Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-06-08
Two Weddings.

Two Weddings.
A LITTLE flush of pride passed over our
souls when the big, square envelope came
to hand, with its elegant Enclosures, show
ing that our old and prosperous acquaint
ance had weighed us in the social balance,
and not found us wanting. Let us haste
to the wedding! we said to Theodosia
on the eventful day; and being divided
like sheep from the vulgar goats who
swarmed and stared upon the sidewalk,
we passed up stately, between tarblazoned
policemen, under the bright canopy, into
the great, packed, rustling, whispering,
gaudy church, very seventh heaven of
| fashion, with sweet scented welcoming
cherubs in kid gloves and swallow tails
0 Deary! We can't begin to tell how
fine 1t was; how beautiful the bride looked
in her pearls and diamonds and long train,
and vail reaching to the ground, and the
three blushing bridesmaids! We can't
begin to describe the gorgeous floral hang
ings, the wealth of bouquets, wreaths,
emblems, spires, sprays, and what not;
and the ceremony, so impressive; with
everything, indeed, so cOnteur de rose and
appropriate and touching,-everybody
standing, all Of tremor, on tip-toe, to
catch glimpse OF the happy couple as
they step briskly down the aisle-the or
gan roaring and raging, and squaw king and
squealing, and Shistling and cooling, like
wellassorted happy family of wild beasts.
And if the scene at the sanctuary is in
describable, what can be said of the re-
ceptlon at the house! For were there not
nineteen hundred invitations out, and were
there not present the Pickanninies and
the Garullys, yes, and the Grand Panian-
drum himself with the little round button
at the top? And was not Mrs. A ele-
CANT "point I" actually torn from her back
by the crowd; and was not the table
marvel of costliness and delicacy,
and all mysterious daintinesses? Then
| to see us all march around in procession,
to view the cor-we mean to congratulate
the bride, and the man who had won her /;
then to behold US pushed and jerked and
| squeezed out into the hall, and up the wide
stairway, and into the room where the
presents were arrayed on green shelves,
and two detectives stood on guard And
such presents-such beautiful, dazzling,
unheaTd-of things-it was enough to make
one dizzy.
| And what if the bride did look dolefully
| tagged as she stood there, in her glory, I'M
| der the bridal bell, and what ii Miss Ii.
went away sour and severe because
Miss c., the vain thing, had worn great
| deal more expensive lace than that Miss
! b. had ordered months ago for this very
affair and what if the flowers had wire
stems; and what if there were more ice
| pitchers and cuckoo clocks on the green
| shelves than any young couple could find
use for and what If great many people
were very mad because they were not in
| ,..I Il. 10 hn
were invited, spent good deal more
money than they could afford in new
dresses and supererogatory presents what
| If the brides father turned pale, next day,
when he footed up the cost Of the happy
occasion and what if (although the deeper
meaning and the human grace could not
! be altogether furbelowed from sight il did
seem so much like hollow show and q
mournful mockery of sacred things was
| il not grand aflair-a nine days Won
| der-and did not the Tom 1ttilLdtOr
| (Which, if you were at the wedding, you
| bought on the sly to see if your name was
mentioned) pronounce IL, with conscien-
| tious discrimination, the event of the sea
son." McFlimsey Place having seldom
beheld its equal in all that goes to make
up brilliant and imposing effect
Yes, it was grand wedding. We have
attended another one since-a small affair !;
not to be mentioned on the same day with
the McFlimsey Place sensation, except to
| show, by comparison, what surprising
success was the former. A little way out
| in the country-rather a rural arrange
ment altogether; no style at all +; very few
there beside the family. Bless you! the
bride and groom to be were both down at
the front door to welcome US when we got
| in from the train and we had lots Of fun
| before her brother Bob came To the door
with strained m list brightness in his
| eye-and beckoned her TO go up stairs and
| put on her bonnet no, il wasn't bonnet
| either, just pretty little travelling hat,
| trimmed with-sOmething or other, to
match the sweetest, neatest, most common
sense Quaker -colored suit that ever you
saw.
The little church was quite crowded
with the villagers; even the tiny, odd
choir loft was crowded TO Overlooking, and
somebody had builta fiowery arbor, odor
Gus Of apple blossoms, just In front Of the
altar. There they were married; and, as
they turned TO go, a little girl, all dressed
in white, and carrying basket, sprang up
! like fairy, no one knew whence, and fit
ted along the aisle, and down the stone
steps in front of them, spriklipg flowers
in their path.
Then there was another jolly time at the
house, and after much kissing and few
tears, carriage drove away from the door,
followed in mid air by an old shoe, flung
| with a will And scout under the show
cry, sunshiny April sky
Across the hills they went,
| In that new world which is the Old"
-lScrtbner's N0nthly.