The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-03-11
THE WIDOWS BEAU.

worship OF God. Inc minister had read
the Psalm and the Scripture lesson, and
the first lines of the opening hymn.
The eyes of his people were fixed in
tently upCu him, for he was not only a
good, sound eloquent preacher, but he
was fine looking one, too, and thus
enchained usually not only the atten-
ton of the true but the fal.e worship
per. The house was very still-the
clear melodious tones of the speaker
were the only sounds that throbbed on
the balmy, golden air which the mid
summer Sabbath morn had breathed
into that place The first syllable Of
the second line was trembling on his
lips when a rustic at the door, and the
entrance of two persons, a lady and a
gentleman, dissolved the charm. In n
second every eye turned from the pulpit
to the broad isle, and watched with
more than ordinary eagerness the pro-
gress of the couple. A most searching
ordeal were they subjected to, and when
they were fairly and quietly seated in the
front pew, Immediately before the pull
pit, what q nudging of elbows there
was, aye, and how many whispers too.
In vain sought the good, the sound, the
eloquent, the handsome Mr.. b. to seal
again the attention of his hearers.
They had eyes and thoughts for no.
body but Widow C. and Widow C.'s
young and dashing- looking attend
ant.
How she had cheated them! Hadn't
she said an hundred times or more, that
her heart was in the grave of her buried
one, that she would never marry againf
Hadn't she refused always to walk out
or ride ont with any of the unappropIi.
ated gentlemen Of the village !
Hadn't she said shs didn't feel as though
she could wear anything bnt mOurningf
Aud in spite of all these protestations,
hadn't she come out, all at once, dressed
all in white, and walked into church in
broad daylight, leaning on the arm of 4
young gentleman
Yes, Indeed she bad. Sko would have
pleaded guilty to all these charges,
grave ones as they were, and to the last
two how mVny witnesses might have
been subpenaed She was actually
dressed in white. A beautiful robe of
India null, tucked to the wrist, with
an open corsage, displaying an elabor
ately- wrought 4 chemisette, drapery
sleeves trimmA with the richest Of
Meehlin lace, undeTsleeves of the same
expensive material, "a white Grape shawl,
a White lace hat with orange buds and
flowers, white kid gloves and light
gaiters-such was the description every
lady had on her tongues end to repeat
over as soon as service was closed. And
the gentleman-he, too, was dressed in
style. Didn't he wear white pants of
the latest pattern, and a white vest,
and coat of "satin fnish," and white
kids, too; and didn't he sport a splen
did pin and a massive chain, and didn't
he gaze often, and tendeIly, and low
ingly, on the fair creature beside him !
All, yes, he did so, and there was fur
Their room to doubt. Widow c. had
cheated them. She had won a beau,
laid aside her mourning, put on bridal
attire and was going to be married in
church. But who the beau was, or
whence he came, was more difficult to
solve.
Service proceeded. The choir sang
the minister prayed and preached-the
people wondered when the ceremony
would take place. But, to their utter
sstonishment they were left to wonder;
for when the benediction was pro.
nounced Widow C. and the strange
gentleman walked with the rest of the
congregation quietly out of the church.
When they reached the pavement he
offered his arm very gracefully, and she
placed her hand very contidingly on the
beautifully soft csat sleeve and they
passed on.
What a incoming that was in Fair.
mount! What world of conjectures.
surmises, inquiries, and doubts rolled
over aud over in the brains of not only
gossiping ladies, but sober, matter-of-
fact gentlemen. THE like of such a
thing had never occurred before in the
annals of the village. There was some
thing new urder the sun-a lady had
o beau and nobody knew it. Wild
ow c.! Didn't your ears, not only the
right but the left, burn that day! All,
We wonder they hadn't dropped off
surely they must have been crisp and
crimson. -.
The Rev. Mr.. B. preached to . crowd.
ed house that afternoon; no compliment
to him though. TIE magnet was in the
pew before him. Every one was sure
the wedding would take place then; but
everybody was again sadly disappoint.
cd, and if tongues had run at railroad
speed before, they travelled then on the
electric wires The minister ght have
preached IN Creek that day, and his ser
mon would have been quite as edifyiug.
But one subject engrossed the village
mind-the widows beau; that was the
topic.
1t actually seemed too, as though the
lady tried to make all the talk she
could. After tea, arm in arm with the
strange gentleman, she walked the
whole length of the village aud away
out into the cemetery, and never return
ed till the moon was high.
"a nice-lookiu dress guess she had"
drawled out old grandma W., as she lis
tened to the widows wanderings: I'm
glad haint got to wash il, all drabblsd
up with dew, as it must have been-but
/ don't suppose she thought or cared a
word about 1t, she's so CARED away with
him. But III give her pieceof my
mind the first time have a chance,
see if don't. Cheating US all in this
wayp - 9,is..r,.
But the good old dame began to fear
by "Wednesday night she should never
have the desired chauce. She hurried
through her washing on Monday, aud
hobbled over to the widows as soen as
possible; but the door was locked, and
one of the neighbors said Mrs. C. and
the gentleman went off in carriage,
nobody knew where, very early in the
morning.
ayes, and never got home TIL nine
o'clock in the evening" o..
Look out, widow c.; your character is
on the carpet.
If she knew it, she apparently didn't
care, for the next day she went sail
ing with her beau, and the next day a
with him away off to the
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