The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1872-12-28

"S7Ah''td'C, SIG HUI never UOuDteu tnlS
was fact. Such was the simple his
tory OF Mara, as Halsey told it us.
Looking back upon that time, it strikes
nation Mara had exercised over Us all.
that we all accepted her account of her
self as if it had been gospel. There
were no questions and no doubling; vet
we were not, ! believe, fools. On the
morrow Halsey started early for Lon
90n TO get his license; and by the fol-
lowing train Merry went there, too, rn-
der commission from Cloves and I. to
buy Mara q wedding present in our
three joint names. By clubbing our re-
sources, we had Jumped some sixty
pounds; and Merry brought back the
same evening watch and chain, a
bracelet, and pair of earrings, all
tasteful and well made. Halsey also
returned about the same time with his
license and trOusseau that had cost
him hundred pounds. He went off Mt
once to Mara's, and brought her back to
take tea with hus, the landlady being invi-
TED up for the occasion, to play propri-
ETY.: Mara found her presents on her
plate, III the place of honor at the head
OF the table and l fancy can see Hal
ss!cy now, fastening the earrings to her
ttlny ears, then turning round to us with
ms eyes moist, and saying, "What good
fellows you all are! and what a lucky
6oS am to have such wife and such
The presents drew little color to
Mafas pale cheeks, for she was ex-
Cremeiy pale; and it escaped none of us
LnaI slle wore an abStracted, dreamy ex-
preston, which we had noticed on her
face before, but which now seemed SET
tied there. We attributed this to natn
raj emotion. Later, however. | remem-
bered an episode of that evening to
which we none of us attached much i'm
portance at the time, though it seems
to have rather struck Cloves, who was
tRe most Observant of us. When the
Tea things were cleared away, Halsey
asked II there were anything in that
days paper. Our .landlady, who read
her papers religiousEy from end to end,
adVertlsementsincluded, answered, ooh,
yes, Mr.; Halsey, the shOckingest mrr,
der in the world-a policeman killed in
London with a poker! There's q col
umn, OF particulars most dreadful to
think Of" Lifting my eyes at thatmo-
ment, saw that Mara's face had grown
llVld. Her eyes were haggardly fixed
on the speaker, and her lips parted as if
IN abJect terror. Seeing me looking at
her, she endeavOred to recover herself,
and put her hands before hereyes; but q
moan broke from herlips and herheadfelI
back senseLess. All of us rose in alarm,
me window, was opened, salts were
1fetched, and Halsey, falling on his
knees, chafed her hands distractedly
between his; but, as she was soon res
tOred to CONSCIOUSNESS, the incident
was asGfloe0 to heat, which had, in
truth, been oppressive that day.
The next morning Halsev took his
license to the rector, and on the dav
following the wedding came off. One
need scarcely describe the cOmmOti0n
spread thr0ngout Sanbeach by the event.
although the rector had been given
but four and twenty hours notice, this
was quite enough to let. the news cir
cul2te IN every nook of the town: and
at the hour appointed for the ceremony.
not pew in the small parish chnrcR
but was crowded, whilst the cOncourse
outside would have given one to ~snn-
pose that every spectator had n deem
personal interest in what was going on
The Misses Wilkins were there. with
their hair down their backs. fresh and
still wet from sea- bathing :~,~ vompG
SSn!!gge was there, with tile female
SnlggG connection, pTying and excited
Mrs. Butts was there and the entire
clan OF Butts lady subscribers mus
tered to a woman, chattering,. whisper
ing, 1lsnng, and talking in all the cOigns of
maTItans the wedding was NOT
was worthy man; tr5Sssas!e GOOD Sa-
Halsey's license, he had said, a @geIr-
tleman in your position, Mr.. Halsey,
would not do anything to disgrace his
Fk11a H1L
intended bride is in every respect wOr-
thy of you q" And, on Halsey replying
with a powerful adjuration which would
have exploded into an oath but for the
ecclesiastical presence, that his bride
was the purest woman in all Christen-
dom, the rector had proceeded, Well,
if the young lady has no relatives to as
sist her, my wife shall lead her to
church; and perhaps you will let the
wedding breakfast take place at the
rectOry.n Accordingly, when Mara
stood at the altar ratings, she had the
rectOr's excellent wife, In gray sill
dress, behind her. Cloves gave hel
away, | was acting as best man, anC
| Merry kept an eye to the marshallinG
of six little natiOnal-schOol girls il
white dresses and crowns of rOsebud'
in their hair, whom HalseY and thC
rector's wife had arranged togethe,
should act as bridesmaids. Mara wa
exquisitely dressed in white silk, an(
wore bonnet trimmed with 0rangt
blossoms. Her beauty, her bashfulness
and the tranquil innocence that seemeC
to clothe her, stirred mrrmer of ad
miration as she descended the aisle OF
Halsey's arm and such of the ceHgre
CATION as had not been moved to indul
gence by seeing the cOuntenance Whicl
the rector's wife lent to the weddin
were shaken iii their preiudices b
the pride and admfring love with whic
Halsey appeared to regard his bride
These were not the looks of man put
ting the finishing touch to an " impr0pe
connection" The ladies, with woman
unerring connoisseurship in such mat
ters, felt it; and Mara, who entered til
church as an outcast, left it almost pOT
ular. There were carriages OUTSIDE
with positions and favors, just as if TIL
marriage had been in London; but {
the first of these carriages drove o
: with Halsey, his bride and the rector
wife for the parsonage, Il heard We
! man say, "It's fair and harmless fact
but she looks as if her mind were III
j.. with her body; she seems thinking {
: something else" #5 - .'":"
! Af,}.5 (To be continued) 49,.
q 7fsf -s4ss ----%---------ze zeas-----------
, NELLIE GRANT AND HER ,WINTE
] ORNAMENTS. Our lady readers vi
i 4Ia,,T- 80, F,,, +oII5pbr* thorn 1Y-ba4 MI