Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1871-04-01
My Wedding Tour.
TFrom the New York Sunday Times.]

time Mrs. Charles Naii, Jr., ana saw the
initials of the same blazoned on the end of
my new Saratoga trunk, when We started
on our wedding journey l can speak Of
it calmly now, but the time was when it
narrowed up my inmost soul. 10 this
day, Charlie becomes wroth when it is
mentioned, and says it is my confoundcd
Imagination )" but he knows. and 1 know
WELL that that is only one of those. conve-
nicnt little loopholes through which big
masculnity can crawl on emergency; and
the facts remaining unchanged and indis-
putablc, shall defy Charlie and state
them to the world.
| Imagine then, reader or listener, who
ever you may be, that the last silkcn train
has swept itself out of Trinity Chapel, and
the last note of the inevitable Wedding
March" shuddcred Itself out of the big
groanng organ, and that Charlie and l
are married. Also, that the kissing and
crying over is achieved, and the voices of
husbands sisters and my maiden aunt's
hailing down blessings on our heads, are
| happily lost in distance-that the only
sound we hear is the rattle and roar of an
express train laundering eastward, and |
am looking out into the golden MONDAY,
Watching the fields and roads and villages
and woodlands race past us, and sweep
back into stream like running water
There we sat, two blssiul young fools
but it isn't Of our bliss or our foolishness
either, that am going to tell you-only
of the siugle adventure of our wedding
tour.
| Charlie hadn't told Inc where we were
TO 90, and rather liked being left in igho-
rance, knowing no more than that we were
being swept away to some little Paradise
of our own--.it might be an island of the
llcspcrides, or Crusos's Kingdom or Eden
itself. We stopped at a good many sta
tious by the way, that looked anything
but paradisacal; but | saw everything
through glass, rosily, as sat there de-
mure aud mute, by Charles side. The
shadows were growing short, and it was
just noon, when we stopped at some "vil'e'
or other, whose long, low, struggling build
inss, crowding close upon the track, and
,, the broad, dusty village street, branching
of at right angles, are photographed upon
my mcmory. Not for anything intrnsi-
caIly remarkable; there were only good
many teams and old farm-wagons, and
open carriages, and light carryalls stand.
| ing about, with the lazy horses rubbing
| their noses against old worm eaten posts,
under the row of dropping green trees,
and plenty of people on the platform,
crowding together for greetings and good
bycs; 1t was commonplace everyday
picture enough, and not even a pretty
one, except in fra gmcnts. There was Il
general exodus from the car, and rush
dnnerwara, as We supposed, toward the
swinging sign of some House" or other
down the lazy little country street; aud
Charlie, looking at his watch, said it was
twelve 'cluc.-and didn't | want some
lunch.
or course didn't, but of course lie ssid
| must have it, and immediately started
up. lie wouldn't be five minutes, aud |
mustn't move till he came back. l was to
guard our two seats, and let no one come
| nigh them, and above all, was to sit still,
and not be led astray by any possible warn
ings to change cars. Were going
through" Charlie remarked, $50 just
keep the seats, and don't pay any attcn-
ton" l nodded obedience, and Mr.. Vail
marched out of the car leaving me to peer
after him in the crowd and catch the last
glimpse of his straw hat vanishing down
| the street.
watched the crowd, when Charlie was
out of sight, and mused and wondered
over the faces, and built up all sorts of
dreamy speculations upon them, as one
does in crowd when they have nothing
better to think Of Presently the door
banged open, and the voice of some un.
seen funotiooary shouted, "Change cars
for Boston p
Everybody began to scramble their bags
and bundles and canes together, and there
was rush among the few who remained
my fellow passengers. l watched them 90
without emotion, and merely settled my.
self more comfortably for the journey
through" which Charlie had Indicated
wondering little where its terminus
might be, but in no wise disturbed or
anxious thereat. l stared out ut the peo
pie for five minutes longcr-at least so
said the fat.faced clock in the ladies'
room" opposite my window, though made
it fifty at least by mental calculation-and
then the door swung open again. This
time head projected itself into tho car,
roarcd " All out!'' evidently at me-and
vanished again. IL ,ooat get out" re-
piled, defying the empty air. "Charlie
told me to sit still, and Im going to. Oh,
Charlie why in the world don't you come
back ?"
But no Charlie came to answer me, and
began to stare out in the crowd with
rather more anxious eyes, and to grow
little hot and uneasy, and to think, with
certain unpleasant thrills running down
my back, what would become Of me if the
train should start, and Charlie shouldn't
come back at all! AT this awful point in
my meditations. the locomotive gave vent
to an uncarthy screech which l took for