Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1870-03-05

As will my violet SO dear;
TSs snsss sSf m. he sSss here
NANNIE'S BRIDAL PRESENT!
Another ring at the door-bell and
another present. Upon my word,
Mamie, II Is very nice to be bride !"
Alice Dupre spoke little repining-
~; she was Nannie's bridesnlaid,'
and was treading the borders of that
Detachable Land where girlhood has
died out, and sage middleage has
hardly yet commenced.
Mamie was very pretty, with the
fresh, artless beauty of a white dove;
and Mary Bolton, the other brides
maid, was handsome brunette Of
twenty, dusky and brilliant, and
fond of WI airing vivid scarlet flowers
i'm her hair.
"Upon my word, Mamie, you're
doing remarkably we'll" said Mis-.
Creswick, complacently surveying
the table spread with wedding gifts.
"Tbat silver tea-service Of your
Cousin Dudley's is really splendid.n
Eyes, ma'am, and the pearls that
Miss Aubrey sent" added Alice,
moving forward the blue velvet case.
"and the Illuminated praybook from
Colonel Ferris" B
Your present Is very neat, too, my
DEAR" said the old lady, kindly, 'sbut
l wonder your Uncle Jared's has not
come. He asked me about the well
ding a week ago, and said he should
send some remembrance to his little
white Kitten That's what he al
ways calls you, you know, Mamie"
Don't you hope 1t will he CASH
mere ?" said Mary Bolton, eagerly
"a chashmere shawl does give one
such distinguished air Mrs. Dud-
ley had one that cost twelve hundred
dollars, from her husbands mOther,u
"Uncle Jared could afford to send
one much more elegant and expen-
sive than that, II he chose" said
Mrs. Creswick, drawing herself tYp
proudly.
Again and again, in the course oil
the rapidly darkening winter after.
noon the bell pealed, and fresh and
elegant presents were brought in.
"But where Is Uncle Jaretps pres.
ent" Mamie kept repeating, and
nobody could tell.
Not until nine o'clock at night did
the much looked for testimonial ar.
rive, when Frank VavasOr, the hand.
some young bridegroom that was t.
he, was In the drawing-room admir-,
ing the various presents, and listen.
ing with an amused smile to the con.
fused chatter OF the three girls all
talking at once.
"FrOm Uncle Jared know hi.
cramped tremulous handwriting, y
exclaimed Mamie, as the servant
brought in a square, sOlid-lOokini
package, wrapped in brown paper an,
directed to Miss Anna Creswlck. ,
"What can 1t be? Oh, Frank, d,
please unite this horrid string"
A set Of gold forks and spoons
perhaps" suggested Alice Dupre.
at looks to me like one of thos,
sqaure camphor wood boxes that In
dia shawls come in" exclaimed Mary
Bolton.
The girls held their breath with ex
pectation as Frank removed til,
brown paper wrapping. Alas for tn
vanity of human expection, II wa
no spice breathing casket of foreign
woOd-no velvet or morocco case, sat
in-lined and filled with gold or sill
ver,-it was only quartz volume
bound In sober brown, and apparent
ly well used.
"a Bible, as 1 live,n CALCULATED
Alice, disdainft,lly.
Eyes, and an old one at that =
said Mary.
Here is note" said Frank
"I,et us see what he says.u
any DEAR NIBCE."-It com
menced, written in q curious, cramp
ed hand, tremulous and yet bold
:" at this important juncture Of you
life, ! cannot give You more fittinl
offering than the Bible which wa
your grandmother once. You will
probably have trinkets and jewelr,
In abundance, but this book will b
more precious than all. That yot
may study its pages well, and that
may be lamp to your feet is tn
earnest prayer Of your affectionat'
uncle, JARED LEE"
Mamie had burst into tears O
mortifiaction and disappointment.
"Oh, Frank, rusty old second
hand Bible ~
Mr.. Vavasor himself looked some
what discomfitted.
1--WE never can put that on the I'd
BILE ?' said Alice Dupre, scornfully
What a strange idea; he must be Ii
his dotage."
And Uncle Jared's present, lon,
looked for and loudly heralded, wa
put on an obscure corner OF the table
where pair of statuetes concealed Il
and a box of Valencienne handker
chiefs covered its well worn binding
: "The mean old miser," was Mrs
Creswick's indignant comment
while Mamie, who was really yer,
fond of her old uncle, cried silently
And here we close the volume Q
Nannie's life, to lie opened ten year
afterwards.
There are few homes In which tn
lapse Of ten years does not make
wide ditference-and In that OF MI
/, Mrs. Eavasor the change was PEI
haps greater than the average. The.
: had lived too fast-a common NH
take In New York-and when one
/ they began IN retrcnoh, ill-luc
: seemed To follow them like releni
! less fate. Poor Mamie, the spoile