Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-01-04


soors-snd in the doorway was formed a |
lovely arch of green aud white, through |
which suests and bride alike entered the |
suite of rooms in which the ceremony
was to be performed.
From the ceiling, at the north end of |
the front parlor, there hung a floral can
opy made of-guess if You cani-but it
not, I'll tell you. Why, the daintiest
blue harebells, nodding and trembling on
their slender stalks, and the delicate
blossoms of the wild clematisl Can you
imagire anything lovelier or more fitting
FOR the bridal canopy of youth and love
From the canopy fell long, trailing gar
lands of the same pure blossoms, which
were caught back against the window
castings, converting that end of the room
into faiTy bower And in the very GEN.
ter of all this beauty swung the M rriage
bell-formed even to the tongue of dainty
white blossoms.
Was it all fancy when, to those of US
who loved the youRg pair who stood be,
meath it exchanging vows of mutual love
and faith, it seemed to "ring ont the old,
ring in the new" in most melodious muir
mUrsp
Over the mantle, enclosed in a shield
the blended initials of the bride and
groom. What loving and persuasive
fingers fashioned it so deity, shall not
tell you here. Wait till I see you! Her
letter was made of white fowers,-white
for purity; his of glowing pipk-for love
and both were bound together by the
wedding ring. Was it not beautiful p
Too beautiful. too precious to be thrown
away-even though the blossoms faded
and the delicate tints grew brown. 1t
was tenderly carried over hundreds of
miles of mountain and valley, to new
home fer away; and to day the flowers
which un'olded to the rustling of our
pines, hearken to the perpetual murmur.
the 'inoesBapt sobbing" of great inland
sea.
But linger too long. Suffice it to cay,
there were wreaths and garlands swing
ing frem every window and doorway
here were vases OVERT swing with beauty
and perfume, and graceful hanging bask-
cts wherever there was space for them.
Fuschias and geraniums and heliotropes
hloomed upon every side, and the air was
sweet with the breath of miguCnette end
vio1ets.
Was it not truly a flower-weddinV
! But to the hearts of those wac loved her,
and who undertook all this joyful labor
for her, the young bride herself seemed
the sweetest flower of all.
n, w for the other weddiue-tbe silver
wedding. Alb, my friend that was
beautiful, too, though with different
beauty; and inst as bright, though with
a diverse brightness. Richer it was by
far; for life's noon is better than its
morning it's full IBid-summer-ay, its
autumn, if you will have it so-is richer
than it's sprinQtime. And surely the
love that has been tested and hallowed
by twenty-five years of Joy and sorrow
the love that La7 lived through trials and
changes, and sustained the rude shocks
of adversely: the love that has wept by
open graves and knelt by the altar of
prayer; the love that has cherished and
streng tbened giver and receiver alike, for
a quarter eff a ceEtury-that has borne
much. ay. aud forgiven much,-this love,
I say, i a richer and dearer thing than
any young love OF which minstrel has
ever sung, or poet dreamed. The bride
of the sjlver-wedding had, doubtless, lost
something Of Youthful bloom and fresh
ness; though very young and sweet and
fair she looked in her rich dress of pearl
colored silk, with softly falling laces, and
CtOuQ-lke veil OF Inlle Fte'luR upon the
hair that was itself just beginning to be
touched with silver. But whatever she .
had lost had been restored 10 her six fold
in the bright faces of her children. Her
vanished roses bloomed upon their cheeks
and if, perchauce, she had given to them
au2bt of the beauty and freshness % her
youth, could she feel she was loser
thereby ?
Il searon1 70 ma most ay1uisite and
poetic Observation-Disclosures it may have
belonged to-that made the decorations
for this silver-weddirg mainly of autumn
leaves Not of faded leaves. mind you;
not of wi hered laaves-but of the gor-
geous bright hued leaves that make the
glory of our October days. It was the
richuoss of maturity-tbe fullness of the
harvest time--so bright and beautiful, yet
with different bean'y from that OF
youth and sprirg. No flowers were used
for the decorations, save in the ooDstruc-
tioa of the monogram which in crimson
and white cleaned upon the wall above
the heads of the welded twain. On one
side Of the cipher VAS the date Of the
marriage, in white berries on around of
green; on the other that Of the silver
Wedding, in rel berries on a ground of
grev.
There wna A MARI o. bell here, too
suspended in the sr,h of door just OPP
posite the silver bride and groom. Not of
bridal white, this bell. It had rung ita
chimes for many R year; it had pealed
out notes of joy and Woe; ifs tones had
blended with gladsome ChIis'ma carols,
and i0vous merry M kings; it hid rung
in the birth hour Of immortal souls; it
had rolled more than once over the graves
Of buried hopes and aspirations. The
pure. unsullied white, would have seemed
meaningless beside this grey bell of I'M
fading mosses, frightened by vivid
touches of scarlet here and there. This
bell was fadeless-fadeless as the love
that years had tried and tested.
Over the mantle in the main parlor
was another quaint device, still in the
grey and soar!et. A orosa, a heart and an
anchor. Did it mean that even love it. !
self loses its chief glory unless anchored
near the cross
The staircase was tightly wreathed in
green, cut OF which silver leaves were
'hinin6. Ard over the stairs were these .
words ip silver letters, HE shall give His .
'nQels charge over thee, and they shall
]irect thy WAYS"
But how shall tell you OF ell the I
)9Autltul devices III many tinted Ieavas, /
n grey mosses, and ssoarlet and crimson
oerries2 Ali the pictures were suspend
ID from glowing Qsrlsnds-there were
stars and crescents over windows and I
loorways. Pillars were wraathed, and I
riches covered with the vivid tints of
autumn, until the very air seemed !
"a luminous mist,
Crimson and amber and amethyst"
After all, is not the richness of autumn .
letter than the pale beauty of the spring
ime? And is it not typical of our lives ?
8 not ful6llment better than promise
ruition better th n dreaming? T
And what if after the autumn comes
he winter? Let us take heart of grace 7
Jnder the SHOWS the violets bloarn and II