The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1870-03-31
MISCELLANEOUS.
The FATAL BOUQUET.

WHAT may be the ordinary price of sueb
bouquet as bridemaid generally car
ries to assist her in the sometimes difficult
duty OF appearing irresistible, I cannot
say out the only one ever had anything
TO DO With cost me dear as will he seen
Never, oh, my friends, make rash prom
Uses or, II you do, don't keep them and
IN after d2.ys, it will be comfort to YOU to
feheGt mat you were not SO good as your
W0ro. 1t was many years ago that l was
op.iged to be present at no less melan-
choly ceremony than a wedding and it
mas cast cloud over all my subsequent
life. 1t was a lovely afternoon in sum-
mer; Zephyr and Aurora had been Joined
together In holy matrimony the cake had
been cut; the champagne had flowed; the
chariot had carried off the infatuated
pair; the slipper had been thrown; the
tears had been shed; and everybody was
as dull as dish-water. 1 sat and talked
with Arabeila, who had been one Of the
bridemaids Whether bridemaid nova
aays carries her bouquet as Arabella's was
Then carried, cannot tell (for | now live
very much "out of the world ~
but hers was carried by means
OF ring at the end of a sort
OF cornucopia, in which were stuck the
sweetest of flowers. What we said I do
not fortunately recollect but the rite
laIely performed had undoubtedly exer-
clseo singular influence, so that eyes
were more than usually eloquent voices
were more than usually soft and low and
conversation was more than IsuaIIv cen
i,lnientai' ana, L am afraid, absurd. At
'ast, however, 1t was somehow brought to
pass mat Arabelta said, playfully, "Very
Wen, then, on one condition"
hat = it," 1 asked eagerly.
-, ha1 you carry it exactly as I do, and
wa .lat on take it with you wherever you go
" These are very easy terms" I re-
Joined, "and L am only too glad to accept
them"
All that followed l cannot remember;
but my ears, when l think of the scene,
are once more filled with sound as of a.
low, but pleasant, laughing chorus, or
rather duet; and my lips, when think of
the scene, feel once more the touch of a
something softer than velvet And that
something had four fingers and thumb.
Such a pretty thumb 1t was as much
prettier than ordinary thumbs as dimple
IS prettier than a knuckle
Well, took the bouquet, and I hung it
by the ring on my little finger; and, all at
once, began to feel uncommonly like a
fool. had said that I accepted the con-
dlttons gladly; now 1 knew that l had
spoken IN my haste, and that most men
who speak in their haste are liars SO
r.,
departed, called out, "Mind, I shall see
you tomorrow, and shall require a full,
true and particular account of all that be-
falls my bouquet"
rephed-gayly, as some people say
that Is lncoherently, and with a hysterical
gggle.
My trials began as soon as I was outside
the door, for sympathetic cabman, at once
discerning my betlowered condition, whip
ped his horse into gallop and proffered
the safe refuge in his hanson. But [ had
not three hundred yards to go, and ii
seemed ridiculous for poor and economi-
cal man to ride that short distance How
ever, ii you are under the impression that
IN Tree country, such as we have the
happiness to "move on" in man, who
not only has ona wedding garment (Which
IS OF Itself dangerous thing to wear in
the streets), but also carries a bouquet
hanging by ring from his little finger,
can walk three hundred yards on the
Queens highway with impunity, you had
better try it. All l know is, l couldn't.
The cabman, unable to comprehend my
refusal under the circumstances, drove
close against the curbstone, keeping pace
with me as | went, touching his hat at in
tervals, calculating compassionately,
heb, sir, you'd better 'ev keb-you did
indeed, and so exposing me to thou
L
otherwise have attracted Little BOYS,
having their attention especially aroused
by The cabman, considered the occasion
favorable for a demonstration, which
threatened to take the form of shying all
manner OF dirt and older persons who
encountered me, either appeared to con-
Ssder that L had mistaken bright day in
June for the 9Th of November, and laug hed
derisively, or regarded me with such looks
nd fhn r
bestowed upon the poor wounded mar
who had fallen amongst thieves, and evi
IDENTIFY set me down as a thing to be avoid
ed like the plague Only few girls and
matrons, who shifted a wedding from afar
and consequently felt pleasant utilization
after their Kind, smiled a tacit approval.
AT last I reached my lodgings, an(
breathed freely l placed my precious
bouquet in water and sat down, and gaze
at it, and meditated. And as meditated
it occurred to me that Arabella, who h;,c
not parted With her bouquet without som
few minutes reflection, had ultimatel,
given it to me with a design. She hal
sighed little sigh, and had given me
very peculiar glance after she had com
mitted her flowers to my keeping; ant
now, as | sat and pondered, the meanin:
of the sigh and the glance was, | tiatteret
myself, Ineligible. Arabella was not indit
she were or not, but could not get an,
thing definite from her; but now l coult
interpret what was in her heart. 1ol
bachelors" she had doubtless thought, "g'
and Danish the thoughts awakened by tn
event OF this morning by means of you
billiards. aud your smoking, and your sci
fsh dissipation, whilst we maidens have t,
sit at home, and NOPE and gnaw GU
hearts, and feed on tender recollections
and nourish scarcely acknowledged hopes
but l have discovered way of keepin.
one bachelor in order; he dares not @
among those who would scott at my Gift
and by the fate that befalls my bouquet,
shall know how he estimates the giver
And now shiver came over me as re
membered that 1 was engaged to dine out
and must take that bouquet with ms
Arabella could not surely have intende,
that | should carry her flowers with m
into the drawing room, and then into tn
dining-room, and afterwards at dinner
why, should never have got out of tn
house alive. Her words were, Whereve
you co. and my promise would be sati
factorily fulfilled if l carried the bouou,
into the house with me, and left it in sal
custody.
To the man who took my overcoa
therefore, committed the flowers, wit
the strictest injunctions to take particuls
care Of them and he answered ferventl
hat .<x~ 1,,$ L.. -.