Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1871-11-30
Avoiding in Chicago after the Fire.

the burnt out city:
'Yrhe air was full of startling and
blood curdling rumors, and every hour
brought new excitement. lncendiarism
was rampant, and frightful and sum
mary vengence was reported as meted
out TO even supposed evil doers. The
house had twelve revolvers loaded and
capped. arranged on the parlor win
dows every night, and no one thought
OF Sleeping in house not guarded by
apatrol. So when it was whispered
about tlat sweet Minnia =.
relative of our host, and who was TO
have been married according To the
strictest sect of the fashionables, if
Superior street had not been burned.
would really carry ont her intentions
and take the holy VOWS on the 18th.
the house was in state of the highest
excitement. How could they get IL
cense? How find a clergyman? The
trosseau was burned; the intended
guests were burned out; the caterer
and florists had neither flowers n
food. How could a fashionable yon
lady make up her mind to be mari
without these things? But she q
And what was more, being girl ofex-
ceeding sweetness and womanlness.
she did not seem To care whit about
her lost splendors. Thursday came,
and with it tremendous sweeping and
busting of the house Of refuge. let me
tell you running fire of running guests
does not leave house swept and gar
nished, but quite the contrary. 4 IL
cense had been obtained, and Minnie's
own burned out clergyman had come
to marry her but what should be done
for decorations! The large house par
lOr had never been furnished, and
there was not even mantle piece in
the room. But it seemed rs il the fire
had developed as much female ingenu-
ity as it had destroyed feminine prop
crty. Theodore Winthrop said that il
the order had been given in the eth
New York, poets 10 the front"
goodly company would haye answered
to the call, and SO now a call for dec
orators Of burned property, brought a
perfect rush of talent to the rescue.
In the unsightly chimney hole was
placed an inverted soap box. covered
with crimson cloth. On this sat
tall slop jar, cribbed from 4 bedroom,
filed with lovely crimson and green
autumn leaves To be sure a slop iar
is not per 50 a handsome ornament.
but then some refugee hai LEFT mag
niflcent stag's head and antlcrs, which
set up in front Of the ohjcctiunal
crockcry, left nothing Ia he desired
A-white cravat, lost hy-.omc city equi-
site who probably found il impossible
10 save both that ami hi, neck. tied
more Autumn leaves into a true lovers
knot of colossal size. aud hung high ia
the pier, Branches Of the richest color
filled all sorts of inches and corners.
and the room was declared magnificent.
Some one, however, suggested that
there was no table or altar for the min
lster's use. But fortune favors the
brave; pair of library steps was pro
duced from somewhere, and sheet
pinned around them. Another treasure
trove was scarlet cross. in Illuminated
work, with the motto, Cast thy care
upon Him, for he careth for thee"
Our,little white altar, with this pinned
TO the front face and surrounded by Il
big Bible and prayer book, made
very canonical appearance indeed.
Then the room WIS ready, and we
had . rehearsal. But alas what bride
and groom Of the present day could
kneel on bare floor and get up again
gracefully? In vain blocks of wood,
boxes. and books were tricd-one was
too high and another was too low. At
last bright thought came-carria.e
cushions For it must be said that in
burnt Chicago now there are forty car
riages and pairs Of horses TO one house,
as the first were mostly saved, so that
beggars ride where beggars never rode
before. -Four cushions were brought
from the barn, and an Afghan con-
yerted them into lovely hassock. AS
It Is, or was impossible in these DAYS
to have wedding without showing the
presents, vine wreathed table in one
corner of the room held a most elabor-
ate display. A beautiful jewel case
contained what was set forth as the
bridegroom's gift-a set of exquisite
pearls, which you had to look at very
closely to discover that they were
nodded from a white ravelling of cotton
cloth. Other cases contained sets of
pickle forks, preserve spoons, and so
forth cut out of pasteboard, with mold
ings and monograms in lead pencil.
Valuable jewelry was plenty, but un-
fortunately the lava earrings had been
dug out once too often, aud the canoes
looked very black and queer round the
edges. A pewter table spoon, Ger
man silver fork, and some valuable aids
to housekeeping in the broom-stick and
dust pan line, completed the araay,
which certain y was unique, and inter-
ested the spectators much more than
the usual show. But when it came to
dressing the bride, serious difficulties
occurred Her wedding dress and veil
had never come from Field Il Letters.
Never mind she had white cambric
morning dress, which iooped over a
nice petticoat, would make her slender
figure look lovely, and her married
sister had saved her own wedding veil.
Some simple white flowers from a
neighbor's yard took the place Of orange
blossoms, and a set Of pearls were bor-
rowed from friend who had brought
them out Of the fire in her hands. As
for stockings, handkerchiefs, &c., the
various guests provided these from
among them. So the pretty bride
looked as sweet as rose, and the long
laid away tulle veil became her soft,
fair looks to charm. The groom was
dressed in borrowed clothes from head
to loot, as was the first bridesmaid,
while the brother who gave away the
bride, complained that he, being five
feet nine, was obliged to borrow the
dress suit Of q man six feet in bis
| stockings, and that consequently, when