Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1870-12-08

ana that IS the way my courtshlp was
effected Poor child I know now that
at the time she had no adequate idea of
all that marriage really meant. She was
treated as child by her uncle and aunt,
and aad been kept an absolute child SO
far as all knowledge went that would have
fitted her to act and speak more reasonab-
| l." on such subject. AS to the argu-
ments by means of which her aunt and
uncle we're made to consent, shall adduce
| them after while.
We had very quite wedding, though
| think that when the ceremony came to
be performed. Winnie faltered little in
her resolution, and wondered whether a
tour through Europe really would COM
pensate her for the risk she ran in tying
herself down for life to man of whom
she knew so little However, all the
final preparations were too hurried to
leave much time for regrets or RETROSPECT
tons, or at least for the expression of
them. Dir. and Mrs. Allison's chief
solicitude seemed to arise from the fact
that we should be obliged to spend
Thanksgiving day alone by ourselvs' at
New York hotel. At the table of the
Allison's the habitually delicious dinner
would be little refined upon, and the
unavoidable absence of Winnie and N.Y.
self would of course cast gloom over the
cordialites of the season.
However, considering that we had
known one another such little time, and
that we had been married only two or
three days previously, Winnie and I man
aged to spend very snug and happy
day. When a man and woman meet,
make love to one another, and are marri-
ed, all within one week, they have, you
see, great deal to tell each other
knowing almost nothing about each
others personal history, there is great
room for mutual confidence. The first
two or three days after our marriage
Winnie and spent in making each others
acquaintance.
At length, when evening came, and we
sat before the great fire summing ourselves
in its rudy breath, and hearing without
the chill whispers of November, Winnie
said to me in gentle voice Dick, there
is something want TO tell you
Tell me then, my darling. There
could not be better time.
well, then, there were five of them
said Winnie, timidly
Five of them p exclaimed. Five of
whom, my dear ?
"Gentlemen,' continued Winnie, in q
voice that died almost to "a whisper.
There were five gentlemen, and one of
them have never written to yet
For heavens sake, my little Golden
beam { Golden BEAM by the way, was
favorlte pet name that | had coined ex-
pressly for Winnie's beuefD, explain
yourself. Who were the five gentlem en-?
What were they doing? Where did yon
see them ? And why should you have
written to four of them and have left the
fifth out In the co d1 2 -"
will YOU truly and seriously forgive
me 2 asked Goldenbeam, drawing an Of
toman up to my feet, and sitting there
with her hands clasped upon my knee,
and her face-such guileless, cunning
little face-lifted up beseechingiy to mine.
'Goldenbeam, / should have to forgive
you if there were five hundred instead of |
five. Tell me all about it '''''-.''
We'll. then, you must know said
Winnie, that the time | married you
Let me see That was two days ago
Yes two whole days ago. Well, at the
time I married you [ was engaged
Yes J; engaged to ME, of course
Stupid creature don't mean that.
mean some one else ~:
And the some one else was who 2
I asked, caressing her soft curls.
why, as | said before, there ware five
of them-and was engaged to all of
them this in little, trembling whisper,
and with closer clinging of the little
form to me. g. -
Then followed short silence, during
which | could almost hear Winnie's heart
beat. Then | said ::
DO you mean to say, Winnie, that at
The time you promised to marry me, you
we're engaged to FIVE other gentlemen 2
" Yes; but amt now I am only en-
gagged to one . " '"'' 81"
Besides me ?
yes, besides you. When had writ
zen tour notes, in different styles, break
ng off four different engagements, I
couldn't think what other form to use for
he fifth one So l let him go, and I
navn't written yet. There
And here Winni gave profound sigh,
and looked up to me as though relieved of
4 heavy burden. 49, =
"And is this Characteristic of the way
ia which young ladies of the South en-
gage themselves-this polygot system of
Detrothal 2"
L don't know, I'm sure,' almost sob
bed Winnie. cts the way all the girls l
ever knew did,.
arose, lit the gas, arranged the pa
per, pen and ink, and placed a chair for
Winnie.
Suppose you write to the fifth one now
[ said write the note as you tn ink
proper | would rather not know what
you say. Seal it, and address it properly,
and give it to me- BY the time we are
on the ocean my fifth rival will have re-.
ceived it,
Winnie looked at me with comical
e expression, but sat down at the desk |
had arranged, wrote the note and handed
it to me to read. Without doing SO, |
folded it, enclosed it in an envelope, seal
ed the envelope, and handed it back to
Winnie for her to address. She did so,
and in another moment the name of ''Cy-
rds Morris, No. New York |
city was cleaning in violet ink upon
the delicate paper. Then | put the note
in nay packet and went down stairs to
see, as | said, that it was properly mail
ad