Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1873-11-12
THREE TIMES A BRIDEsMaID,

Augusta Vivian why, what on arth
are you CRYING about ?"
Miss Vivian dashed the crystal drops
petuiantly from her eyelashes.
Crying. What nonsense I'm not
crying"
She sat there on the low velvet-coy-
cred divan, with the exquisite brides
maids dress in her lap-white tarlatan,
barred with shimmering lines of silver
while Just beyond lay the wedding
cards, tied together with snowy ribbon,
like drifted snow.
/ And Aunt Bessie, seeing that remon-
STRANGE and argument would alike be
unwelcome Just at that moment, went
quietly out of the room with the ivory
needle-case she had come to seek, leav-
ing Augusta alone once more.
''Three times bridesmaid, and never
a bride ~
Was it, then, that there was actual
truth In the words of the old saw which
I people quoted against her with so much
malicious fun? For the third time she
was to be a brides attendant now-and
herself? Why does no one come to lead
her to the altar also, to fulfill woman s
I sweetest, proudest destiny?
l 1t is all sheer nonsense to say that a
/ girl must not admit visions of love and
matrimony into her head. She would
be but a hfeless, loveless statue other
/ wise I; the visions will come unbidden,
| and existence would be incomplete
without their enchanting glitter.
So IT was with Augusta Vivian at
( eight-and-twenty. People were already
beginning to speak of her as an old
maid the yonng sixteen-year-old dam-
sells thought her "shockingly old" and
Lily, her married sister, with two babies
patronized and pitied her
Poor Gussie r. said Mr.. Larhrop.
f; at isn't likely she will ever marry now
Why, was engaged before / was eigh-
/ teen, and Gussie is nearly thirty. How
ever, 1 always wanted an maid sister
/ to hive With me, and help about the
children and the housekeeping. "
/ Yet Augusta Vivian was loveler how
than she had been at eighteen. Not a
wrinkle marred the marble smoothness
of her brow, the gold-bright hair waved
( in luxuriant masses from her blue-veined
/, temples, and the bloom on her cheeks
was red and ripe as that of a peach, and
vet she never had had an offer.
It was hard, too. Augusta Vivian
had all the wifely instincts that belong
TO every woman worthy of the name
she had her aspirations, hopes, and
dreams. and it was dispiriting to see
them bighted one by one.
Nobody cares for me-" thought
Augusta, mournfully, and not without a
spice of bitterness in herdejection. "No
man ever spoke to me of love no home
ever yet opened its portals to greet me
as its queen. Why not, wonder? Am
L unlike other women ? Am l unworthy
of the destiny fate has reserved for
them? Here live in my little cottage
among the roses, solitary and alone,
save for Aunt Bessy and the kitten, and
here, for aught / can see, L am likely to
drag out the monotonous series of my
days. 1 wish 1 were a man; Men can
go out into the world and forget all
personal trouble in that keen hand-to-
hand conflict which invigorates while it
occupies them but women can only sit
at home with folded hands and aching
hearts, waiting for the day to come
which may never dawn"
And so it happened that Augusta
Vivian had let bright tear-drop or two
fall upon the shining folds of silver
/ barred tarlatan as she sat there all
alone.
Augusta" said Aunt Bessie, pres
emily re-entering, and sitting herself
down to work in the sunny corner of
the bay.window, show old is your sister
Helen 2"
"Sixteen next MONTH" answered
Augusta, spiritlessly.
81 thought So" said Aunt Bessy,
sagely. "Do you know, Augusta, I've
got new idea in my head?"
"What is that 2" asked Augusta,
forcing herself at least to appear to take
some sort of interest in the subject
matter under discussion.
'sMajor Culthorpe, next door-don't
you notice that he comes here every
day."
"Heneversp speaks to me, said Augusta,
coldly.
seBut he does to Helen. They were
out an hour yesterday, looking at the
hyacinth-beds. 1 do really believe he
means something, augusta. Helen is
young, to be sure-only sixteen-and
he must be more than thirty"
'Thirty-one," sald Augusta, with a
| little sigh, so soft that it was scarcely
perceptible.
.'But he's very rich and very hand
some-a great deal more brilliant match,
in worldly point of view. than Lily's
husband. Helen couldn't do better
than to accept him, if he should happen
TO propose, and SO 1 shall tell her"
Augusta dare not answer. Marrying
and giving in marriage-how naturally
they came TO every girl but herself
Here was little Helen, wearing short
dresses still, and scarcely out OF the
school-room, and Major Culthorpe, one
in thousand, handsome as Apollo, and
polished as Chevalier Bayard, had al
ready singled her out to be his wife A
keen pang Of envy shot through Augusta
Vivian's heart, none the less keen IN
that she felt how base 1t WAS thus to
Rrudge the royal crown of welded hap
piness to her young sisters lover.
"Helen is the last Of the flock,
added Aunt Bessie, meditatively, ''ex-
cept Won, Augusta. and don't suppose
you will marry now ]"
NO." Augusta echoed, looking down
drearily at the white tarlatan folds. 81
shall never marry now"
"And you'll be very happy, i dare
saw" went ON Aunt Bessy, in consola-
tory vein. people that don't have any
ms are never troubled with the dozens.
Dear heart alive, I'm an old maid my
self. and I'm sure my life has always
been an easy one
s.Vaa huf vou L0d n lover once.