Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-04-07
MISCELLANEOUS.
THE FATAL BOUQUET.


q bouquet a. & bridemaid generally car.
rIes TO assist her IL The sometimes difficult:
duty Of appearing irresistible, ] canuo;
say but the only one ever mad ANYTHING
to do with cost me deer, az will be seen
Never. Oh, my friends, make rash prom
Ises CT. ]! you On, don't keep them and.
II after DAYS. y VIII be comfort To Won to
reileci that Tou we're not 50 good as your
WORD II was many wears apo that ] was
Obliged r. Dc present 81 no less melari-
choiy q ceremony than q wedding and 1t
has Cas-; clgno over ali my subsequent
Lie. IL was 8 lovely afternoon IL sum
mer q phyr and Aurora had been joined
zcgs,.:@r - tt:sttT iTiaifiuiouy; the cake had
b@en cut Jne champagne had flowed the
chariot bad carried of the infatuated
pair; the slipper had been thrown; the
tears had tcen shed and everybody was
A. dull as disb-water. ] sa. and talked
with AraDeila, who had been one Of the
bfidemads Whether bridemaid nova
days carries her bouquet as Arabella's was
then carried, | cannot tel ifer now live
very much "0ut Of the world y
but hers was carried by means
OF ring al the end Of sort
OF cornucOpia, III which were stuck the
sweetestaot flowers What we said ] do
not fortunately recollect but the rite
lately performed had undoubtedly sxer-
casec singular influence, 30 tina. eyes
were more than usually eloquent voices
were more than usually soft and low, and
conversation was more than usually zen
aimental, an3, | am afraid, absurd At
axst, however, il WAS somehow brought TO
pass that .Arabella said, playfully, livery
well, then, on one condition"
What Is it?" | asked eagerly
THAT you carry IL exactly ~ do and
that you take il with you wherever you go
20 day"
"These are very easy terms" re.
Joined, and l am only too glad 10 accept
them.
All That followed ! cannot remember !;
but nay ears, when ! think of the scene
are once mere filed with a sound as Of
low, but pleasant, laughing chorus, or
rather duet and my lips, when ! think Of
the scene, ie.l once more the touch Of
something ter than velvet And that
something la { four fingers and thumb
Such pret'g thumbs ii was as much
prettier tha4 ordinary thumbs as dimple
h prettier than q knuckle.
Wei, ! took the bouquet, and hung it
by the ring on my little finger; and, ali al
once, ] began 10 feel uncommonly like q
fool had said that ] accepted the con
diti0ns gladly; now / knew that ] had
spoken in my haste, aud that most men
who speak in their haste are liars So
took mournful leave OF Arsbella, who, as
! departed, called out. MIND, shall soc
you tomorrow, and shall require full
true and particular account Of all that be.
falls my bouquet
replied -gayly. rs some people say !;
that is incoherently, and with hysterical
giggle.
Ny trials began q soon as I was outside
the door, for symphathetic cabman, at once
discerning my befowered condition, whip
ped his horse into gallop and proffered
the safe refuge in his hanson. But had
not three hundred yards To go, and il
seemed ridiculous for poor and economi-
cal man to ride that short distance How
ever, II you are under the impression that
In q free country, such as we have the
happiness TO move on" in, man, who
not only has on 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 1t. All / know is, couldn't.
The Gilman, unable TO comprehend my
rcfug.i under the circumstances, drove
close against the curbstone, keeping pace
with me ~ went, touching his hat ut in
tcrvais, circulating compassionately,
"Keb, sir, you'd better 'ev kcb--you did
indeed" and 70 exposing me TO thou
otherwise have attracted. Little boys,
heu Inn hal nj al uf.A
by the cabman, considered the occasion
favorable for demonstration, which
threatened TO take the form of shying all
manner Of dirt; and older persons who
encountered me, either appeared to con-
slider that had mistaken bright day In
June for the 9th Of November, and laughed
derisiyely, or regarded me with such looks
as the priest and the Levitc must have
bestowed upon the poor wounded man
who had fallen amongst thieves, and EVIL
IDENTIFY set me down as thing to be avoid
ed like the plague Only few girls and
matrons, who shifted wedding from afar,
and consequently felt pleasant Utilization
after their kind, smiled tacit approval.
At last ! reached my lodgings, and
bouquet In water and sat down, and gazed
at It, and meditated. And, Is meditated,
il occurred to me that Arabella, who had
not parted with her bouquet without some
few minutes reflection, had ultimately
given 1t to me with design. She had
sighed little sigh, and had given me
very peculiar glance after she had COM
mitted her flowers TO my keeping; and
now. as ut and pondered, the meaning
OF the sigh and the glance was, I flattered
,,ovaelf intelliriblc. Arabella was not indif.