Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-08-01
AUSTIN, MOWER COUNTY, MINNESOTA,

AUSTIN, MOWER COZ
so feeble but what can walk that lit
: tic ways. My red shawl will be warn
, enough if it's pleasant day, and M,
black alpacky dress is NIL the fashion
Mow!'
There was clearly no way but to lc
the old lady take her own course, Il.
when her mind was made up it was like
the laws laws Of the Medcs and Per
slams. But Lucy and Belinda were
wholly overcome the next morning
when their mother told them of grand
mas plan.
What does make her 10 so 2" cried
Lucy.
I'm sure don't know, but shes
bound to do it, and I see no way tc
prevent"
She hasn't been to church TO,
years, said Belinda, "and knows she
can't hear word. Strange what she
wants to go now for"
" know one thing" said Lucy de.
cidedly. ct won't go to church ste,
If she goes with that awful looking
thing on her head"
no. Nor ;h%d L. ? in Belinda. "1guess
ooh now, girls" said their mother
soothingly, "the best way is to be in
dependent and not mind it."
! But girls at eighteen and twenty
rarely possess the Independence OF
mind that belongs to forty or forty
five: 80 the church bells on Sabbath
morning rang to them secluded in their
chamber. !peeping through closed blinds
at the church-goers. Not one of the
family had chance to hear the rumors
which had been flying all over town for
the past two days, gaining volume with
every repetition until full particulars
of the bridal costumes, the house they
were to occupy, and the furniture al.
ready purchased, formed part If the
regular story. cit comes from the
family, SO it must be So" was the
clincher that convicted all doubters.
Grandma had settled her huge sky
scraper of a bonnet with many and
long consultations of the mirror, and
Mr.: and Mrs. Freeman proposed to
walk to church with her. both trying
not to feel the righteousness of the
situation. Grandma was formed some
what like Mrs. Stoves old ladies'
like bag of feathers with a string
tied around the middle" and the am
pie skirts of her black "allypacky"
seemed to hang from a heavy chubby
ciaer barrel. An old fashioned red
shawl covered her broad shoulders. and
over and above all, the browning glorv
OF the whole outfit, was that bonnet.
her little wrinkled face appearing in
the middle of its hinge circumference
in about the proportions of a humble
bee in the centre of punkin blossom.
"The gals have gone, 1 'spose, =" said
grandma, pausing ut the foot of the
stairs in the hall. Belinda" she
squeaied up the staircase, but there
was no answer, so on she went. Her
son dutifully gave her his arm, and
his wife battered meekly along behind,
looking neither to the right nor to tho
left. The girls peered from the win
dow and laughed till they cried.
OTIS too Ridiculous" said Lucy.
wiping her eyes. "Do you see moth.
cr trotting on after them like a little
dog2"
Like a lamb to the slaughter. I
should say. I'd like to he there and
see how people look when they go in"
said Belinda, ''that is if could with |
cut being seen."
"1hope she won't take a notion to
go all SUMNER" said Lucy.
sob I hope not, indeed I" exclaim-
g k10 h. F..
day, for they, really need us on that
Everybody but us is out to-day.
and they all seem to be going to our
church, too"
"There's Mr.. May, and see, he's got
on new suit" For that gentleman,
hearing the rumors, and knowing we'll
enough how they started, took no pains
to contradict them, but rather helped
them along by buying a new suit of
clothes on Saturday: Black d1ess coat.
lilac vest and gloves, drab pants and
hat. He passed the slow pace Free
man family ut the church steps, and,
entering the fast-flling room, took a
seat near the door, apparently uncon.
scions of the scrutiny bent upon him.
Many curious chances went to Belinda's
usual seat in the gallery, but the gen.
eral opinion was that sheIwould appear
just in time for the ceremony.
The entrance of the Freemans put
an end to all doubts in any minds, as
we'll as to sobriety in most. Little
children giggled outright, older ones
Uttered, and even the most sober mind
ed could not repress a smile. The
church filled up rapidly, pews all full
and crowded, and still they came. The
somewhat prosy parson looked at the
gathering multitud in quiet surprise.
not having heard the flying rumors'
and not knowing what power of his
had so drawn out the people. Truth
compels me to state that he hardly re
ceived his share of attention from the
however, Mr.. May and
grandma Freeman dividing it
about equally. I grieve to add that
ut the other church the minister almost T
literally preached, that morning to bare
walls and empty benches, onl a few of
the staid fathers and mothers of Israel
appearing in their places. But the
minister with the small audience was
the favored one, after all, for the large
audience fidgeted uneas y all through !
the services, especially When prayer
followed sermon, hymn followed pray
er, benediction followed hymn, and
still no hint came of o wedding cere-
mony. Slowly the audience fled ont.
looking extremely blank and puzzled.
"What does this mean. May 2" asked
one young man of our hero rs he stood
coltlly on tho steps.
Soldl" replied May, briefly, leis-
urely taking his way homeward.
The word flew from lip to lip,
eve re all sold, and one after anoth-
er looked, and probably felt, cheap;
perhaps made the wise resolution.
then and there, never again to nut
faith in flying rumors.
Grandma Freeman looked around in
a dazed sort of way, rs the people
scattered. "Wi,ere's the wc,ldin'3 ?"
she squealed to her son. He looked
blank.
"Where's the weddin' 2" she repeat
ed, in higher key. "Belind;. and
KNOW" He shook his head in sur
prise, and all at once it seemed to
burst upon her that she had been de- |
ceived.
He lied to me, he did, the misera-
BILE lynn critte1 !" she burst forth in q
tiutter of excitement. In vain they |
tried to still her, for the phials of h r !
wrath were uncorked, and she poured
them out all the way home.
1.-The goo.l people of this town have
learned ono 1eaaOn r. Inv boo;l<<, .1I