Humphrey o.
colt, what better was she?
Ruth never lost sioht of that white
face IN the supper and dancing and
merriment that followed. Even when
the bride and guests and caterers and
musicians were gone, and all the
house was still, as she sat upon the
floor with her chestnut hair falling in
unbound beauty, and the simple
white dress laid of, the brides pale
face haunted her still. She closed
her eyes to shut out the sight, and
stopped her ears to drown the words
of the service: Until death do US
part" A lifetime she had hardly
thought so far. A girls thoughts go
so little beyond the wedding-day, the
bridal trousseau, the gifts, and first
establishment as mistress of a home.
She ignores so totally the plain com
mon days that tollow-days, like those
in the past, full of vexatioas and tri-
als-days when the sun is hidden
aud the wind blows from the east.
when the nerves are all unstrung, and
trifes become tests of. temper, when
men and women lay off their social
armor, and stand revealed to each
other with all their weakness and lit
! tleneSs and blemishes uncovered
Ruth's thoughts grew personal. Hum.
phrey Olcott and a lifetime! Years
of fading and growing old Years
of pain and grief, perhaps! She be
gan to have faith in her fathers
words: "Wives can get along better
without lace than love-" She almost
resolved to make sure OF the love if
she missed the lace; and. girl-like, fel
asleep before the question was quite
settled
There was a wedding in the neigh
borhood of farmer Beebe's. 1t wa,
not much of an affair; the couple wer,
too unpretending for that
"Therc will be very little gold an(
great deal of wedding" farmer Ander
son remarked on their way.
Ruth, Just returned from the cit,
\ - I:c,. I->I-l NTH a smila Sh
understood her fathers meaning. Sh
had gathered some facts from hel
aunt Catherine concerning her father;
marriage. 1t had been the result of
his fathers ambitious scheming that
he had married Rachel Crane; and
he had not married her without {
haunting memory of a mild-eyed, gen
tle-voiced woman.
That golden wedding settled Rutl
| Bcebe's fate. Her eyes scarcely lef
the old couple. She had alway
known them and pronounced their de
votion beautiful years before. n
bride and groom, with the VOWS o.
marriage fresh upon them had inter
ested her like this aged man and VIC
man. Here was love whose genuine
ness fifty years had proved-trus
half a century old, and confidence tha
time and trial bad not shaken.
Fifty wears !" Ruth Beebe kept say
ing, looking at Humphrey Olcott.-
Fifty years, with lace and jewels, an
modern house F"
She came out of that reverie with
start. The old couple were singing
"John Anderson my jo, John,
When nature first began
To try her canny hand, John,
Her master work was man;
And We amang them all, John,
Sac trig frae top to toe.
: She proved to be no journey work,
John Anderson my jo.''
"John Anderson my jo, John,
Ye were my first conceit-"
There was a movement at Ruth
side. She glanced up and saw Jerom
} Anderson standing there. Her eye
r dropped and she did not raise thel
, till the song was finished. 1t was
] simple song; !; but the band Of skillfr
musicians at the city wedding ha
5 failed to make such melody for Ruth
). ears. Her eyes filled with tears a
/ the old people tremblingly sang th
g last verse:
e ''Jonn Andersen my jo, John,
O We've climbed the hill thegither,
), And many a canty day. John,
We've had wi ane anither;
/ Now we maun totter down John,
I But hand in hand we'll go,
And sleep thegithe- at the foot,
John Anderson ny Jo.''
2 She never could sing that with Hun
D phrey Olcott, never. She took Jerom
r Anderson's offered arm and went ou
J, on the porch.
: Mrs. Beebe, laying off her bonnie
Y said to Ruth, II expect this golde
$ wedding was very poor affair by th
/ side of your cousins wedding"
a Ruth shook her head gravely. "Oh,
e she answered; "it was a thousan'
e times richer in the essential element
: of wedding"
/, Essential elements 81" echoed Mrs
/. Beebe, in frightened tone "what'
O that p She remembered seeing Rut